Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats (Reading)

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,
Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains
One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:
'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot,
But being too happy in thine happiness,-
That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees,
In some melodious plot
Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
Singest of summer in full-throated ease.
O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been
Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth,
Tasting of Flora and the country green,
Dance, and Provencal song, and sunburnt mirth!
O for a beaker full of the warm South,
Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene,
With beaded bubbles winking at the brim,
And purple-stained mouth;
That I might drink, and leave the world unseen,
And with thee fade away into the forest dim:
Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget
What thou among the leaves hast never known,
The weariness, the fever, and the fret
Here, where men sit and hear each other groan;
Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs,
Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies;
Where but to think is to be full of sorrow
And leaden-eyed despairs,
Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes,
Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow.
Away! away! for I will fly to thee,
Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards,
But on the viewless wings of Poesy,
Though the dull brain perplexes and retards:
Already with thee! tender is the night,
And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne,
Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays;
But here there is no light,
Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown
Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways.
I cannot see what flowers are at my feet,
Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs,
But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet
Wherewith the seasonable month endows
The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild;
White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine;
Fast fading violets cover'd up in leaves;
And mid-May's eldest child,
The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine,
The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves.
Darkling I listen; and, for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death,
Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme,
To take into the air my quiet breath;
Now more than ever seems it rich to die,
To cease upon the midnight with no pain,
While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad
In such an ecstasy!
Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain-
To thy high requiem become a sod.
Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown:
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that oft-times hath
Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam
Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.
Forlorn! the very word is like a bell
To toil me back from thee to my sole self!
Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well
As she is fam'd to do, deceiving elf.
Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades
Past the near meadows, over the still stream,
Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep
In the next valley-glades:
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?
Fled is that music:-Do I wake or sleep?

[@karenlam2988]

I just LOVE your reading of this better than anyone else.s! Beautiful beautiful rendering. Thank you so much.

[@onmyHONOUR]

Beautiful. It always marvels me how, despite differing experiences between the poet and the reader, the two can be joined in the same depth of feeling, the same emotion. Poetry can give voice to a collective human soul if you're willing to listen.

[@strivingforsuccess88]

Me too. It feels as if it's magic.

[@DerGolgo]

Why isn't that how poetry is presented in school. Why?

[@boeufkak]

I sat under Keats' plum tree while my son had a kidney transplant at The Royal Free in Hampstead and my daughter was in theatre next door donating it. I repeated lines from Keats over and over. Its a peaceful garden and soothing words.

[@mercy__gamingYT]

Magnificent 🖤🥺

[@supriyatyagi3130]

your voice is one of the best I have ever heard. I would appreciate if you do more readings like this

[@bmaysnow]

Thank you. A wonderful way to help bring appreciation to the poem.

[@Mazachan2011]

You read so beautifully, this is one of my favourite poems, and you made it even more brilliant for me. You are such a gorgeous person!

[@selenabaozi]

I like how u put the poem in the description! thankyou!

[@sadafmoosvi2825]

Hi, great video. Please could you do an analysis of other Keat's poems such as Lamia, St Eve of Agnes, La Belle Dame. I'm doing my alevel exam soon, it would be immensely helpful as you're so good :)

[@natw.pf.3382]

Thank you, I love background music and the way you narrated the poems. I thought I'm flying listening to this.

[@bullcutgaming7749]

Your speech is brilliant. Along with the music I truly felt the emotion deep within the poem.

[@RockinTheBassGuitar]

This is a beautiful recitation of that poem. I've read it many times, but you conveyed the emotion of it more fluidly. Thank you.

[@laswan1122]

Wow...That was amazing. Absolutely beautiful. Good job.

[@Jaenaria]

I love Keats. It has been so long since I've read his poetry; I'd forgotten how much I loved it. Thank you. :)

[@JamesBarrett23]

The poem is just magnificent....

[@chuk987654321]

This was amazing. I had looked up readings of this poem before, and I must say that yours is easily the best one I have heard. Your voice is so peaceful, yet conveys all the information in the poem. Very well read, an amazing poem, and an amazing youtuber. You are easily my favorite, and your vids deserve many more views than they have.

[@19111960able]

just another precious one from keats

[@ryoko7916]

That was beautiful, great job.

[@wilcaswell]

I want to sit in the woods on a summers day with a nice beer.

[@LachlanHand]

Made my night.

[@Marsreck]

I was in such an awful mood before watching this video, but this completely turned it around. Thank you for bringing me such beautiful words. :)

[@nativeology]

You are the most epic person i "know", so true and insightful.

[@poprocksxxcoke]

This was a wonderful reading! It was calming, but it held my attention for every word!

[@TreyRentie]

This reading is soooo helpful for an assignment involving this poem. I know this was posted years ago, but you did a great job man. Thanks!

[@TimSamoylovich]

Thanks for.sharing that

[@lukequincy]

You're just so fantastic.

[@rhondapattrick]

omggggggggggggggggg one of my favourites and so well and beautifully read ... love it ...

[@jennifercampbell9475]

Thank you! I am new to loving poetry and your video has given depth to this poem. I appreciate you putting your effort into this and making it available to others.

[@Magamiam]

19 IV 2013 Pay heed .. immortal bird .. tender is the night Do I wake or sleep? "Beauty is truth = truth, beauty" "That is all ye know on earth" "And all ye need to know." Thank You for publishing your heartfelt reading. It brought back the sublime John Keats allive ° N A M A S T E Minerva

[@rhondapattrick]

my favourite poem ... beautifully read :)

[@basima.abu-alhummos]

that was beautiful "))

[@leonkirby8295]

Excellent reading!!!!!!! Thank you, sir. Two of my favorite poems, for different reasons, are this ode and "Malindy " By Dunbar Beauty matters

[@treblenoon]

well done!! so good!!

[@javad697]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwesome The video inspired me to memorize this poem, the way he utters it is so delightful....

[@felipemontero9839]

Borges brought me here. What a beautiful poem and yours is the most heartful rendition of it on youtube.

[@violethayward]

wow you speak such beautiful words...

[@lonvienris]

in tears from about 1 minute on. goodness sake. wonderful.

[@concars1234]

Beautiful poem

[@Jaumiusk13]

As a rule, I hate poetry readings. But this was fantastic. You more acted the words than spoke them, as if from a 1st person perspective rather than a 21st century reader. Achingly beautiful poem, beautiful interpretation and diction.

[@minky1331]

good stuff sir i only understood a bit of it but i will learn more in time

[@MarielleMadden]

um can I have a channel just of people with lovely voices reading amazing poems just like this right now please?

[@misterjimminyman]

Good job!

[@hellosaera]

last thought for the night- I like hearing you talk. and I mean that in a totally non-creepy way.

[@sruthi4199]

Wow

[@River_StGrey]

I love your reading of this, and I even think Pachelbel sounds good with it. But I can't help but hear the Sarabande from Bach's Cello Suite No.1 in place of it. Anyway, thank you for making this.

[@Nerdwriter1]

@nuttynathan Go watch Nathan's video response!

[@jml21000]

wow

[@chrysb81]

This is so beautiful. But how did it end up in Autos & Vehicle category?

[@Bwanito]

This is a brain massage....ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

[@SageIdle]

I will be the first to admit that I'm not one for poetry, but I understand why it is that poets write as they do. I have written my own poetry that I can read and feel what it was that made me write it, but I cannot feel what other poets feel, which I think is why I don't often read poetry. I would however like to mention that Pachelbel's Canon is probably my favorite piece of music ever composed and I was completely distracted by it. Also why is this video listed as autos & vehicles?

[@Aarvens]

can you make the audio downloadable?

[@themissingn]

@PoisonxAlchemist It's Pachelbel's Canon in D major.

[@AlejandroCardona9502]

Once you grasp the deeper meanings of each stanza, of each words, it's easy. I know a soliloquy from Shakespeare, and when I finally understood what it meant, it was easy to memorize.

[@mxm1117]

Incredible. Could you post another without the music, perchance? It distracted me at times.

[@AlisonMejury]

It's Pachbel's Canon in D Major it's super famous, and gets used ALL the time

[@channaveerholkar1481]

Hi

[@Spiral.Dynamics]

Darkling, I listen.

[@MoustachioNutz]

You beautiful man.

[@Leapordcock]

It is a shame that the 'and' in line 4 is misplaced to the end of line 3.

[@gnijenh]

is there more poetry to come?

[@puppysfurme]

Do you have the whole poem memorized, or were you reading it/sections of it?

[@dasiavou]

i am down on one knee, sir

[@rumelmahabub4276]

thanks 🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

[@MissNeuroticca]

I think I love you

[@thalittleboy1991]

And hear I am thinking this was about skyrim....

[@ForLorNVuLgaR]

To toil me back from thee to my sole self...

[@Bemasor147]

What is the name of the back round music?

[@sampaiosamps9930]

Where I download this?

[@raysaudia]

Thats a long ass poem to remember

[@mimime9446]

Can anyone write it here please?

[@lravenl]

it is in the description

[@thalittleboy1991]

@thalittleboy1991 God damnit still I typ "hear" instead of "here" After actually thinking of it.

[@blindedbullet]

Annnnd this is going on my ipod.

[@AxyGAMES]

bebopvox sent me here

[@mskelseypeters]

I wish there wasn't music in the background. It is distracting me from the music of the poem itself

[@user-mt2bk4cy5k]

Ode to a Nightingale BY JOHN KEATS My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,- That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth! O for a beaker full of the warm South, Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stained mouth; That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim:

[@PoisonxAlchemist]

I'm sorry but I completely lost the recitation when the music started. Each seems to have their own rhythm and I cannot follow both. What is the piece? So familiar but my classical skills are lacking.

[@NawidN]

I have a very hard time understanding any of it..

[@Jaumiusk13]

People also need to stop being so pricky about Canon in D also... it's entirely appropriate in this context.

[@vikingjanch]

The music is something different and confusing; you can follow either one or the other ; the poem doesn't need it, surely.

[@patman80]

lol

[@lajakub1348]

16 de Octubre 2015

[@headbangingonfolk]

really? pachelbell? why?

[@leonkirby8295]

Ps. What makes your reading so superb Is you understand it More poetry should be read to children. Not condescending garbage. I've read Beowulf to 6-7 year olds I was amazed

[@headbangingonfolk]

that's a matter of opinion, but I had expected a more thoughtful, less cliché music choice of him.

[@QtLibby09]

I'm sorry... but I couldn't really take this seriously after seeing him pooping on the toilet a second ago.. lol.

[@cndraycott]

You can marry me. I'm a girl and I'm single and I got it up on that guy ^_~!

[@fossseseptique]

beautiful rendition..bloody boring film..paschabel..puleese..(excuse spelling) beautiful man btw..how about wailking through crepuscular English landscape...etc

[@mid7099]

this is an awful reading. absolutely butchered the poem. it's not a dramatic monologue lol