What is the theme of the poem The Nightingale?
What is the theme of the poem The Nightingale?
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The poem goes on to highlight several themes- on one hand, it highlights the longing of the speaker towards his unfulfilled desires and his inability to attain happiness. This suffering and pain is compared and contrasted with the anguish of the nightingale, who is, in actuality, the character of Philomela. A character taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Philomela was raped by her brother-in-law who went on to cut her tongue to prevent her from speaking out. Thus, the nightingale, or Philomela, laments about her suffering through the act of singing. The speaker highlights how the nightingale is lucky since she can express her pain amidst nature, whereas he, a man, cannot convey his emotions and has to suppress them. The poem, through his comparison, shows how men are unable to express their emotions as freely as women can.
The Nightingale Summary