Poem Analysis - In Drear Nighted December

A Winter's Wish for Oblivion

John Keats' "In Drear-nighted December" is a contemplative poem, tinged with a bittersweet longing. It begins with a seemingly celebratory tone, praising the obliviousness of nature to past joys, but quickly shifts to a more melancholic reflection on the human capacity for remembering and regretting what is lost. The poem uses the stark imagery of winter to explore themes of memory, pain, and the elusive nature of happiness. Ultimately, it becomes a poignant meditation on the human condition, highlighting the burden of consciousness and the inability to escape the sting of past experiences.

The Unburdened Joy of Nature

The first two stanzas of the poem focus on the natural world, specifically a tree and a brook. Keats uses the phrase "Too happy, happy" ironically, suggesting that their happiness stems not from joy itself, but from a lack of remembering. The tree's branches "ne'er remember / Their green felicity," and the brook's "bubblings ne'er remember / Apollo's summer look." The imagery here highlights the vibrancy and warmth of summer, a stark contrast to the "drear-nighted December." However, the point is that the tree and brook are not saddened by the contrast, they are simply unaffected. This introduces the theme of nature's indifference to time and change, which becomes a foil for human consciousness.

The Weight of Human Memory

The third stanza marks a clear shift in tone and subject matter. The exclamation "Ah!" signals a move from observation to personal reflection. The focus now turns to the human condition, specifically the inability to forget "passed joy." Keats laments that there has never been anyone who "Writhed not at passed joy?" This establishes a central theme: the burden of memory and the pain of longing for what is gone. The phrase "Writhed not at passed joy?" carries an element of deep pain, emphasizing the torment caused by remembered happiness. It underlines the poem's central tension between nature's ease and humanity's disquiet.

Unhealing Wounds and Unspoken Truths

The final lines of the poem, "The feel of not to feel it, / When there is none to heal it / Nor numbed sense to steel it, / Was never said in rhyme," are particularly powerful. Keats is suggesting that the very experience of not feeling, the numbness that comes with loss, is itself a form of pain. It suggests that there's a desire for oblivion, but even the absence of feeling is still felt. It also highlights the limitations of language, stating that this complex emotional state has "never said in rhyme," implying that it is too profound or too painful to be fully captured by words. The vivid image created here is of a persistent, unhealable wound, always felt but never truly confronted. Is it possible that the final line also suggests a yearning for the impossible – a desire to express what is ultimately inexpressible?

A Lingering Sense of Loss

"In Drear-nighted December" ultimately presents a poignant contrast between the unburdened existence of nature and the painful consciousness of humanity. Keats uses the imagery of winter to symbolize loss and the fleeting nature of joy. While the tree and brook are able to exist in a state of blissful ignorance, humans are cursed with the ability to remember and regret. The poem concludes with a sense of resignation, acknowledging the inescapable pain of the human condition and the difficulty of expressing such profound emotions. The poem's lasting impact lies in its ability to evoke a deep sense of empathy for the human struggle with memory, loss, and the longing for a peace that remains just out of reach.