• Dr. Shivapuji Koti

Abstract: This study begins with critically accepted interpretations of the poem “Odeto a nightingale”, taken from established critical positions regarding Keats. It shall then move onto peruse Keatsin a novel manner, adopting The Act of Reading theory of Wolfgang Iser as a working basis. Iser (1978:958) states “the fact that completely different readers can be differently affected by the „reality “of a particular text is ample evidence of the degree to which literary texts transform reading into a creative process that is far above mere perception of what is written”. “Ode to a nightingale “is a personal poem that describes Keats‟ journey into the state of Negative Capability. The tone of the poem rejects the optimistic pursuit of pleasure found within Keats‟ earlier poems and, rather, explores the theme of nature, transience and mortality, the latter being particularly personal of Keats. As with other Romantic poets, Keats focused his writerly attention on understanding and exploring beauty. For Keats, all things possessed potential beauty, and it was his job as a poet to find this beauty and capture it in his poetry. For him, identifying and understanding that which is beautiful allows one to become more acquainted with truth. Unlike some of his contemporary Romantic poets, Keats focused on common and familiar things in his poetic attempts to understand beauty.

Keywords: act of reading, text, negative capability, beauty and truth.

"The Critical Analysis of the Poem - Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 8, page no.f611-f616, August-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2308572.pdf

"The Critical Analysis of the Poem - Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 8, page no. ppf611-f616, August-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2308572.pdf