Here are MCQs based on Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats:

1. What does the nightingale symbolize in the poem?
a) Immortality and eternal beauty
b) Melancholy and sadness
c) Death and despair
d) Chaos and disorder

Answer:
a) Immortality and eternal beauty

2. What kind of drink does Keats wish for in the opening stanzas of the poem?
a) A cup of tea
b) A draft of vintage wine
c) Plain water
d) A glass of champagne

Answer:
b) A draft of vintage wine

3. Why does Keats envy the nightingale?
a) For its carefree life and immortal song
b) For its ability to fly
c) For its beauty and physical strength
d) For its solitude and silence

Answer:
a) For its carefree life and immortal song

4. What mood dominates the speaker in Ode to a Nightingale?
a) Joy and optimism
b) Melancholy and contemplation
c) Anger and rebellion
d) Excitement and hope

Answer:
b) Melancholy and contemplation

5. What does the phrase “hungry generations” refer to?
a) The eternal cycle of life and death
b) The selfishness of human nature
c) The struggles of the poor
d) The destructive passage of time

Answer:
d) The destructive passage of time

6. What does Keats associate with the nightingale’s song?
a) The beauty of human existence
b) A world free of pain and suffering
c) The silence of the grave
d) The confusion of life

Answer:
b) A world free of pain and suffering

7. What does the speaker say about the effect of the nightingale's song on him?
a) It makes him sleepy and uninterested.
b) It transports him to a higher, imaginative realm.
c) It confuses him about his surroundings.
d) It makes him long for death.

Answer:
b) It transports him to a higher, imaginative realm.

8. Which mythological figure is mentioned in the poem?
a) Apollo
b) Dryad
c) Zeus
d) Pan

Answer:
b) Dryad

9. How does the speaker wish to escape the troubles of life?
a) Through death or imagination
b) By following the nightingale physically
c) By drinking wine continuously
d) Through prayer and meditation

Answer:
a) Through death or imagination

10. What does the speaker imply by “I have been half in love with easeful Death”?
a) He sees death as a release from life’s struggles.
b) He is afraid of dying suddenly.
c) He wants to avoid death at all costs.
d) He prefers death to the beauty of life.

Answer:
a) He sees death as a release from life’s struggles.

11. In what way does the nightingale's immortality contrast with the speaker’s mortality?
a) The bird does not age, while the speaker is aware of his limited time.
b) The bird’s song lives forever, but human achievements fade.
c) The bird is physically immortal, while humans are not.
d) The speaker mocks the idea of immortality.

Answer:
b) The bird’s song lives forever, but human achievements fade.

12. Why does Keats call the nightingale “not born for death”?
a) Its song transcends generations.
b) It has achieved physical immortality.
c) It does not live in the human world.
d) It represents eternal sorrow.

Answer:
a) Its song transcends generations.

13. What literary device is prominent in the line “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird”?
a) Hyperbole
b) Apostrophe
c) Simile
d) Personification

Answer:
b) Apostrophe

14. What realization brings the speaker back to reality?
a) The nightingale flies away.
b) He drinks wine and falls asleep.
c) He hears the noise of the city.
d) He understands that death is inevitable.

Answer:
a) The nightingale flies away.

15. What does Keats mean by the term “fancy” in the last stanza?
a) Imagination or creative thought
b) Reality and rationality
c) A fleeting emotion
d) A type of bird

Answer:
a) Imagination or creative thought

16. Which theme is NOT explored in the poem?
a) Mortality vs. immortality
b) Nature as a source of inspiration
c) Material wealth and prosperity
d) The power of imagination

Answer:
c) Material wealth and prosperity

17. How does the speaker describe the physical world?
a) As full of joy and happiness
b) As weary, feverish, and full of suffering
c) As a paradise for human life
d) As peaceful and serene

Answer:
b) As weary, feverish, and full of suffering

18. What is the tone of the poem?
a) Joyful and celebratory
b) Reflective and melancholic
c) Humorous and light-hearted
d) Violent and aggressive

Answer:
b) Reflective and melancholic

19. How does Keats describe the nightingale’s song?
a) Loud and overwhelming
b) Shrill and unpleasant
c) Melodious and timeless
d) Chaotic and disjointed

Answer:
c) Melodious and timeless

20. What does Keats contrast with the nightingale’s eternal song?
a) The temporary nature of human life and happiness
b) The beauty of the sunset
c) The changing seasons
d) The sound of silence

Answer:
a) The temporary nature of human life and happiness

21. What does the speaker associate with the "viewless wings of Poesy"?
a) The power of imagination to transcend reality
b) The flight of the nightingale itself
c) The fleeting nature of happiness
d) The inevitability of death

Answer:
a) The power of imagination to transcend reality

22. How does the speaker describe death in the poem?
a) As terrifying and cruel
b) As peaceful and “easeful”
c) As unavoidable and chaotic
d) As meaningless and trivial

Answer:
b) As peaceful and “easeful”

23. What literary technique is used in the line “Darkling I listen; and, for many a time, I have been half in love with easeful Death”?
a) Oxymoron
b) Metaphor
c) Enjambment
d) Personification

Answer:
c) Enjambment

24. What time of day is suggested in the poem?
a) Morning
b) Afternoon
c) Evening or twilight
d) Midnight

Answer:
c) Evening or twilight

25. What does the phrase “charmed magic casements” symbolize?
a) Windows opening to new worlds of imagination
b) The cages where nightingales are trapped
c) The barriers between life and death
d) The limitations of reality

Answer:
a) Windows opening to new worlds of imagination

26. The poem’s central contrast is between:
a) The world of imagination and the world of reality
b) The beauty of nature and the ugliness of human emotions
c) Light and darkness
d) Life and love

Answer:
a) The world of imagination and the world of reality

27. What causes the speaker to lose the nightingale’s song in the final stanza?
a) The bird stops singing.
b) The bird flies far away.
c) The speaker falls asleep.
d) The speaker becomes distracted by his surroundings.

Answer:
b) The bird flies far away.

28. What does Keats mean by “Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget”?
a) He wishes to escape the pain of the human world.
b) He hopes to embrace the peace of death.
c) He longs for a connection with the nightingale.
d) He wants to lose himself in dreams.

Answer:
a) He wishes to escape the pain of the human world.

29. Which of these themes is central to the poem?
a) The pursuit of material success
b) The tension between mortality and immortality
c) The struggle between good and evil
d) The joy of fulfilling one’s destiny

Answer:
b) The tension between mortality and immortality

30. What literary technique is used in the line “Thou light-winged Dryad of the trees”?
a) Alliteration
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Apostrophe

Answer:
d) Apostrophe

31. In the poem, what does Keats suggest about art and nature?
a) Art is eternal, but nature is transient.
b) Nature is eternal, while art fades over time.
c) Both art and nature are transient.
d) Both art and nature have the potential for immortality.

Answer:
d) Both art and nature have the potential for immortality.

32. What does the “embalmed darkness” refer to in the poem?
a) The quiet and fragrant night
b) The inevitability of death
c) The decaying world
d) The bird’s burial place

Answer:
a) The quiet and fragrant night

33. Which sensory imagery is most prominent in the poem?
a) Visual imagery
b) Auditory imagery
c) Tactile imagery
d) Gustatory imagery

Answer:
b) Auditory imagery

34. What does the poet mean by the “queen-moon” and “starry Fays”?
a) The beauty of the night sky
b) The loneliness of nature
c) The mysteries of the universe
d) The imagination of the nightingale

Answer:
a) The beauty of the night sky

35. What makes the nightingale’s song universal according to the speaker?
a) Its ability to inspire people across generations
b) Its dependence on the poet’s imagination
c) Its connection to the physical world
d) Its sadness and mournful tone

Answer:
a) Its ability to inspire people across generations

36. Which of the following is a paradox in the poem?
a) "I have been half in love with easeful Death"
b) "Darkling I listen"
c) "Thou was not born for death, immortal Bird"
d) "The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves"

Answer:
c) "Thou was not born for death, immortal Bird"

37. In which stanza does the poet express a desire for death?
a) The first stanza
b) The fourth stanza
c) The sixth stanza
d) The final stanza

Answer:
b) The fourth stanza

38. Why is the nightingale referred to as "light-winged"?
a) Because of its physical appearance
b) To highlight its ethereal and carefree nature
c) To contrast it with the weight of human life
d) To suggest its supernatural qualities

Answer:
b) To highlight its ethereal and carefree nature

39. What does the speaker mean by “Forlorn! the very word is like a bell”?
a) It reminds him of the harsh reality.
b) It signifies the death of the nightingale.
c) It represents the end of the poem.
d) It signals the arrival of dawn.

Answer:
a) It reminds him of the harsh reality.

40. How does the speaker view his own mortality in comparison to the nightingale’s song?
a) As a limitation that prevents eternal joy
b) As a blessing that makes life more meaningful
c) As irrelevant to the beauty of nature
d) As equal to the immortality of art

Answer:
a) As a limitation that prevents eternal joy

41. In the poem, which realm does the speaker hope to reach through the "viewless wings of Poesy"?
a) Heaven
b) The imaginative realm of the nightingale
c) The physical world of the bird
d) The realm of eternal sleep

Answer:
b) The imaginative realm of the nightingale

42. Which literary device is used in the phrase “The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves”?
a) Onomatopoeia
b) Personification
c) Alliteration
d) Metaphor

Answer:
c) Alliteration

43. What effect does the nightingale’s song have on the speaker?
a) It reminds him of his mortality.
b) It fills him with melancholy.
c) It offers him a temporary escape from reality.
d) It inspires him to seek adventure.

Answer:
c) It offers him a temporary escape from reality.

44. What does the speaker suggest about life in the line “Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies”?
a) Life is full of suffering and inevitable decay.
b) Youth is the most precious phase of life.
c) Death is the ultimate celebration of youth.
d) Beauty can save people from suffering.

Answer:
a) Life is full of suffering and inevitable decay.

45. What does the word “forlorn” signify in the poem?
a) The death of the nightingale
b) The speaker’s return to reality
c) The loss of his creative inspiration
d) A longing for immortality

Answer:
b) The speaker’s return to reality

46. What kind of immortality is ascribed to the nightingale?
a) Physical immortality
b) Spiritual immortality
c) Artistic immortality through its song
d) Mythological immortality

Answer:
c) Artistic immortality through its song

47. How does the speaker feel about death during his interaction with the nightingale?
a) He fears death and its consequences.
b) He embraces death as a comforting escape.
c) He becomes indifferent to the idea of death.
d) He sees death as a continuation of life.

Answer:
b) He embraces death as a comforting escape.

48. In which stanza does the poet compare the nightingale to a Dryad?
a) First stanza
b) Second stanza
c) Fourth stanza
d) Sixth stanza

Answer:
b) Second stanza

49. What does the poet mean by “thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad / In such an ecstasy”?
a) The nightingale’s song is an emotional outpouring of its soul.
b) The nightingale is in pain while singing.
c) The nightingale’s song is artificial and calculated.
d) The nightingale’s song is only for its personal enjoyment.

Answer:
a) The nightingale’s song is an emotional outpouring of its soul.

50. What does the poet mean by “the weariness, the fever, and the fret”?
a) The joys of life
b) The pains and struggles of human existence
c) The beauty of the natural world
d) The confusion of his thoughts

Answer:
b) The pains and struggles of human existence

51. How does the poet describe the nightingale’s habitat in the second stanza?
a) It lives in the human world.
b) It inhabits a magical forest.
c) It resides in the deep woods, untouched by humanity.
d) It stays in the clouds, above human life.

Answer:
c) It resides in the deep woods, untouched by humanity.

52. How does Keats refer to the nightingale’s song in the poem?
a) “A sweet melody”
b) “An immortal tone”
c) “A plaintive cry”
d) “A full-throated ease”

Answer:
d) “A full-throated ease”

53. What is the poet’s attitude toward imagination in the poem?
a) It is a dangerous illusion.
b) It is a powerful escape from reality.
c) It is secondary to nature.
d) It is a fleeting distraction.

Answer:
b) It is a powerful escape from reality.

54. What does the poet imply when he says “To cease upon the midnight with no pain”?
a) Death would be a peaceful release from life.
b) The nightingale’s song can make death joyful.
c) Midnight is the best time for introspection.
d) He wants to live forever like the nightingale.

Answer:
a) Death would be a peaceful release from life.

55. What role does nature play in the poem?
a) Nature is depicted as indifferent to human suffering.
b) Nature is a source of inspiration and solace.
c) Nature serves as a metaphor for chaos.
d) Nature is portrayed as hostile to the poet.

Answer:
b) Nature is a source of inspiration and solace.

56. What is the central conflict in Ode to a Nightingale?
a) The poet’s longing for the immortality of art versus the reality of mortality
b) The poet’s envy of nature versus his desire to conquer it
c) The poet’s admiration for human achievements versus his fear of failure
d) The poet’s love for the nightingale versus his hatred for other birds

Answer:
a) The poet’s longing for the immortality of art versus the reality of mortality

57. What is the effect of the nightingale’s flight on the speaker?
a) He becomes angry at its departure.
b) He returns to the painful reality of life.
c) He loses all connection to imagination.
d) He becomes hopeful for a brighter future.

Answer:
b) He returns to the painful reality of life.

58. How does the poet describe human suffering?
a) As a natural and necessary part of life
b) As relentless and inevitable
c) As insignificant in the grand scheme
d) As avoidable with imagination

Answer:
b) As relentless and inevitable

59. In the final stanza, what does the poet ask about his experience?
a) Was it real or just a dream?
b) Was the nightingale’s song meaningful?
c) Did his imagination fail him?
d) Will he ever hear the bird again?

Answer:
a) Was it real or just a dream?

60. What is the poem’s primary tone?
a) Despairing and hopeless
b) Reflective and melancholic
c) Angry and accusatory
d) Joyful and triumphant

Answer:
b) Reflective and melancholic

61. What does the speaker wish to escape from in the poem?
a) The harsh realities of life and the passage of time
b) The monotony of nature and its limitations
c) The constraints of his poetic imagination
d) The beauty of the nightingale’s song

Answer:
a) The harsh realities of life and the passage of time

62. What role does wine play in the poem?
a) It symbolizes indulgence and pleasure.
b) It represents an imagined way to transcend reality.
c) It serves as a contrast to the purity of nature.
d) It emphasizes human weakness and excess.

Answer:
b) It represents an imagined way to transcend reality.

63. What is the significance of the phrase “Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards”?
a) The speaker rejects traditional notions of escape through intoxication.
b) The speaker mocks mythological references in poetry.
c) The speaker wishes for a different type of creativity.
d) The speaker embraces the chaos of Bacchus’ world.

Answer:
a) The speaker rejects traditional notions of escape through intoxication.

64. Which phrase highlights the immortal aspect of the nightingale?
a) “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!”
b) “Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget.”
c) “The weariness, the fever, and the fret.”
d) “Charmed magic casements, opening on the foam.”

Answer:
a) “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!”

65. What is the tone of the poem’s ending?
a) Uplifting and hopeful
b) Confused and contemplative
c) Angry and regretful
d) Peaceful and content

Answer:
b) Confused and contemplative

66. In which stanza does the poet refer to the nightingale as “immortal Bird”?
a) The second stanza
b) The fourth stanza
c) The seventh stanza
d) The final stanza

Answer:
c) The seventh stanza

67. Which mythological reference is made in the poem?
a) Bacchus, the god of wine
b) Apollo, the god of poetry
c) Persephone, the goddess of the underworld
d) Prometheus, the fire-bringer

Answer:
a) Bacchus, the god of wine

68. What does the poet mean by “Magic casements, opening on the foam / Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn”?
a) Imagination can transport one to exotic and mystical worlds.
b) The poet longs to explore the natural world physically.
c) The nightingale’s song creates visions of danger and sorrow.
d) The poet seeks adventure in real-life landscapes.

Answer:
a) Imagination can transport one to exotic and mystical worlds.

69. What does Keats mean by “the dull brain perplexes and retards”?
a) Reason and intellect hinder the freedom of imagination.
b) Human minds are not capable of understanding nature.
c) The poet struggles with creative writer’s block.
d) Reality distracts the poet from his vision.

Answer:
a) Reason and intellect hinder the freedom of imagination.

70. How does the speaker view the nightingale in contrast to himself?
a) As a carefree and eternal being
b) As a fleeting and insignificant creature
c) As a symbol of sorrow and despair
d) As a rival for artistic inspiration

Answer:
a) As a carefree and eternal being

71. What is the significance of the line “Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well”?
a) The poet realizes imagination cannot fully replace reality.
b) The poet bids farewell to the nightingale forever.
c) The poet dismisses his earlier thoughts as foolish.
d) The poet embraces reality as superior to imagination.

Answer:
a) The poet realizes imagination cannot fully replace reality.

72. What kind of imagery dominates the description of the nightingale’s song?
a) Visual and tactile imagery
b) Auditory and olfactory imagery
c) Gustatory and visual imagery
d) Auditory and visual imagery

Answer:
d) Auditory and visual imagery

73. What is the poet’s attitude toward human mortality in the poem?
a) Resignation and sorrow
b) Celebration and acceptance
c) Anger and rebellion
d) Indifference and detachment

Answer:
a) Resignation and sorrow

74. What is the structure of Ode to a Nightingale?
a) Eight stanzas of ten lines each
b) Eight stanzas of twelve lines each
c) Seven stanzas of nine lines each
d) Ten stanzas of ten lines each

Answer:
a) Eight stanzas of ten lines each

75. Which of the following lines expresses the fleeting nature of happiness?
a) “The weariness, the fever, and the fret.”
b) “Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget.”
c) “Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips.”
d) “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird.”

Answer:
c) “Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips.”

76. In the poem, how does Keats view the act of poetic creation?
a) As a way to transcend human suffering
b) As a futile and meaningless exercise
c) As a tool to master nature
d) As a form of rebellion against mortality

Answer:
a) As a way to transcend human suffering

77. Why does the speaker compare the nightingale’s song to “embalmed darkness”?
a) It fills the night with a soothing, timeless quality.
b) It represents the stillness of death.
c) It contrasts with the brightness of imagination.
d) It highlights the bird’s isolation from humanity.

Answer:
a) It fills the night with a soothing, timeless quality.

78. Which of the following is NOT a theme of Ode to a Nightingale?
a) The desire for transcendence
b) The power of nature’s beauty
c) The corruption of industrialization
d) The inevitability of death

Answer:
c) The corruption of industrialization

79. What does the poet mean by “with beaded bubbles winking at the brim”?
a) The effervescence of wine in a goblet
b) The magical appearance of the nightingale’s song
c) The beauty of a forest stream
d) The joy of creativity

Answer:
a) The effervescence of wine in a goblet

80. What is the effect of the nightingale’s song on history, according to the poet?
a) It has inspired kings and peasants alike.
b) It has remained unchanged and eternal through time.
c) It has had no influence on human events.
d) It has created a sense of melancholy across generations.

Answer:
b) It has remained unchanged and eternal through time.

81. How does Keats describe the nightingale’s song in relation to human life?
a) As an eternal solace amid life’s fleeting pains
b) As a distraction from life’s responsibilities
c) As a song meant to condemn human suffering
d) As a representation of human fragility

Answer:
a) As an eternal solace amid life’s fleeting pains

82. What does the poet associate with the phrase “Lethe-wards had sunk”?
a) A longing for death and forgetfulness
b) A desire to connect with the nightingale’s immortality
c) The pursuit of creative inspiration
d) The joy of escaping reality

Answer:
a) A longing for death and forgetfulness

83. What does the speaker envy about the nightingale?
a) Its ability to avoid human suffering
b) Its physical beauty and grace
c) Its connection with the divine
d) Its ability to fly freely across the skies

Answer:
a) Its ability to avoid human suffering

84. Which of the following best describes the “Poesy” mentioned in the poem?
a) Poetry as a means to transcend reality
b) A divine muse inspiring all art forms
c) A symbolic representation of nature’s beauty
d) A metaphor for human mortality

Answer:
a) Poetry as a means to transcend reality

85. Which of these emotions dominates the speaker's mood throughout the poem?
a) Joyful anticipation
b) Melancholic longing
c) Bitter regret
d) Anger at mortality

Answer:
b) Melancholic longing

86. What does the poet mean by “half in love with easeful Death”?
a) He is attracted to the peace and release that death offers.
b) He is terrified by the inevitability of death.
c) He sees death as an escape from the nightingale’s song.
d) He hopes to defy death through his poetry.

Answer:
a) He is attracted to the peace and release that death offers.

87. Why does the poet refer to the nightingale as a “light-winged Dryad”?
a) To emphasize its mythic and ethereal qualities
b) To highlight its connection to the underworld
c) To describe its physical appearance
d) To suggest its role as a messenger of death

Answer:
a) To emphasize its mythic and ethereal qualities

88. What literary technique is used in the line “Away! away! for I will fly to thee”?
a) Personification
b) Apostrophe
c) Alliteration
d) Hyperbole

Answer:
b) Apostrophe

89. In the poem, what does Keats suggest about the nightingale’s song?
a) It is a timeless and universal source of beauty.
b) It is a reflection of the bird’s suffering.
c) It is a fleeting pleasure with no lasting significance.
d) It is a tool to mock human mortality.

Answer:
a) It is a timeless and universal source of beauty.

90. What does the poet mean by “The fancy cannot cheat so well”?
a) Imagination can only provide a temporary escape.
b) The speaker regrets relying on creativity.
c) He believes imagination is deceptive and harmful.
d) Reality is ultimately more fulfilling than imagination.

Answer:
a) Imagination can only provide a temporary escape.

91. What is the function of the references to “faery lands forlorn” in the poem?
a) To evoke a sense of mystery and otherworldly beauty
b) To emphasize the nightingale’s natural habitat
c) To criticize mythological elements in poetry
d) To compare nature with human inventions

Answer:
a) To evoke a sense of mystery and otherworldly beauty

92. In the seventh stanza, why does the poet say the nightingale is not mortal?
a) Its song has been heard through centuries and generations.
b) The bird itself is eternal and cannot die.
c) It represents an unchanging force of nature.
d) Its beauty and grace defy mortality.

Answer:
a) Its song has been heard through centuries and generations.

93. Which of the following phrases is an example of synesthesia in the poem?
a) “The weariness, the fever, and the fret”
b) “With beaded bubbles winking at the brim”
c) “Soft incense hangs upon the boughs”
d) “Darkling I listen; and, for many a time”

Answer:
c) “Soft incense hangs upon the boughs”

94. What does the poet ultimately conclude about the nightingale’s song?
a) It is a product of his imagination.
b) It is a fleeting dream that cannot be held onto.
c) It transcends human suffering and mortality.
d) It mocks the speaker’s creative abilities.

Answer:
c) It transcends human suffering and mortality.

95. What is the poet’s attitude toward the nightingale in the final stanza?
a) He feels a sense of betrayal as it flies away.
b) He appreciates the bird’s song but recognizes it cannot last.
c) He resents the nightingale’s indifference to human struggles.
d) He dismisses its song as unimportant to human life.

Answer:
b) He appreciates the bird’s song but recognizes it cannot last.

Analysis of Mortality in John Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale and Jayanta Mahapatra’s Grass

Both John Keats and Jayanta Mahapatra explore the theme of mortality in their poems, but their approaches differ significantly due to cultural, historical, and philosophical perspectives. While Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale reflects a Romantic fascination with beauty, transience, and escapism, Mahapatra’s Grass takes a more grounded, existential approach rooted in Indian cultural and historical consciousness.

1. Mortality in Ode to a Nightingale

In Keats’s poem, mortality is central to the speaker's reflections on life and the desire to transcend its inevitable sorrows.

• Romantic Ideals: Keats sees mortality as a painful aspect of human existence, contrasting it with the eternal song of the nightingale. The bird symbolizes a timeless, otherworldly beauty that offers an escape from the decay and suffering of life.
• Escapism vs. Reality: The speaker dreams of merging with the nightingale’s eternal world through death, imagining it as a release:

  "Now more than ever seems it rich to die,
  To cease upon the midnight with no pain."
  However, he ultimately recognizes that such an escape is illusory, and the nightingale’s immortality is only a poetic construct.

• Personal Context: Keats, who faced illness and the loss of loved ones, imbues the poem with a personal longing for relief from the pain of life, making his meditation on mortality deeply emotional and subjective.

2. Mortality in Grass

Jayanta Mahapatra’s Grass takes a more stoic and philosophical approach to mortality, rooted in Indian cultural and historical sensibilities.

• Symbolism of Grass: Grass in Mahapatra’s poem symbolizes both fragility and resilience. It grows over graves and historical ruins, embodying the cycle of life, death, and renewal. Mortality is not seen as an end but as a part of nature’s eternal process.
• Collective Mortality: Mahapatra reflects on historical suffering and collective human mortality, evoking the memory of violence, colonialism, and death. This contrasts with Keats’s more personal and introspective focus.
• Acceptance of Death: Unlike Keats’s yearning to transcend mortality, Mahapatra accepts it as a natural and inevitable truth. Grass becomes a silent witness to human transience, signifying the continuity of life beyond individual deaths.

3. Comparative Analysis

4. Conclusion

Keats and Mahapatra approach mortality from different vantage points. Keats, as a Romantic poet, views it as a painful limitation that art and imagination temporarily transcend, while Mahapatra’s existential lens sees death as an integral part of the natural and historical cycle. Both poets, however, underscore the inevitability of mortality, enriching their works with profound reflections on life and death.