Analysis of Keats’s Odes through the Lens of Imagery

Among all the Romantics, Keats is the one who is known as undisputed king of Odes. He has decorated his odes with the gems of pictorial images. Decidedly Imagery is a key weapon in the hands of Keats to satisfy his sense of sensuousness. He expresses his thoughts through this art. He does not use this art for the purpose of conveying truth and moral teaching but for its intrinsic values. As compared to the other Romantic poets like William Wordsworth, P.B. Shelley and St. Coleridge, Keats odes are grounded with beautiful mental images and sensory details. He has used vivid and concrete images to win the laurels in the world of Romanticism. These images are strongly linked with one another in layers which, reflect a dazzling array of sensory impressions like beads and pearls. His odes are really food for aesthetic sense which brighten the light of vision and strengthen the sense of smell and improve the taste of tongue .Hence, Keats uses his knack of Imagery to heighten the effect of his Odes in the world of Romantic poetry. It is beyond the doubt that no other romantic poet could enjoy such peak of popularity as Keats enjoyed through his Odes. His odes are granary of sensuousness and mental images.