Regardless of the period the literary text is written, the message it tries to express through black ink is often relative for many decades. An example of this kind of works is the excerpts written by Keats, Yeats, and Orwell. The writers invoke philosophical ideas and provoke readers’ thoughts by revealing many critical aspects of human life. Besides, these authors’ three works have a common theme: the distancing of humanity from their origin. They describe the beauty of nature and its effortlessness in its self-recreation and art. On the contrary, humankind is portrayed as evil and spiteful, which destroys nature to create humans’ own ‘art.’ The works call for attention on the environmental rupture caused by humans bringing calamity and misery, while harmony gives individuals freedom and delight.
Most importantly, the writings picture the artistry and elegance of nature which give pleasure and freedom. Ode to a Nightingale transmits the charming sound coming from a bird and the allurement of the surrounding trees. Keats says that the tree the nightingale is sitting on is like a Dryad, the spirit of trees. The sunlight rays passing through a tree create a stunning image contrasting with light and shadows. He is amazed by its beauty by saying, “tasting of flora and the country green, dance, and provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!” (Keats). The author writes that the music the songbird creates reminds a sunny summary that warms his heart. Keats gives a tribute to the nightingale and thinks about the artistry of mother nature. He introduces nature as an engaging sort of inventiveness that is simple and unadulterated.
Similarly, Orwell talks about the grace and effortlessness of the spring and natural world. For instance, he writes, “the leaves are thickening on the chestnut trees, the daffodils are out, the wallflowers are budding, the policeman’s tunic looks positively a pleasant shade of blue” to describe the blooming Earth (Orwell). In addition, he praises nature by saying, “birds living inside the four-mile radius, and it is rather a pleasing thought that none of them pays a halfpenny of rent” (Orwell). He refers that all the creatures live a life that is far from humanity’s notions and understanding. They do not need to pay rents for their house. Animals and plants just live as they please without complicating things. The writer describes how a toad welcomes the coming of spring. He wonders about nature’s self-regulation abilities since a toad always knows the exact time of waking.
Furthermore, the writings describe the humans’ greed and their destructive behavior and serve as reminders to humankind to introspect their disruptive and pointless activities for the sake of reaching endurance and sovereignty. As predetermination would have it, at present living under the shadow of an uncontrollable pandemic, the progressing political wars, and steady decay of nature because of human misuse, the world is in suffer and needs a recuperating. Yeats’s poem conveys that the world will be in chaos because of wars, pollution, and massacre induced by people. He says, “and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned,” demonstrating that the humans are no longer pure (Yeats). He, together with Keats and Orwell, talk about humanity distancing from their origin.
Yeats warns humanity about the apocalyptic future if people do not take accordant steps. His poem predicts that the time is over for humankind and that development, as the readers probably know it, is going to implode. Yeats suggests people forgot their goal, and they are blinded by their aimless ambitions. Humans’ chase after the technological development and building of strong governments which separate them from nature. This deviance destroys both the surrounding environment and people.
Likewise, Thoughts on the Common Toad is about humans being submerged in their routine and strive for better living conditions and missing important parts of their life. The short passage gives off a sad atmosphere despite its description of a beautiful spring. According to Orwell, “those who really have to deal with the soil, so it is argued, do not love the soil.” People do not value what they have and cannot see the wonders right in front of them. They are always in a hustle to survive in the modern world, and they even do not notice the coming of spring, unlike the common toad.
Keats also speaks about how he is tired of challenges faced as a human being. The civilizational world is demanding and merciless, and those who stop fighting for their place under the sunlight are swept by this world’s cruelty. The narrator of the poem comes to listen to the nightingale’s song to escape the suffocating reality. He desires a glass of wine that would let him forget his problems as a human being and be unconscious about them. The writer even wishes to die in order to leave the life of a human that is full of “the weariness, the fever, and the fret” (Keats). The poem suggests that people tend to ruin everything around them and, what is more critical, themselves by seeking progress.
Ode to a Nightingale is brimming with logical inconsistency, including the logical inconsistency between man and nature, and the inconsistency between the realistic and the ideal worlds. This resistance of two distinct kinds of magnificence is shown from the earliest starting point of the sonnet. Keats notes people always contend with nature to create their own art. Nevertheless, the author concludes nature’s skill is more prominent and greater than humans’ technology. People make weapons and machines that bring mostly harm to the surroundings. Keats tells people their efforts are meaningless, and they will eventually destroy everything they have worked for.
The work asks whether nature – spoke to by the songbird and its tunes – implies a sort of magnificence more unprecedented than anything people can deliver, a marvel that is some way or another pure and everlasting. According to Sengupta (71), Lethewards is a waterway in the lower world. Its water causes individuals to fail to remember when they drink it. The water of Lethe-wards is expected to have the inebriating power that causes the artist to fail to remember the unpleasant truth of life. He accepts the songbird as a light-winged Dryad of the trees. Dryad is a wood fairy, likewise called hamadryad, in Greek folklore, a sprite or nature soul who lives in trees and appears as a wonderful young lady. Dryads were initially the spirits of oak trees, yet the name was later applied to all tree sprites (Sengupta 71). With the mistake and grumbling to the general public, Keats picks songbird as the theme and composes this sonnet.
Three literary texts imply that men became slaves and machines who work to survive losing their opinions and spirits. In this exhaustion and fret world, material interests overtop all other matters. The deficiency of self-character causes them to lose basic freedom. Correspondence, opportunity, and equity do not have a place in modern society. The best way to live in wealth and joy and to have strong social relationships is to react to the energy and power coming from natural sources. The tune of the songbird is the call of nature to people.
The main message the three readings aim to deliver is the significance of a strong bond between humans and nature. The authors suggest people should stop craving progress and civilization but pause and live in the present. Keats claims that humans always desire development and innovations, while the little bird’s melody stays unchanged. The time freezes when the nightingale sings, but the human’s lifespan is short, and it should not be spent it on trivial matters. People instead need to enjoy their life as it is and spend more time surrounded by the natural landscape. Distancing themselves from nature will only provoke unhappiness and self-degradation. In this case, the world will achieve balance and peace.
In a similar manner, Orwell comments on the humans’ inability to relax and enjoy the daily gifts given by nature. Humans are the children of the Earth, and they derive their energy from it. Thus, it is essential to treat other living organisms as equals without dominating them and overestimating self-importance. Thoughts on the Common Toad reminds the readers of their pure love for “trees, fishes, and butterflies” when they were children and how unconditionally happy kids are because of this love (Orwell). Moreover, when Orwell talks about spring being a miracle, he discusses how London transforms when spring comes, and “down the square, the smoky privet turned bright green, the leaves thickened” (Orwell). This excerpt uses many images, and it shows how people seem to be happier when they spend time in the environment.
The Second Coming emphasizes the urge to change the situation and that the problems can be overcome if humans listen to nature. People are losing their moral standards, but it can be reverted if they stop distancing from the environment. They will lose anxiety, nervousness, and wariness caused by the difficulty they face as human beings. Consequently, people can revive the moral standards as they drop the need to chase satisfaction. Humans are happier if they are closer to nature since people are part of it in general. People keep on fighting with the world to survive, but it always leads to even more disaster. They should consider praising and caring for the environment if they want to live on the lands created by the Earth. Therefore, returning to the origin is a central theme the authors try to achieve in their writings.
In conclusion, the literary works by Keats, Orwell, and Yeats demonstrate the common issues of the planet, which are bounded to humans’ divergence from nature. All three texts describe the beauty of nature and its magnificence. The authors are impressed by nature’s ability to create lives and bring unrepeatable art. They also illustrate the destructive behavior of humankind and how it leads to absolute chaos and the crises of the ecology and intense logical inconsistencies of the present reality. People became distant from their origin and forgot about pure emotions and morals they had as children. The writers characterize the excellence and balance of the perfect life and tenderly express the call for harmony.
Works Cited
Keats, John. “Ode to a Nightingale.” 1819.
Orwell, George. “Thoughts on the Common Toad.” 1946.
Sengupta, Gaurab. “Tracing the Past: Revisiting Greek Myths in John Keats’ Poetry.” Literary Herald, vol. 5, no. 6, 2020, pp. 66–73.
Yeats, William Butler. “The Second Coming.” 1919.