“Thou was not born for death, immortal Bird!,” Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats (line 61)
Though I don’t particularly agree with Burke’s distinction between the sublime from beauty, in that he implies a sexist polarization similar to the masculine versus feminine characterizations, I can see aspects of his argument in various poems we’ve read this semester. Burke argues that “Greatness of dimension is a powerful cause of the sublime” (75). Playing on this notion of greatness, the sublime itself is coded as ‘the great’. We’ve seen these epic and descriptively lustrous scenes in many of the Romantics, and Keats is no exception. I really like this line, because its the most straightforward and literal example of ‘the great’ that I could find. I think that immortality exemplifies that “greatness of dimensions”, and may just be that which is “capable of raising ideas of the sublime” (Burke 75). Immortality lies with the concept of the infinite, which may seem “light and delicate” (Burke 76) at first glance, but through further analysis we can see it is so much more. Conceptually, to Burke, “the great” should be “rugged and negligent…often makes a strong deviation…ought to be solid, and even massive” (76). Honestly, I can’t think of anything more ‘solid’ than immortality.
On another note, one of the most interesting aspects of the placement of this line–about the immortality of the nightingale–is that it follows these lines: “Darkling I listen; and, for many a time /I have been half in love with easeful Death.” (Keats, lines 51-52). The capitalization of ‘Death’ implies a proper address to a figure, and in a strange way, Death himself may be immortal. This direct contrast between the darkness of Death and the lightness of love also speaks towards Burke’s argument about the sublime. Beauty, or love, is the white and immortality is the black. Though “Black and white may soften, may blend…they are not therefore the same” (Burke 77). According to Burke, there is a “power of black as black” and “white as white” (77) which cannot coexist “together without impairing each other’s power” (Wollstonecraft 88).
This absolute distinction contributes to the significant flaws in Burke’s reasoning, as Wollstonecraft points out in her counterargument of the sublime, but poetry doesn’t necessarily need to be a product of perfect reasoning. Certain lines of Keats really resonate with Burke’s theory of the sublime, but that may just be an unfair interpretation. Who knows if Keats truly intended to implement this vastness of dimension in order to emphasize the concept of the sublime–we certainly don’t.
2 comments
Dona,
I felt like the scene where it says, “Darkling I listen; and, for many a time /I have been half in love with easeful Death.” (51-52) was less about actual genuine love, and more about acceptance. Death is portrayed in the poem as being “easeful,” something that is rarely attributed to Death unless it is to save someone from suffering. In this case, maybe no polarization is occurring and Burke’s rationale for the sublime still stands since none is overpowering the other?
-Kevin P.
Dona,
I admire your opening: “Though I don’t particularly agree with Burke’s distinction between the sublime from beauty, in that he implies a sexist polarization similar to the masculine versus feminine characterizations, I can see aspects of his argument in various poems we’ve read this semester.” You know, we both open our analysis by being delicately critical (see what I did?). That’s a better application for “delicate” than describing beauty.
Second, I found this line to be a little amusing as well as true(so I thank you for giving a guy interested in law a little laugh): “Honestly, I can’t think of anything more ‘solid’ than immortality.” I would like to add that “taxes are immortal too.” You can’t escape it, and the only way to escape is by the same mean as immortality.
I also see that you recognized “vastness in dimension.” I had previously commented on someone who identified it, but I applaud you for spotting it.
-Nhan