Fragment of an Ode to Maia
Fragment of an Ode to Maia - form Summary
An Invocation for Classical Vigor
This fragment is cast as an ode: a direct invocation of Maia asking for the spirit and strength of ancient bards. Keats frames poetic ambition through classical imagery and the desire for simple, concentrated fame—verse heard by few but rich in devotion. The speaker seeks timeless poetic vigor, willing for his song to die quietly if it retains the graceful intensity and modest immortality of earlier Grecian poets.
Read Complete AnalysesMother of Hermes! And still youthful Maia! May I sing to thee As thou wast hymned on the shores of Baiae? Or may I woo thee In earlier Sicilian? or thy smiles Seek as they once were sought, in Grecian isles, By bards who died content on pleasant sward, Leaving great verse unto a little clan? O give me their old vigour! and unheard Save of the quiet primrose, and the span Of heaven, and few ears, Rounded by thee, my song should die away Content as theirs, Rich in the simple worship of a day.
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