Alexander Pope’s poem, “Ode on Solitude,” sets a very peaceful mood. The relaxed language that Pope chooses to use makes the calm, routine lifestyle of a farmer seem more appealing than usual. He focuses on the idea of using only one’s own means to survive while living completely alone but he does not make it seem boring or melancholy. The various techniques that he uses, such as uniform stanzas, a predictable rhyme scheme, and simple language makes it seem as if the speaker is not some poet that is trying to take on a foreign voice, describes the farmer in the same language that he would most likely use.
The first stanza starts off with the word “happy.” While Pope could have used a more complicated word, the simplicity and commonness of his choice immediately sets the mood for the reader. This stanza describes how the man in the poem is only concerned with what happens within his inherited land. It doesn’t mention anything about the man wishing to break free of this lifestyle, but states that he is “content to breathe… In his own ground.”
In the second stanza, Pope once again uses uniform language to emphasize the regularity of this farmer’s life. He lists where the farmer gets his resources to live in simple language with very little hidden implications. The mention of how the trees are useful both in winter and in summer reassures the reader that this farmer, though alone, is provided for by nature.
The third stanza seems to express Pope’s wish to experience this kind of solitude because he refers to this man as “Blest.” Pope’s eventful lifestyle, constantly ridden with conflict, seems to be a complete opposite of this simple man. In the city, it is nearly impossible to find this kind of peace, and then to enjoy it without being reminded of what lays outside of that safe zone. He also mentions that this man is “in health of body,” something that Pope will never be able to achieve because he was burdened with health problems since early childhood.
The third and fourth stanzas seem to mesh together with the line “Quiet by day” because it can be recited as part of either. While it rhymes with the stanza that it stands in, it could also be fluidly integrated into the next stanza because of its juxtaposition with the phrase “sound sleep by night.” This meshing of stanzas reflects, once again, the uniformity of this type of lifestyle. Each day is so similar to the next, that the man may not be able to distinguish where one week ends and another begins simply because of how repetitive his life his.
The last stanza expresses the farmer’s acceptance of his life. He understands that he is unknown and does not attempt to fight it. He also understands that like all of the seasons he experiences, he will die as well. In most poetry, the idea of an unlamented death seams very depressing, yet to this farmer, it is a perfect ending to a quiet life.
This stanza also implies that this farmer has no living family. It seems as though this man is so used to being alone that he makes no effort to change that because it has worked for him for so long. This solitude could also be an allusion to Pope’s own love life because he never got married during his life.
Alexander Pope used very simple language, structure and ideas in this poem to communicate the thoughts of a solitary, but not lonely, farmer. He also subtly expresses his own desire to experience some of life the way that this man does. Additionally, he intentionally leaves out certain statements that would make this description of a farmer’s life complete, such as mention of other family, to demonstrate the degree of interesting secrecy that draws Pope to thinking about this kind of lifestyle. He effectively implements a variety of simple elements to successfully communicate the meaning of “Ode on Solitude.”
