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.

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_______________________________ 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