How does Keats explore escape from human suffering in ‘To Sleep’ and one
other poem?
Keats expresses in both ‘To Sleep’ and ‘Ode to Indolence’ that human suffering is rooted within one’s own
mind. He seeks to emphasise that the only way to escape human suffering is to lose one’s humanity, in ‘To
Sleep, this is reflected in the usual state of sleep where one is still alive but the conscious takes a subordinate
role allowing for brief but beautiful freedom from the intrusive suffering of consciousness. ‘Ode to
Indolence’ is different as although it is an Ode, it is less of a glorification of the state of indolence, compared
to ‘To Sleep’ which is a clear and complete glorification of sleep itself. Rather Keats expresses a freedom
and escape in idleness but as this state is not completely broken and free from consciousness, the demons of
intellect still haunt and intrude one’s neutrality. How suffering intrudes one’s life is a major force within this
poem. ‘Ode to Indolence’ appears based on contradiction as it is a poem about the evil of poetry, however,
this is important as the contradiction and confusion it presents, reflects Keats’ belief of ‘negative capability’,
that beauty can be found within the confusion and uncertainty of humanity. The suffering that comes from
the aspects of life one loves the most so “Poesy” for Keats, is part of humanity, to be free one must be
completely neutral and in effect not human. Furthermore, Romantics believed humanity was forged in an
intensity of emotions, in the Romantic view to feel and think deeply about life is to be human. Ultimately
Keats seeks to express that to be human is to suffer. The only true way to escape this suffering is death, as
any other attempt may be beautiful but is fleeting or open to intrusion.
Keats uses Manichean imagery to present the inevitability of suffering, as long as one is alive and conscious
suffering is inescapable because is such a major aspect and mortality and humanity. In ‘To Sleep’ darkness is
linked with the idea of freedom and peace as being “embower’d from light” is shown to be “divine”, this is
because state completely emancipated from human consciousness. The religious allusion to divinity within
the word “divine” reflects how sleep provides man with an elevated state of being, where one can be free the
“many woes” thought and one’s mind breeds because sleep is a state free of the suffering of consciousness
but without the finality of death. For this reason, sleep is presented as a “soft embalmer”, which presents a
soothing nature to sleep but also presents this link between death and sleep, as the embalming is performed
after a death. Death is an important theme within this poem as it was written in 1819, when Keats own
condition of tuberculosis was worsening and when this was written Keats would have had an awareness and
reflection on the finality of death, as his own life was beginning to end. Thus, he glorifies sleep as so
beautiful and more “benign” than death as it provides this freedom without completely taking life. Keats’s
does not present death and sleep to be the same but there is an inextricable link between the two states as
only when one is asleep or dead is one free from human consciousness and therefore human suffering. Keats
presents human suffering takes its root in thought, consciousness, and intellect as these aspects of humanity
burrow “like a mole” and breed “many woes.” The connotations of a mole are dirty and destructive as it
intrudes and digs within one’s mind linking intellect to suffering as the mind is inclined to burrow further
and further into negative thoughts and take over thought with unhappiness and suffering.
The only escape from this suffering is to turn consciousness off completely, therefore Keats uses
Manichean imagery, as one is either in the light of consciousness with “many woes” and thoughts
“burrowing like a mole” or one is in darkness separate from all thoughts and suffering. This gives an
intensity to sleep, like death it provides this darkness and the only true escape from suffering, however
despite the intensity presented through the Manichean imagery sleep is also presented to be a kind and caring
force. As sleep is “benign” and acts with “careful fingers”, this demonstrates how sleep is unique and sperate
from death and from life, as sleep is the only state where one is free of the harsh realities of consciousness
but still maintains their life and humanity. That is why Keats shows sleep to act with “careful fingers” as
unlike death sleep does not simply take, it rather gives this sense of freedom and escapes from humanity and
suffering while also being careful enough not to take all humanity and life. In this way Keats presents this
intensity to life and humanity, as when one is in light one must face the harsh reality of one’s “curious
Conscious” and the suffering humanity brings but darkness provides a freedom, however, takes away all
humanity, but emphasises sleep’s beauty as it offers a balance between these forces it gives the freedom
from suffering but while not taking all human conscious away, that is why it is Anthropomorphically
presented as “benign” with its “lulling charities” for its ability to the freedom of “darkness” and a “divine”
sense of “forgetfulness” from suffering while still not completely taking away one's humanity, as death does.
other poem?
Keats expresses in both ‘To Sleep’ and ‘Ode to Indolence’ that human suffering is rooted within one’s own
mind. He seeks to emphasise that the only way to escape human suffering is to lose one’s humanity, in ‘To
Sleep, this is reflected in the usual state of sleep where one is still alive but the conscious takes a subordinate
role allowing for brief but beautiful freedom from the intrusive suffering of consciousness. ‘Ode to
Indolence’ is different as although it is an Ode, it is less of a glorification of the state of indolence, compared
to ‘To Sleep’ which is a clear and complete glorification of sleep itself. Rather Keats expresses a freedom
and escape in idleness but as this state is not completely broken and free from consciousness, the demons of
intellect still haunt and intrude one’s neutrality. How suffering intrudes one’s life is a major force within this
poem. ‘Ode to Indolence’ appears based on contradiction as it is a poem about the evil of poetry, however,
this is important as the contradiction and confusion it presents, reflects Keats’ belief of ‘negative capability’,
that beauty can be found within the confusion and uncertainty of humanity. The suffering that comes from
the aspects of life one loves the most so “Poesy” for Keats, is part of humanity, to be free one must be
completely neutral and in effect not human. Furthermore, Romantics believed humanity was forged in an
intensity of emotions, in the Romantic view to feel and think deeply about life is to be human. Ultimately
Keats seeks to express that to be human is to suffer. The only true way to escape this suffering is death, as
any other attempt may be beautiful but is fleeting or open to intrusion.
Keats uses Manichean imagery to present the inevitability of suffering, as long as one is alive and conscious
suffering is inescapable because is such a major aspect and mortality and humanity. In ‘To Sleep’ darkness is
linked with the idea of freedom and peace as being “embower’d from light” is shown to be “divine”, this is
because state completely emancipated from human consciousness. The religious allusion to divinity within
the word “divine” reflects how sleep provides man with an elevated state of being, where one can be free the
“many woes” thought and one’s mind breeds because sleep is a state free of the suffering of consciousness
but without the finality of death. For this reason, sleep is presented as a “soft embalmer”, which presents a
soothing nature to sleep but also presents this link between death and sleep, as the embalming is performed
after a death. Death is an important theme within this poem as it was written in 1819, when Keats own
condition of tuberculosis was worsening and when this was written Keats would have had an awareness and
reflection on the finality of death, as his own life was beginning to end. Thus, he glorifies sleep as so
beautiful and more “benign” than death as it provides this freedom without completely taking life. Keats’s
does not present death and sleep to be the same but there is an inextricable link between the two states as
only when one is asleep or dead is one free from human consciousness and therefore human suffering. Keats
presents human suffering takes its root in thought, consciousness, and intellect as these aspects of humanity
burrow “like a mole” and breed “many woes.” The connotations of a mole are dirty and destructive as it
intrudes and digs within one’s mind linking intellect to suffering as the mind is inclined to burrow further
and further into negative thoughts and take over thought with unhappiness and suffering.
The only escape from this suffering is to turn consciousness off completely, therefore Keats uses
Manichean imagery, as one is either in the light of consciousness with “many woes” and thoughts
“burrowing like a mole” or one is in darkness separate from all thoughts and suffering. This gives an
intensity to sleep, like death it provides this darkness and the only true escape from suffering, however
despite the intensity presented through the Manichean imagery sleep is also presented to be a kind and caring
force. As sleep is “benign” and acts with “careful fingers”, this demonstrates how sleep is unique and sperate
from death and from life, as sleep is the only state where one is free of the harsh realities of consciousness
but still maintains their life and humanity. That is why Keats shows sleep to act with “careful fingers” as
unlike death sleep does not simply take, it rather gives this sense of freedom and escapes from humanity and
suffering while also being careful enough not to take all humanity and life. In this way Keats presents this
intensity to life and humanity, as when one is in light one must face the harsh reality of one’s “curious
Conscious” and the suffering humanity brings but darkness provides a freedom, however, takes away all
humanity, but emphasises sleep’s beauty as it offers a balance between these forces it gives the freedom
from suffering but while not taking all human conscious away, that is why it is Anthropomorphically
presented as “benign” with its “lulling charities” for its ability to the freedom of “darkness” and a “divine”
sense of “forgetfulness” from suffering while still not completely taking away one's humanity, as death does.
