Literary Analysis Of Keats's Ode To Psyche

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In Ode to Psyche, Keats creates a very free and open ode by not sticking to a strict rhyme scheme and instead opting for a simple alternating rhyme scheme or couplets when he wants rhyming, or sometimes opting for no rhyme at all. Keats almost completely neglects internal rhyme,using it only three times, instead focusing on the descriptive language of the poem to deliver it’s message. The poem is in essence, an ode to love itself; Keats is completely enamored with a goddess of love but Keats does not want Psyche as his lover, he merely wants her to enter his being and empower him with love. This turns every praise of Psyche into a praise of love itself. Keats wants to “let warm love into his mind. The poem opens with an appeal from the …show more content…

This has the effect of portraying the love as fresh, new, and colorful, combined with the imagery of lute pipes and incense only serves to amplify Keats’ joy. The poem is full of life and color, much like the love that Keats feels for Psyche. The third stanza marks a solid transition into Keats’ open and almost (excessive) praising of the goddess. While this isn’t too remarkable as the entire poem is focused on lavishing Psyche with extraordinary praise heaping complementary metaphor upon complementary metaphor onto her.Keats makes sure that it is clear nothing can compare to Psyche’s perfection. Keats allows this repetition to build on itself, driving the point even more home. Throughout the poem, and particularly in the third stanza. Keats makes extended references to sylvan imagery, playing up the connection between the fertility of the forest and love. This has the effect of portraying the love as fresh, new, and colorful, combined with the imagery of lute pipes and incense and then saying that not even these beautiful objects and images can compare to Psyche elevates her to a very high

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