Poetry Review of "Ode on Solitude" by Emily Schmukal

     "Ode on Solitude" by Alexander Pope has a main theme of peace and finding comfort.  It tells the story of the life of a man who finds comfort in living in solitude and being alone.  He wants no one to know where he lives and wants no one to mourn his death.  Being unknown to the world is something that makes him feel calm and at ease.  Alexander Pope describes how the man's land provides him with everything he needs and that he has "peace of mind" and " health of body".  Since the man has all of life's essentials, he is fine with living alone and having his life pass by in solitude.  Sometimes being around certain people can cause sadness and worry, so this may be what he is trying to avoid.
     This poem is a traditional ode.  It is traditional because it has a regular pattern of rhyme and rhythm.  It has an ABAB rhyme scheme and is separated into four - line stanzas.  The narrator of this poem is the man, who speaks about his own life.
     The author uses many personifications and imagery to describe the things that the man enjoys about living alone and the benefits it has.  "Hours, days, and years slide soft away", "whose flocks supply him", and "not a stone tell where I lie" are examples of personifications in this poem.  Some of the imagery in "Ode on Solitude" such as, "whose trees in summer yield him shade, in winter fire" help the reader to imagine the scene of the man's peaceful home and life of solitude.