Scribd
Upload
102 views2 pages

John Keats - Ode To Psyche

The poem is an ode addressed to Psyche, the goddess of the soul, expressing the speaker's dreamlike vision of Psyche and her lover Cupid lying asleep together in a forest glade. The speaker offers to become Psyche's priest and build a shrine to her in his mind through his poetic imagination, planting thoughts like trees and flowers to honor her.

Uploaded by

caliope08
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
102 views2 pages

John Keats - Ode To Psyche

The poem is an ode addressed to Psyche, the goddess of the soul, expressing the speaker's dreamlike vision of Psyche and her lover Cupid lying asleep together in a forest glade. The speaker offers to become Psyche's priest and build a shrine to her in his mind through his poetic imagination, planting thoughts like trees and flowers to honor her.

Uploaded by

caliope08
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

John Keats - Ode To Psyche

O Goddess! hear these tuneless numbers, wrung


By sweet enforcement and remembrance dear,
And pardon that thy secrets should be sung
!en "nto th"ne own soft-conch#d ear$
%urely & dream'd to-day, or d"d & see
The w"ng#d Psyche w"th awa(en'd eyes)
& wander'd "n a forest thoughtlessly,
And, on the sudden, fa"nt"ng w"th surpr"se,
%aw two fa"r creatures, couch#d s"de by s"de
&n deepest grass, beneath the wh"sp'r"ng roof
Of lea!es and trembled blossoms, where there ran
A broo(let, scarce esp"ed$
'*"d hush'd, cool-rooted flowers, fragrant-eyed,
Blue, s"l!er-wh"te, and budded Tyr"an
They lay calm-breath"ng on the bedded grass+
The"r arms embrac#d, and the"r p"n"ons too+
The"r l"ps touch'd not, but had not bade ad"eu,
As "f d"s,o"n#d by soft-handed slumber,
And ready st"ll past ("sses to outnumber
At tender eye-dawn of aurorean lo!e$
The w"ng#d boy & (new+
But who wast thou, O happy, happy do!e)
-"s Psyche true!
O latest-born and lo!el"est !"s"on far
Of all Olympus' faded h"erarchy!
.a"rer than Phoebe's sapph"re-reg"on'd star,
Or /esper, amorous glow-worm of the s(y+
.a"rer than these, though temple thou hast none,
0or altar heap'd w"th flowers+
0or /"rg"n-cho"r to ma(e del"c"ous moan
1pon the m"dn"ght hours+
0o !o"ce, no lute, no p"pe, no "ncense sweet
.rom cha"n-swung censer teem"ng+
0o shr"ne, no gro!e, no oracle, no heat
Of pale-mouth'd prophet dream"ng2
O br"ghtest! though too late for ant"3ue !ows,
Too, too late for the fond bel"e!"ng lyre,
4hen holy were the haunted forest boughs,
-oly the a"r, the water, and the f"re+
5et e!en "n these days so far ret"red
.rom happy p"et"es, thy lucent fans,
.lutter"ng among the fa"nt Olymp"ans,
& see, and s"ng, by my own eyes "nsp"red2
%o let me be thy cho"r, and ma(e a moan
1pon the m"dn"ght hours+
Thy !o"ce, thy lute, thy p"pe, thy "ncense sweet
.rom sw"ng#d censer teem"ng$
Thy shr"ne, thy gro!e, thy oracle, thy heat
Of pale-mouth'd prophet dream"ng2
5es, & w"ll be thy pr"est, and bu"ld a fane
&n some untrodden reg"on of my m"nd,
4here branch#d thoughts, new grown w"th pleasant pa"n,
&nstead of p"nes shall murmur "n the w"nd$
.ar, far around shall those dar(-cluster'd trees
.ledge the w"ld-r"dg#d mounta"ns steep by steep+
And there by 6ephyrs, streams, and b"rds, and bees,
The moss-la"n 7ryads shall be lull'd to sleep+
And "n the m"dst of th"s w"de 3u"etness
A rosy sanctuary w"ll & dress
4"th the wreath'd trell"s of a wor("ng bra"n,
4"th buds, and bells, and stars w"thout a name,
4"th all the gardener .ancy e'er could fe"gn,
4ho breed"ng flowers, w"ll ne!er breed the same+
And there shall be for thee all soft del"ght
That shadowy thought can w"n,
A br"ght torch, and a casement ope at n"ght,
To let the warm 8o!e "n!

You might also like