Finally, as the poem comes to an end the symbolization of the Nightingale becomes clearer because the narrator’s romantic fixation with the bird is not only about its beauty but for the bird’s unconsciousness. The narrator tells the Nightingale, “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!/ No hungry generations tread thee down” (61-62). The second line of this quote seems to be out of place. What does hungry generations have to do with the Nightingale? Well, the protagonist is trying to push forth the idea that the Nightingale that he is listening to isn’t conscious enough to be worried about younger and more beautiful Nightingales coming and trying to steal his place and sing a better song to feed their metaphorical hunger.
Then the narrator …show more content…
Instead it’s a an immortality of unconsciousness. He writes, “The voice I hear this passing night was heard/ In Ancient days by emperor and clown” (63-64). In this quote the narrator is illustrating that the Nightingale’s song is being heard from generation to generation. He chooses to use the word “voice” and not that specific bird because tt is not the bird that is surviving through the ages but the song. These birds aren’t conscious enough to make their own version or interpretation of their song. It remains consistently the same, because it is in their nature to sign it. For the narrator, the bird’s signing is not a conscious choice. This is illustrated in the quote “While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad/ In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing” (57-58). The narrator wants to be like the nightingale: unconscious about his own human nature of growing old and losing his youthful beauty. This is why he loves this creature in this dream-like state that he is in because unlike him it’s not conscious about the song he is making, he just sings it and
Then the narrator …show more content…
Instead it’s a an immortality of unconsciousness. He writes, “The voice I hear this passing night was heard/ In Ancient days by emperor and clown” (63-64). In this quote the narrator is illustrating that the Nightingale’s song is being heard from generation to generation. He chooses to use the word “voice” and not that specific bird because tt is not the bird that is surviving through the ages but the song. These birds aren’t conscious enough to make their own version or interpretation of their song. It remains consistently the same, because it is in their nature to sign it. For the narrator, the bird’s signing is not a conscious choice. This is illustrated in the quote “While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad/ In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing” (57-58). The narrator wants to be like the nightingale: unconscious about his own human nature of growing old and losing his youthful beauty. This is why he loves this creature in this dream-like state that he is in because unlike him it’s not conscious about the song he is making, he just sings it and