Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats – MCQs & Summary

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman Shamil | Last updated: February 11, 2025

Summary:

“Ode to a Nightingale” is one of John Keats’ most famous odes, written in 1819. The poem explores themes of mortality, the transient nature of human life, and the contrast between the fleeting joys of reality and the timeless beauty of art. Inspired by the song of a nightingale, Keats expresses a deep yearning to escape the pains of the world and join the bird in its eternal melody. He considers various means of escape, such as wine and poetry, but ultimately realizes that death is not the answer. The poem concludes with uncertainty, as the speaker questions whether his experience was real or just a dream.

MCQs:

1. Who wrote Ode to a Nightingale?

A) William Wordsworth
B) John Keats
C) Samuel Taylor Coleridge
D) Percy Bysshe Shelley
Answer: B) John Keats

2. When was Ode to a Nightingale written?

A) 1815
B) 1817
C) 1819
D) 1821
Answer: C) 1819

3. What is the central theme of Ode to a Nightingale?

A) The beauty of the industrial revolution
B) The contrast between human suffering and the nightingale’s eternal song
C) The importance of education
D) The power of political movements
Answer: B) The contrast between human suffering and the nightingale’s eternal song

QuestionAnswer
Poem NameOde to a Nightingale
PoetJohn Keats
Year Written1819
Year Published1820 (Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems)
Poem TypeOde (lyric poem)
Rhyme SchemeABABCDECDE (varied in some stanzas)
ThemesMortality, escapism, beauty of art, nature
ToneMelancholic, reflective, dreamy
SymbolismThe nightingale represents immortality and artistic beauty
Famous Line“Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!”
Influence on the PoemInspired by Keats’ personal struggles, grief, and Romantic ideals of nature

4. In which year was the poem published?

A) 1818
B) 1819
C) 1820
D) 1822
Answer: C) 1820

5. Which poetic form does Ode to a Nightingale follow?

A) Sonnet
B) Ballad
C) Lyric
D) Ode
Answer: D) Ode

6. What does the nightingale symbolize in the poem?

A) Death and destruction
B) Immortality and artistic beauty
C) The fleeting nature of love
D) The struggles of a poet
Answer: B) Immortality and artistic beauty

7. What type of escape does Keats long for in the poem?

A) Travel to foreign lands
B) Escape through wine, poetry, and death
C) Escape through war and conquest
D) Escape through wealth and luxury
Answer: B) Escape through wine, poetry, and death

8. What is the tone of the poem?

A) Joyful and celebratory
B) Angry and rebellious
C) Melancholic and reflective
D) Sarcastic and humorous
Answer: C) Melancholic and reflective

9. What famous line from the poem expresses the idea that the nightingale is eternal?

A) “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
B) “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”
C) “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!”
D) “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.”
Answer: C) “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!”

10. What ultimately prevents the poet from fully escaping into the world of the nightingale?

A) His physical weakness
B) His realization that death is not the answer
C) A sudden storm that disrupts his thoughts
D) The nightingale flying away
Answer: B) His realization that death is not the answer

Summary - Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats
Summary – Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats

MCQs & Summary of Some Famous Poems of John Keats

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