Dramatic Situation

Speaker: the speaker in this poem is this poem is Keats, the author
Speaking to: himself, the nightingale
What are the Circumstances: the poet is listening to a nightingale sing and is reflecting on his life. It says in the text that the poem was composed outside under a tree in about 2-3 hours while Keats listened to the nightingale sing.
How does this affect understanding: It helps to understand why the nightingales song affects him as it does, and make him think/write what he does.

Tone

-set up in 8 stanzas that are mini-sonneets
-rhyme scheme is
     ABAB
     CDCD
     EF (couplet does not rhyme)
-the stanzas differ in their outlook on life�example..
     -Stanza 1 -sounds pretty pessimistic
     -Stanza 2 - says life is beautiful
-the author makes several references to wine, opium and the poison of hemlock, suggesting he is depressed and looking for a way to '�fade away�'
-heavy use of imagery
-many references to 'classical mythologyy' (meaning ancient Greek or Roman) like Hades, Flora and Dryad
-line 66, biblical reference to Ruth (ppp. 660)
-smooth transitions from stanza to stanzza

Theme

      The text books theme on Ode to a Nightingale is SEARCH FOR MEANING which I agree with. The author here is looking for something, some assurance of what the 'afterlife' may hold. He is, at some points, overjoyed that the Nightingales song will live on forever (in every nightingale that will ever live), but is deeply saddened, and angered even, to think that he will not be able to leave the same mark on society. When he dies, there will never be another exactly like him�to express his thoughts, feelings and emotions. (this is NO HELP AT ALL is it?)