Summary of “Ode to Psyche” by John Keats
“Ode to Psyche” is one of the six odes written by John Keats. Psyche is actually a Greek goddess and Cupid fell in love with Psyche. She removed the feelings of jealousy prevailing in Venus’ (Cupid’s mother) mind and soul and after that she was taken to heaven where finally, she became a deity.
In the first stanza,we see the speaker addressing the goddess the Psyche. He demands forgiveness from the psyche because he thinks that he has done the wrong by singing her own secrets to her. He also feels guilty thinking that he has been urging her to hear his words. He also discusses how he came across two fair creatures whom he recognized.
In the second stanza, the poet praises the Psyche and declares her the most beautiful and youngest of all the gods and goddesses who are residing on Mount Olympus. But Psyche lacks one thing and that is it does not have the qualities of the gods unlike the rest of the gods and goddesses because there is no temple or choir to praise her.
In the third stanza, the poet tells why it is so. He himself tells the reason that Psyche is still young and thus it has missed the bygone era of ‘antique vows’ and the ‘fond believing lyre.’
In the fourth stanza, he is ready to become a priest of Psyche. He is ready to build a temple for Psyche. The temple will be of the mind and imagination. It will have a garden sanctuary cultivated by imagination. He pledges and addresses the Psyche that after establishing a temple for Psyche in his mind, he will keep a window in her new home so that her winged boy (Love) might be able to have a free access and glimpse of the Psyche.
To sum up, the poet has skillfully and adequately built a world of imagination where he is able to be in touch with the Psyche. He shows sympathy with the goddess as well as praises her for being young and the most attractive of all the other gods. (Words: 350)