Escape into Art in Keats’s “Ode to a Nightingale”

Second in our series on the odes of John Keats is Ode to a Nightingale, in which Keats imagines a journey into the realm of negative capability, a concept introduced in our previous episode on Ode to a Grecian Urn. Keats hears a nightingale’s song and it inspires him to ponder such questions as, what makes an ideal artist? How might we access the world of artistic creation? How does art unite humanity across the ages? Wes and Erin discuss whether artists, however inspired, can escape the anxieties of a potential audience.

Thanks to our sponsors for this episode, Buck Mason, Athletic Greens AG1, and Audible. To get a free t-shirt with your first Buck Mason order, head over to buckmason.com/subtext. To get a free one-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 and free travel packs with your first purchase of AG1, visit athleticgreens.com/subtext. New members can try Audible for free for 30 days by visiting audible.com/tf.

The conversation continues on our after-show (post)script. Get this and other bonus content at by subscribing at Patreon.

This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows. Email sales@advertisecast.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.

Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website

Thanks to Tyler Hislop for the audio editing on this episode.