Really, those who are contented with what they have, are happy in true sense. I agree with the poet.
A man can be happy if he is satisfied with whatever he has got. He has a sound sleep at night. His time is equally divided between his study or any other work and recreation. His innocence helps him in his meditation. He prefers to live in the midst of nature to enjoy its pleasure.
Thus a contented man remains free from cares and anxieties. He has a healthy body and peace of mind. He wants to live a life of solitude, away from the din and bustle of life. So the life of contented people is happy in all respects.
“together” mixt sweet recreation means to mix up different factors of recreation together.
The poet meant to say in the aforesaid line of the poem that for sweet recreation a man should have peaceful atmosphere. He will have sound sleep at night. Then only he can study books or do any other work and take rest after being tired during day time. He can spent time happily. He will live in innocence and enjoy meditation.
Thus he will be able to entertain the pleasure of mixt (mixed) re-creation. So, mostly in my life. I enjoy sound sleep at night to become fresh to comfortably work in the day. After getting tired I take rest to relax. In this way, I enjoy the mixed sweet recreation together.
A happy man according to the poet is he who lives a solitary life. To be in society is to be in sorrow. So he wants to live a simple life of contentment in a solitary place. Thus he will be able to enjoy sound sleep. He will get enough time for study and meditation. It is only possible in living a quiet life or a life of solitude away from the din and bustle of life. Even if he dies none should shed tears and place a stone on his grave. So he wants to die in peace unnoticed by the people, stealthily.
Very few people will like to follow the sentiments expressed by the poet. Everybody wants to enjoy the pleasure of living in this materialistic society. Nobody wants to live a solitary life. “Eat, drink and be merry” is the mentality of the people and they have no contentment. As such none is ready to live a simple life of contentment and to live in solitude.
Therefore rare persons will want to live and die stealthily.
Alexander Pope draws a beautiful picture of a happy man in the present poem “Ode on solitude”. Ode means lyric poem. The poet has very well explained that the real happiness lies in a simple life of contentment and that too in solitude. As such the title of the poem, “Ode on solitude” is quite appropriate.
The poet further adds that a man should not be greedy and should be satisfied with his limited resources such as the few-acres of land inherited from his ancestors. He should also be contented with his food (crop) from his field, milk from his cattle, wool for clothing from his sheep, shade, and firewood from his trees. At the end, the poet suggests to live such a life and die in peace without being lamented by people.
He even dislikes a tombstone to be placed on grave. It is obious from his expression that it is better to live and to die in solitude. The theme of the poem is :
“The happiest life is a simple life spent in solitude”. So, the title of the poem is justified.
Though the title of the poem is self-explanatory and most suitable taking into account the theme of the poem, still there may be some equally appropriate titles of the poem. Just as (i) “The pleasure in solitude” (ii) The lappiest lite : Simple life in solitude” I have suggested these two titles because they represent. the true spirit of the poem according to the theme.
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