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Ode On Solitude - by Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 - 30 May 1744) was considered one of
the eighteenth century's most significant English poets. He is best known for
his satirical and discursive poetry. His famous works include The Rape of the
Lock, The Dunciad, An Essay on Criticism, etc.
About Poem:
'Ode On Solitude' is a poem written by Alexander Pope. It was
written in 1700. It consists of 20 lines divided into five quatrains having the
rhyme scheme of ABAB. The poem is unique because Pope wrote it before his
twelfth birthday. The poem - as the title suggests - is a description of
solitude and how it is achieved. Every man craves solitude, but there are only
a few ways to achieve it. The poet also describes what the bliss of solitude
feels like and how he considers a person who has achieved it lucky.
Poem:
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
Blest, who can unconcernedly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
Sound sleep by night; study and ease,
Together mixed; sweet recreation;
And innocence, which most does please,
With meditation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.
Summary:
‘Solitude’ is the best stage of life. Mostly people connects it
with loneliness but it not about being lonely but it is about being happy in
the company of our self. In this poem Pope says that the solitude is the
blessed thing of life.
The Poets deepest desire is that he should have a few acres of his own land, where he is happy to live and work. He will be happy to breathe the air of his native land. It means that he is happy with what he has in his native place and he does not wish to have more. The poem talks about the freedom of responsibility to the society and social norms. Pope talks about the joy of a person who is in his native land and not bounded or forced with the rules. The poet should not be bounded by the rules of society and to answer the society.
In the second paragraph the poet simply means that the man is self-sufficient. He talks about the rights of the person and presents that how society interferes in the life of individuals. Relatives and society play a role of a barrier in the life of a person. A person should be free and when the person stops thinking about what society think, he is at the stage of solitude. The person should be free to think on his own, s/he does not need to satisfy all the expectation of society. 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 of anything beyond his own land.
By the third stanza, poet found that only those people can stay with happiness and talked about the life with good health and peace. These people do not care about the nagging and judgments of society. Those people do not need a lavish life for their enjoyment. 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. He has peace of mind which is a blessing for him.
The poet says that he sleeps a sound sleep. He is ignorant about the knowledge and competition in the world. It’s a strange idea and casts the character of the farmer in a different light. The people who are alone they do not need to care about what others think. The person with solitude has only the fear of his/her self only. Poet talks about his leisure life and ‘sound sleep’ with study and ease.
He says that desire for knowledge is everything but a study without pleasure and ease is worthless. Society wants everyone to be educated but joy should be connected with it, otherwise it is of no use.
In the final lines of poem poet wants the life of ‘unseen’ and ‘unknown’. He wants to hide himself from the world which gives pains and expects a lot. He wants to live in solitude until he dies. Not a stone should be carved on his grave, so that no one will know where he lies after death. Thus the poem reflects the harsh reality of society and condition of an individual.
Poet illustrates the theme of tranquility and contentment in the poem by highlighting the peaceful and fulfilling nature of a solitary life.
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