To Sleep

Context

• Written in April 1819.
• Reflects Keats' struggle with insomnia and the stress he was experiencing during this period of his life.
• Keats was dealing with the illness of his brother Tom and his own declining health, which caused him anxiety and restless nights.
• The poem illustrates Keats' Romantic ideals, emphasizing the soothing and escapist power of sleep as a refuge from reality.
• Keats often used themes of sleep and dreams to explore deeper emotional and existential concerns.

Structure and Form

• Shakespearean Sonnet.
• Rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
• Written in iambic pentameter.
• The three quatrains develop the theme of seeking solace in sleep, culminating in the final couplet which emphasizes the ultimate desire for peace and escape.
• The controlled structure contrasts with the soothing, lulling content of the poem, reflecting Keats' desire for tranquillity.

Key Themes

Escape and Solace

• "O soft embalmer of the still midnight"
• Describes sleep as a comforting and gentle presence that embalms or preserves the peace of midnight.
• Highlights sleep as a refuge from the stresses and anxieties of waking life.

Divine Forgetfulness

• "Enshaded in forgetfulness divine"
• Describes sleep as a divine state of forgetfulness, offering a respite from daily troubles.
• Reflects the Romantic ideal of seeking transcendence and relief through natural, almost spiritual means.

Inner Turmoil and Conscience

• "Save me from curious Conscience, that still lords / Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;"
• Depicts the inner conflict and persistent thoughts that prevent restful sleep.
• Emphasizes the struggle between conscious worries and the desire for peaceful oblivion.

Tranquillity and Release

• "And seal the hushed Casket of my Soul."
• Uses the metaphor of a casket to represent the soul being enclosed and protected by sleep.
• Suggests a longing for ultimate peace and release from the burdens of consciousness.

Protection and Care

• "Shutting, with careful fingers and benign, / Our gloom-pleas'd eyes, embower'd from the light,"
• Personifies sleep as a gentle caretaker, carefully shutting the eyes and providing shelter from the harshness of reality.
• Reflects the nurturing and protective qualities attributed to sleep.

Similar Poems

• "Ode to a Nightingale": Explores themes of escape, transcendence, and the desire to leave behind the pains of reality through the power of imagination and art.
• "To Autumn": While focusing on the natural world, it shares the theme of finding peace and solace in nature's cycles.
• "Ode on Melancholy": Reflects on the interplay between sorrow and solace, similar to the tension between consciousness and sleep in "To Sleep."

Line by Line Analysis

O soft embalmer of the still midnight, Shutting, with careful fingers and benign, Our gloom-pleas'd eyes, embower'd from the light, Enshaded in forgetfulness divine: O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes, Or wait the "Amen," ere thy poppy throws Around my bed its lulling charities. Then save me, or the passed day will shine Upon my pillow, breeding many woes,— Save me from curious Conscience, that still lords Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole; Turn the key deftly in the oiled wards, And seal the hushed Casket of my Soul.

"O soft embalmer of the still midnight,"

• Personifies sleep as a gentle embalmer, preserving the stillness and peace of midnight.
• "Soft" and "embalmer" suggest a comforting, almost sacred process.

"Shutting, with careful fingers and benign,"

• Continues the personification with sleep carefully and kindly closing the eyes.
• "Benign" emphasizes the gentle and protective nature of sleep.

"Our gloom-pleas'd eyes, embower'd from the light,"

• "Gloom-pleas'd eyes" suggests eyes that find comfort in the darkness.
• "Embower'd" indicates being sheltered or enclosed, enhancing the sense of protection.

"Enshaded in forgetfulness divine:"

• Describes sleep as a divine state that shades and shelters the mind in forgetfulness.
• Highlights the transcendence and relief provided by sleep.

"O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close"

• Apostrophe addresses sleep directly, emphasizing its soothing nature.
• "If so it please thee" shows a humble request for sleep's comforting presence.

"In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes,"

• "Hymn" refers to a song of praise, suggesting the peaceful, sacred quality of sleep.
• "Willing eyes" indicates a readiness and desire to embrace sleep.

"Or wait the 'Amen,' ere thy poppy throws"

• "Amen" signifies a closing prayer, enhancing the religious and sacred tone.
• "Thy poppy" references the poppy flower, symbolizing sleep and its calming effects.

"Around my bed its lulling charities."

• "Lulling charities" describes the soothing and benevolent effects of sleep surrounding the bed.
• Emphasizes the comforting and protective qualities of sleep.

"Then save me, or the passed day will shine"

• Plea for sleep to save the speaker from the worries of the past day.
• "Passed day" implies the lingering anxieties and thoughts that persist into the night.

"Upon my pillow, breeding many woes,—"

• Describes how unresolved worries from the day can cause distress and restlessness at night.
• "Breeding many woes" emphasizes the accumulation of troubling thoughts.

"Save me from curious Conscience, that still lords"

• Personifies conscience as a ruler, dominating the mind with persistent thoughts.
• "Curious Conscience" suggests an inquisitive, restless mind that disrupts sleep.

"Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;"

• The simile compares conscience to a mole burrowing in the darkness, representing intrusive thoughts.
• Emphasizes the persistent and hidden nature of these worries.

"Turn the key deftly in the oiled wards,"

• The metaphor of locking away the mind's worries, with sleep as the key to peace.
• "Oiled wards" suggest smooth and effective action, enhancing the sense of ease.

"And seal the hushed Casket of my Soul."

• Concludes with the image of the soul being sealed and protected by sleep.
• "Hushed Casket" implies a quiet, restful state, encapsulating the ultimate desire for tranquillity and escape from consciousness.