Literary Comparison: the Nightingale

The two poems in my comparison are The Nightingale’s Nest by John Clare, and Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats. Although both were about the actual bird the nightingale there is so much more depth that can be reached by just reading into what the speaker is feeling as they are describing the actual bird, and not to mention their surroundings and how they are coming in contact with the nature around them. As well as the effect that certain aspects of the birds song makes them feel and even changes the way of thinking.

The Nightingale is a bird that builds its nest among the ground, and disguises it as just a brush pile to predators that may cause them any harm, both poems mention the way that this particular birds nest placement is unique and part of what makes the bird so special, but above all what makes the nightingale a bird like no other is the tranquil song that it produces when it does not feel as though it is in harms way.

In The Nightingale’s Nest by John Clare he is describing his adventure of coming upon such a glories work of nature as the nightingales nest how one must be extra careful as not to startle the bird while approaching or she will stop singing. The way that bird itself is described that it is surprising to have such a plain looking bird belting such sweet melodies is odd he does this by saying “and her renown hath made me marvel that so famed a bird should have no better dress than russet brown.

Her wings would tremble in her ecstasy, and feathers stand on end, as ’twere with joy, and mouth wide open to release her heart of its out-sobbing songs. ” So much pure feeling about the actual lack of visual appeal that this bird has over one of out most judging senses, yet at the same time showing that looks can be deceiving because no other bird could make the sweet songs that she does. More so than her actual appearance he refers to her nest placement and how he crawls just to catch a glimpse of her feeding her young, or to see the eggs in the nest. The happiest part of summer’s fame she shared, for so to me did happy fancies shapen her employ; But if I touched a bush, or scarcely stirred, all in a moment stopt. I watched in vain: the timid bird had left the hazel bush, and at a distance hid to sing again. ” The fact that this bird’s song has such an impact that in the end seeing the olive brown colored eggs knowing that their legacy is to sing this glorious song is enough to make him elated. In the poem Ode to a Nightingale, by John Keats there is a much darker tone throughout the entirety of the poem.

In the beginning of the poem it almost seems as though he is walking around outside in a drunken state and comes across the sweet melody of the nightingale. “My heart aches and a drowsy numbness pains my sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, or emptied some dull opiate to the drains. ” Throughout the poem it seems that he is not happy in his own life, and the dark theme of the poem says that but also the fact that he is saying he can not see the flowers that he stepping over but he can smell them, it being too dark to see.

He doesn’t understand what is so glorious that the nightingale has to sing about but he is not protesting to her beautiful song. He does not seem to see the reason for life and can not appreciate the gift of life that he was given. He seems to just be waiting for death to come and take him away, however this nightingale has a reason to sing and a glorious tranquil song at that, thinking that the birds sole purpose is to grace the world with her song yet still not being able to understand his purpose for being here, that people are born to serve a purpose and then to die but not this bird. Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; the voice I hear this passing night was heard by emperor and clown:" The impact that this birds song has on its surroundings is lasting and therefore even after death unlike humans she will live on through her song.

These two poems are very different they are both fixed upon the actual song itself and how the song brings about emotion from anyone close enough to hear, however the undertone in these poems are as different as night and day, literally. John Clare’s poem rejoices in the beauty of the earth and that such an amazing creature has been put here to give its gift of song and he just watches in amazement trying to get as close as humanly possible so that he may watch nature at its finest.

While John Keats’s poem has a different outlook he is not trying to find the bird, and could care less about the accommodations that she has set up for her and her young, as much as he is understanding and trying to appreciate the song itself and that being the bird’s purpose, yet not fully understanding what his purpose may be. The main senses that he is using are his nose and his ears being that the earth is consumed by darkness, the possibility of him trying to find the creature that is making the glorious noises is not one that is tangible.

However, in John Clare’s poem the entirety of the poem is dedicated to his vision, hearing, and to him searching for and wondering in amazement at the bird and her nest knowing that every little thing that is protecting her and her children are found in nature and put together in just a way that is is overlooked easily. Works Cited Stillinger, Jack, and Deidre Shauna Lynch, eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Eighth Edition, Volume D. New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Company, 2006. Print.

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