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Difficulty: MediumAllusions in Poetry

Read the following excerpt from John Keats’s poem "Ode to a Nightingale" (1819) carefully:

Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown:
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that oft-times hath
Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam
Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.

In the context of the poem, how does the speaker’s allusion to the biblical figure of Ruth (lines 5–7) contribute to the development of the poem's theme?

  1. A
    It provides a literal historical and geographical setting for the origin of the nightingale's melody.
  2. B
    It reveals the poet's own personal homesickness and biographical desire to return to his native land.
  3. It emphasizes the timeless, universal quality of the nightingale's song by illustrating its capacity to touch human hearts experiencing exile and sorrow across history.Answer
  4. D
    It misinterprets the biblical story of Ruth to argue that she was permanently abandoned by her people.
  5. E
    It signals a shift in the speaker's tone from profound melancholy to lighthearted, pastoral celebration.

Answer

The allusion to the biblical figure of Ruth emphasizes the timeless and universal capacity of the nightingale's song to connect and comfort human beings experiencing exile, homesickness, and grief across historical eras.
The correct option is correct because the allusion to the biblical figure of Ruth, who wept in exile in a foreign land, highlights the timeless and universal power of the nightingale's song. By suggesting that the same melody heard by the speaker was also heard by Ruth in ancient times, the poem underscores the song's ability to transcend historical boundaries and connect individuals across history through shared feelings of exile and longing.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the literal content of the allusion to Ruth in lines 5–7.
Ruth is depicted as 'sick for home' and standing 'in tears amid the alien corn,' representing exile, sadness, and displacement.
To understand the emotional and thematic associations of the mythological/biblical figure referenced by the speaker.
2
Relate the allusion to the broader context of the nightingale's song described in the stanza.
The speaker contrasts the transient generations of humans with the 'immortal Bird' and notes that the song was heard in 'ancient days' and is the 'self-same song' that Ruth heard.
To identify how the allusion functions to establish the song’s endurance across time and space.
3
Connect these observations to evaluate how the allusion develops the theme of the poem.
By showing that the song was heard by Ruth in her grief, the speaker underscores the universality of human suffering and the timeless ability of the nightingale's song to bridge historical eras.
To select the option that accurately describes the thematic function of the allusion.

Key Concept

The function of literary and biblical allusions in developing poetic themes of transience and universality.
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Topics

Allusions in Poetry

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