Sonnet on the Sea by John Keats (Edexcel A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes

Sonnet on the Sea by John Keats

Context

• Written in April 1817 during a stay on the Isle of Wight.
• This reflects a period when Keats was seeking solace and inspiration from nature.
• During this time, Keats was grappling with personal challenges and uncertainties about his future.
• The poem illustrates Keats' Romantic ideals, emphasising the sublime beauty and restorative power of nature.
• Reflects the Romantic fascination with the sea as a symbol of eternity and mystery.
• Influenced by Greek mythology, as seen in the reference to Hecate, the goddess of magic and the moon.

Structure and Form

• Petrarchan Sonnet.
• Rhyme scheme: ABBA ABBA CDE DEC.
• Written in iambic pentameter.
• The octave sets the scene of the sea's eternal and varied nature.
• The sestet shifts to address the reader directly, offering the sea as a remedy for modern life's weariness.

Key Themes

Power of Nature

• "It keeps eternal whisperings around / Desolate shores"
• Emphasises the constant, soothing presence of the sea, even in desolate places.
• Highlights the sea's dual nature of power and calm.

Restorative Power of Nature

• "Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea;"
• Encourages those weary from life's struggles to find solace and renewal in the vastness of the sea.
• Reflects the Romantic ideal of nature as a source of healing and rejuvenation.

Mythology and Mysticism

• "Gluts twice ten thousand Caverns, till the spell / Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound."
• Infuses the sea with a sense of mysticism through the reference to Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic.
• Enhances the sea's mysterious and enchanting qualities.

Isolation and Reflection

• "Sit ye near some old Cavern's Mouth and brood,"
• Suggests a place for solitude and introspection by the sea.
• Reflects the Romantic emphasis on solitary communion with nature as a means of deep reflexion.

Nature vs Humanity

• "Oh ye! whose ears are dinned with uproar rude, / Or fed too much with cloying melody—"
• Contrasts the overwhelming noise of human life with the peaceful, restorative sounds of the sea.
• Emphasises the need to escape from the chaos of modern life to find peace in nature.

Similar Poems

• "On Looking into Chapman's Homer": Both poems explore profound experiences of discovery and the transformative power of engaging with beauty and art.
• "To Autumn": Shares themes of nature's beauty and cycles, celebrating the natural world's sensory richness.
• "Bright Star! Would I were steadfast as thou art": Highlights themes of constancy and the sublime, similar to the sea's eternal presence.

Line by Line Analysis

It keeps eternal whisperings around Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell Gluts twice ten thousand Caverns, till the spell Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound. Often 'tis in such gentle temper found, That scarcely will the very smallest shell Be moved for days from where it sometime fell. When last the winds of Heaven were unbound. Oh, ye! who have your eyeballs vexed and tired, Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea; Oh ye! whose ears are dinned with uproar rude, Or fed too much with cloying melody— Sit ye near some old Cavern's Mouth and brood, Until ye start, as if the sea nymphs quired!

"It keeps eternal whisperings around"

• The personification of the sea, attributing it with "eternal whisperings."
• Suggests the constant, soothing presence of the sea's sounds.

"Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell"

• "Desolate shores" conveys a sense of isolation and vastness.
• "Mighty swell" emphasises the sea's power and grandeur.

"Gluts twice ten thousand Caverns, till the spell"

• "Gluts" implies the sea's capacity to fill and overwhelm.
• The phrase "till the spell" introduces a mystical element, linking the sea to enchantment.

"Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound."

• References Hecate, the Greek goddess associated with magic and the moon.
• "Old shadowy sound" evokes a sense of ancient, mystical echoes.

"Often 'tis in such gentle temper found,"

• Contrasts the sea's power with its capacity for calm and gentleness.
• Reflects the duality of nature.

"That scarcely will the very smallest shell"

• Highlights the delicacy and stillness of the sea in its gentle state.
• Suggests a sense of tranquillity.

"Be moved for days from where it sometime fell."

• Emphasises the sea's serene and unchanging nature.
• "For days" suggests an enduring calm.

"When last the winds of Heaven were unbound."

• Implies that the sea's gentle state follows a period of storminess.
• "Winds of Heaven" suggests a divine or natural force.

"Oh, ye! who have your eyeballs vexed and tired,"

• Direct address to the reader, invoking empathy for those wearied by life.
• "Eyeballs vexed and tired" suggests visual and mental exhaustion.

"Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea;"

• "Feast" implies indulgence and rejuvenation through the vast, calming view of the sea.
• Highlights the restorative power of nature.

"Oh ye! whose ears are dinned with uproar rude,"

• Addresses those overwhelmed by noise and chaos.
• "Dinned with uproar rude" suggests sensory overload.

"Or fed too much with cloying melody—"

• Contrasts "uproar rude" with "cloying melody," suggesting different forms of auditory fatigue.
• "Cloying" implies excessive sweetness leading to discomfort.

"Sit ye near some old Cavern's Mouth and brood,"

• Invites the reader to find solace in contemplation by the sea.
• "Old Cavern's Mouth" evokes a sense of timelessness and mystery.

"Until ye start, as if the sea nymphs quired!"

• "Start" suggests a sudden realisation or awakening.
• "Sea nymphs quired" introduces a mythological element, enhancing the sea's enchanting quality.