Ode on Solitude by Alexander Pope
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.
Whose heards with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
Blest! who can unconcern'dly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mix'd; sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please,
With meditation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me dye;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lye.
Ode - It is a type of lyrical verse. There are usually three parts known as the strophe, antistrophe, and the epode.
In this poem, there is a definite rhyme scheme. Odes don't necessarily have a pattern, so it is important to indicate that this poem does. Also, there are many punctuations between thoughts in each line, called a caesura. The use of a caesura give the poem more depth and meaning. If read without these pauses, the poem wouldn't have as much of an effect on the reader. With the constant pauses, it gives the reader time to process what Pope is talking about. It almost brings the reader into a deeper realm of meditation.
Euphony is also used in the poem. The use of smooth consonants gives a soothing effect to Pope's poem. "sweet recreation" is an example of the smooth consonants within the poem. There is no stress on the consonants that causes cacophony. Pope uses euphony to further elaborate on the solitude of the event at hand. The solemnity of the use of euphony further conveys the soothing mood of the poem.
During Pope's time, a word that ended with "e-d" would have the word + ed at the end, so elision was used to give the poem a better flow. Also, it keeps the regular meter of the poem. Two examples here are "unconcern'dly" and "mix'd". If the "e" was added to these words, an extra syllable would be added and the meter would be off, and the smoothness of the poem would be ruined.
The Ode on Solitude uses these devices to give the sense of solitude in the fields that Pope intended to achieve. Without these devices, the poem wouldn't be the same. Also, the use of rhyming in this ode gives a better flow, adding to the solemness of the solitude around a field and the countryside.
Please comment on this poem.
8 comments:
I agree with what you've said about the rhyme scheme and rhythm of this poem, which serve to create a soothing, peaceful feeling reflective of the lifestyle Pope describes. The slow, pensive rhythm allows the reader to make their way through the stanzas and absorb the images the poem presents. I'm not totally sure, but I think one purpose of the rhyme scheme could be to provide a sort of "complete-ness." The rhyming brings everything together and lends some resolution, which made me think of the self-sufficient solitude Pope desires.
I agree with you Michaela. Without a rhyme scheme, some poems do feel incomplete. The resolution, too, I agree with. His wish is to achieve this solitude, and without an end in sight, it wouldn't be able to be achieved, so the rhyme scheme acts as the end of his journey.
The euphony used in the poem also gives off a soothing, peaceful vibe. Not many sylablles are stressed which adds to the overall self-sufficent nature of the poem. The speaker wishes to take care of himself using only the bear resources. It also shows that no words are supposed to pop out, giving every line equal meaning.
The subject of this poem seems to be a farmer. And with this knowledge, the euphony used throughout the work reflects the simple and laid-back lifestyle. Pope chooses to use predictable methods: alternating rhyme scheme, uniform stanzas, to convey this sense of simplicity. The voice of the poet matches the subject.
It is interesting that “happy” is the first way Pope describes the farmer. Among the numerous other words he could have chosen, he picks “happy”. The commonness elementary nature of his language immediately sets the mood. Lastly, the farmer is “content to breathe his native air, in his own ground” instead of wanting to advance with the changing lifestyles of people at the time.
Tomy, do you think that maybe pope is talking about a proud farmer that doesn't feel the need to "show off"? It seems that maybe the solemnity of the poem can be marked by this.
I agree with the notion that euphony is used to give a soothing feel to the poem. I also agree with Lauren that the farmer is happy and lives within his means. This is a far contrast from the materialistic world that we live in today. This farmer lives in solitude and is happy living off the land. I am particularly interested in the line "Sound sleep by night". Morally poor actions are said to keep people up at night as they hang on a persons subconcious thoughts. I take this to mean that the farmer is pure and uncorrupted.
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