'Ode on Solitude' by Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope, widely considered the most prominent English poet of the early 18th century, wrote "Ode on Solitude" in 1700—when he was only 12 years old! The poem bears little resemblance to the later satirical work for which he is mostly known; in a style that is more or less earnest and contemplative, this "Ode" praises people who live simple and solitary lives, arguing that the happiest people are self-sufficient and unconcerned with the opinions or recognition of others.
Analysis of the Poem
Stanza One
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.
This first verse of ‘Ode on Solitude,’ begins the analogy that will carry through the poem, seen through the life of an anonymous man who is described as being an ideal for happiness. His deepest desires, the narrator notes, extend a few acres of his own land, where he is content to live and work. The inclusion of the word “parental” suggests that the land belongs to this man by inheritance and therefore belongs solely to him. “Content to breathe his native air” could also be a commentary on being happy with what a person has, rather than constantly wishing for more (although this might not have been quite as significant an idea in 1700 when the poem was written, as it may be interpreted today).
The verse structure and rhyming pattern are established here; three lines of eight syllables each, followed by one line of four syllables, rhyming in an ABAB pattern. This persists up until the final two stanzas, at which point the final line lengthens to five syllables.
Stanza Two
Whose heards with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
This verse simply means that the man is self-sufficient. His land, now shown to be a farm, provides for all of his needs — his herds provide him with milk, he is able to bake his own bread. In the summer, his trees provide ample shade, and in the winter, the wood from those same trees can be lit to keep him warm. He has no need for anything beyond his own land.
While this verse reads strangely, as “bread” and “shade” do not rhyme, it is important to remember that ‘Ode on Solitude’ was written over three hundred years ago. During this period in Britain, “bread” was pronounced with a longer vowel sound. While word pronunciation is a difficult thing to estimate and predict throughout different eras of history, it makes sense to believe that at one point, “bread” and “shade” could be used as rhymes for one another.
Stanza Three
Blest! who can unconcern’dly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
The narrator considered this farmer blessed! Time almost doesn’t have meaning for this man; his world provides for all of his needs. Hours go by, days go by, years go by, and everything remains the same. The health the man is in at the beginning of this cycle is the health he remains in when it is finished. Peace of mind is normal for him — what is there to trouble him? It seems as though, in a world of peace and quiet, there is absolutely nothing that could disrupt the life of this farmer, and the narrator sees that as a high blessing.
Stanza Four
Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mix’d; sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please,
With meditation.
This verse sees the start of the final lines being five syllables long and continues the sentiment of the verse before it. The idea of innocence is introduced here and is a fair way to describe a man who lives his life in isolation; he is innocent, which means he himself probably doesn’t appreciate the kind of life he leads in the same way the narrator, author, or reader does. It’s a strange idea and casts the character of the farmer in a different light. He could, in fact, be viewed as a naïve and ignorant individual, one who simply doesn’t know enough about the world, or he could be viewed as living the ideal life.
Stanza Five
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me dye;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lye.
The narrator of the poem clearly agrees with the latter of the above sentiments — here he wishes for escapism and begs for an unseen life, one where he may live in solitude until his dying days, which will come and go, unnoticed, unremarked, and unadorned, perfect life of solitude and peace.
Themes
Throughout, Pope engages with themes of solitude, hard work, and happiness. It is these three things that the speaker suggests are needed for a man to live a good life. Happy is the man, he begins, whose cares extend to a few “paternal acres bound.” Working hard and being content with the simple things are the most important ingredients for happiness. He concludes the poem by asking that he live “unseen, unknown” and die away from the world where no one can find him. It’s this kind of life, without exterior pressures or an image to maintain that appeals to him.
‘Ode on Solitude’ by Alexander Pope is a five-stanza poem that is divided into sets of five lines. These lines follow a simple rhyme scheme of ABAB, changing end sounds from stanza to stanza. There are a few moments where the rhymes are less than perfect though. For instance, “bread” and “shade” at the ends of lines one and three of the first stanza. In regard to the meter, Pope structured the first three lines of each stanza with eight syllables and the fourth stanza with four.
Literary Devices
- Caesura: can be seen when the poet inserts a pause into the middle of a line. It is created through the use of meter and/or punctuation. For example, “Together mixed; sweet recreation” and “Happy the man, whose wish and care.”
- Anaphora: refers to the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of multiple lines of Verse. For example, “Whose” starts lines one, two, and three of the second stanza. “Thus” in stanza five.
- Alliteration: occurs when the poet repeats the same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words. For example, “Sound sleep” and “study” in line one of the fourth stanza and “let” and “live” in line one of the final stanza.
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