John Keats only published 54 poems in the course of his life, but he explored many different forms, including the sonnet, the Miltonic epic, and the Spenserian Romance. The two poems on this page are English Odes, which is a form he perfected and defined. The poem at the right addresses the goddess Psyche, who is the Grecian representation of the human soul. The speaker apologises for telling her what she already knows, and extols Psyche for her youth, beauty, and humble nature. The speaker promises to build temples for this unrecognised goddess, and to be her priest. The speaker is very imaginative, and delights in being so, as he or she falls in love with colourful imagination and beautiful ideas of love. This poem emulates Romantic ideals. The original myth of Psyche is a story of romance and pain for Psyche and Eros, or Cupid, her lover. This ode contains extremely colourful imagery, which is appropriate for the emotional content and background of the subject. |