The "Ode on Indolence" is one of five odes composed by English poet
John Keats in the spring of 1819. The others were "Ode on a Grecian
Urn", "Ode on Melancholy", "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode
to Psyche".
The poem describes the state of indolence, otherwise known as laziness,
and was written during a time when he felt that he should devote his
efforts to earning an income instead of composing poetry. After
finishing the spring poems, Keats wrote in June 1819 that its
composition brought him more pleasure than anything else he had written
that year. Unlike the other odes he wrote that year, "Ode on Indolence"
was not published until 1848 (see 1848 in poetry), 27 years after his
death. The poem is an example of Keats's break from the structure of
the classical form. It follows the poet's contemplation of a morning
spent in idleness. Three figures are presented—Ambition, Love and
Poesy—dressed in "placid sandals" and "white robes". The narrator
examines each using a series of questions and statements on life and
art. The poem concludes with the narrator giving up on having all three
of the figures as part of his life. Some critics regard "Ode on
Indolence" as inferior to the other four 1819 odes. Others suggest that
the poem exemplifies a continuity of themes and imagery characteristic
of his more widely read works, and provides valuable biographical
insight into his poetic career.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode_on_Indolence>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1715:
The Yamasee War between colonial South Carolina and various Native
American Indian tribes began.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamasee_War>
1755:
A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson was first
published, becoming one of the most influential dictionaries in the
history of the English language.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dictionary_of_the_English_Language>
1912:
The passenger liner RMS Titanic sank about two hours and forty minutes
after colliding with an iceberg , killing over 1,500 people.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Titanic>
1952:
The B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered, strategic
bomber operated by the United States Air Force for most of the
aircraft's history, made its first flight.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-52_Stratofortress>
1989:
Ninety-six people died in a deadly human crush during a FA Cup
semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at
Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, the deadliest
stadium-related disaster in British history.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_Stadium>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
debunk (v):
To discredit, or expose to ridicule the falsehood or the exaggerated
claims of something
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/debunk>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
<math>e^{i \pi} + 1 = 0. \,\!</math>
Gentlemen, that is surely true, it is absolutely paradoxical; we
cannot understand it, and we don't know what it means. But we have
proved it, and therefore we know it must be the truth.
--Benjamin Peirce
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Peirce>