Ode to Psyche

Poetry | John Keats
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Ode to Psyche Brief Questions

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  • Who is Psyche in Greek mythology? ✪✪✪
Answer: Psyche is the goddess of the soul and the beloved of Cupid, the god of love.
  • What type of poem is “Ode to Psyche”? ✪✪✪
Answer: It is a romantic ode. It expresses deep emotion, imagination, and
devotion.
  • What does the poet ask Psyche at the beginning of the poem?
Answer: He asks her to hear his song and forgive him for singing her secrets aloud.
  • What vision does Keats describe in the first stanza? ✪✪✪
Answer: He sees Cupid and Psyche lying side by side in a quiet, dreamy forest.
  • Why does Keats call Psyche the “latest born” of all gods? ✪✪✪
Answer: Because she was the last goddess added to the Greek gods and goddesses.
  • What does Keats mean by saying Psyche has “no temple”? ✪✪✪
Answer: He means no one worshipped her or built shrines for her in ancient times.
  • What does the poet promise to do for Psyche? ✪✪✪
Answer: He promises to be her priest and build a temple in his mind to worship her.
  • What does the “fane” in the poem refer to?
Answer: The “fane” refers to a temple or sacred place that the poet builds in his imagination.
  • What does Keats mean by “untrodden region of my mind”?
Answer: It means a new, unexplored area of his imagination where he will worship Psyche.
  • What do “branched thoughts” symbolize?
Answer: They symbolize creative ideas or thoughts growing like trees in the poet’s mind.
  • Who is the “winged boy” mentioned in the poem?
Answer: The “winged boy” is Cupid, the god of love.
  • Why does the poet say Psyche has no altar or choir?
Answer: Because no one worshipped her or sang songs in her praise like other goddesses.
  • What does the poet mean by “lucent fans”?
Answer: “Lucent fans” means Psyche’s shining wings. They are glowing with divine light.
  • What does the poet want to fill his imaginary temple with?
Answer: He wants to fill it with flowers, stars, music, and beauty born from imagination.
  • What does the “bright torch” symbolize?
Answer: It symbolizes inspiration and divine love that light the poet’s inner world.
  • What does the “casement ope at night” suggest?
Answer: It suggests an open window of the mind. It allows warm love and creativity to enter.
  • What kind of tone does the poem “Ode to Psyche” have?
Answer: The tone is gentle, devotional, and imaginative.
  • What feeling does the poet express for Psyche?
Answer: He expresses love, admiration, and deep devotion.
  • What does the forest in the poem symbolize?
Answer: It symbolizes the peaceful world of imagination and inner beauty.
  • What do the “cool-rooted flowers” stand for?
Answer: They stand for purity, calmness, and natural beauty.
  • What is the main theme of the poem? ✪✪✪
Answer: The main theme is worship of the soul through imagination and love.
  • What does the poet mean by “happy pieties”?
Answer: It means the joyful faith and devotion of ancient times.
  • Why does Keats call Psyche “too late for antique vows”?
Answer: Because she appeared after the age of the old religious worship had ended.
  • What kind of worship does the poet prefer? ✪✪✪
Answer: He prefers inner spiritual worship through the mind and imagination.
  • What does the phrase “soft delight” suggest?
Answer: It suggests gentle pleasure and spiritual joy.
  • How does the poem end?
Answer: The poem ends with the poet welcoming love and inspiration into his heart.
  • What inspired Keats to write “Ode to Psyche”?
Answer: A daydream or vision of Cupid and Psyche inspired him.
  • How does Keats describe Psyche’s beauty? ✪✪✪
Answer: He says she is fairer than the moon (Phoebe) and the evening star (Vesper).
  • What emotion does the poem mainly express?
Answer: The poem expresses devotion mixed with wonder and peace.
  • Why does Keats feel pity for Psyche?
Answer: Because she was never properly worshipped like other Greek goddesses.
  • What does Keats offer Psyche instead of an altar?
Answer: He offers her a temple in his own mind.
  • What does “pleasant pain” mean in the poem?
Answer: It means the sweet struggle of creativity and imagination.
  • What does “rosy sanctuary” symbolize?
Answer: It symbolizes the sacred beauty of the poet’s imagination.
  • How does Keats show the power of imagination?
Answer: By creating a temple, nature, and worship all inside his mind.
  • What kind of atmosphere is created in the poem?
Answer: A dreamlike, calm, and sacred atmosphere.
  • What message does the poem give? ✪✪✪
Answer: True beauty and worship live within the soul and imagination, not in rituals.
  • What does Keats mean by “I will be thy priest”? ✪✪✪
Answer: He means he will devote himself to Psyche and worship her through his imagination.
  • What do “buds, and bells, and stars without a name” represent?
Answer: They represent the endless creative ideas and beauty of the poet’s imagination.
  • What poetic form is used in “Ode to Psyche”?
Answer: It is written as an irregular ode, with flexible rhyme and stanza length.
  • What is the overall mood of the poem?
Answer: The mood is calm, dreamy, and devotional, filled with love and imagination.

 

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John Keats
Literary Writer
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from Ode to Psyche