To the Nile is a sonnet written in Petrarchan style by John Keats. It contains fourteen lines, in which first eight lines are called the Octave and the next six lines are called the Sestet. The ninth line is the changing point which is called the Volta. In the first part Keats day dreams about the myths about the Nile the longest river which was the cradle to one of the ancient civilizations and that very while he awakes from his day dreams questioning its fruitfulness as it flows through a desert. In the second part he gives up analyzing this knowing his limitation of knowledge regarding things beyond himself and start seeing the river as a natural element which is always fruitful and wonderful.
Son of the old
Moon-mountains African!
Personification - introduces
the Nile as the son of old Moon mountains. It refers to the Ruwenzori mountains
in East Africa. Poet addresses the river not by its name, but does it in a
glorified manner, as if talking to a god or a king.
Chief of the Pyramid and
Crocodile!
personification/hyperbole - The river
is again introduced as the chief of the ancient pyramids and crocodile. They
may be referring to living and non-living which are great in size. As history
reveals, the large stone bricks were transported through the river to build the
pyramids and the river is abundant with the world largest crocodiles.
We call thee fruitful,
and that very while
A desert fills our
seeing's inward span:
Poet
starts doubting the fruitfulness of the river as it flows through a vast desert
of Sudan and Egypt. Poet contrasts fruitfulness with barrenness to show his
confusion. If the river is so fruitful, how can there be deserts besides its
banks? may be the question that troubles his mind.
Nurse of swart nations
since the world began,
Personification – The Nile
is introduced as a caretaker of Swart Nations. Swart nations refers to the
African people. Since the beginning of the civilization, The Nile has been the
source of life for people. It nourished people giving them food and the means
of life.
Art thou so fruitful? or
dost thou beguile
Such men to honour thee,
who, worn with toil,
Rest for a space 'twixt
Cairo and Decan?
Having
introduced as the nurse of swart nations, the poet questions the river about
its fruitfulness. He further questions its powers to be real or not?
(He may be referring to the myths related to
The Nile - Keats may be referring to temples dedicated to Osiris which are
scattered along the banks of the River. According to the legends, Isis, the
wife of Osiris, built those temples to enshrine various parts of his slain body
scattered along the Nile by his brother Seth who murdered him.
The Nile River is also steeped in mythology with
Hapi being its chief God who is associated with flooding, thus bringing
fertility and fruitfulness.)
He seems
to be questioning about the fact that people who lead a life of hard work, turn
towards this natural god to seek consolation and share their grievances’
because of the powerful myths fabricated around it.
Rest for
a space may be referring to the area which it covers between the two ends of
the river, Cairo and Decan which covers about five countries.
O may dark fancies err!
They surely do;
'Tis ignorance that
makes a barren waste
Of all beyond itself…
This is
the beginning of the second part called Sestet. The 9th line is called Volta which means the change
of perspective. The poet suddenly shakes off his day dreaming and comes to the
reality. He introduces his doubts as ‘dark fancies’ which can be erroneous. He
accepts that the myths and gods are far beyond his level of understanding and
further accepts that doubting those things can show one’s ignorance rather than
wisdom.
Thou dost bedew
Green rushes like our
rivers, and dost taste
The pleasant sunrise.
Green isles hast thou too,
And to the sea as
happily dost haste.
In the
last three and half lines, the poet goes on praising the rive Nile whether it
is fruitful and venerable or not. He praises the river for being like other
rivers, beautiful with green water reeds, and small greenish islands, and for
flowing happily down to the sea.
The use
of beautiful visual image appeals to readers’ eyes. The river also tastes
‘pleasant sunrise’. This is a blend of gustatory and visual images. The river
also consists of “green isles”. The poet repeatedly uses ‘green’ to bring about
an effect of lush greenery which is quite contrary to the repeated term of
‘desert’ in the octave.
The poem
has the characteristics of a river itself. It represents a flow of ideas which
may twist somewhere in the middle and ends with a smooth flow of words. The
twists and turns makes a river beautiful as the flow of ideas makes the poem
much enchanting to the reader.
Some find
this poem is hard to read because of the old English terms, however I hope you
have got the idea of the poem correctly. If you have any doubts, let’s discuss
it in the comment section. To receive new criticisms to your mail box,
subscribe to the page.
Sources: https://www.litspring.com/2020/03/line-by-line-analysis-of-to-nile-by.html: 01.08.2021
No comments:
Post a Comment