1. "Pour forth thy song into the distant years" (line 1):
- This line alludes to the biblical concept of eternity and the enduring nature of the nightingale's song. In the Bible, eternity is often associated with God and His eternal nature (e.g., Psalms 90:1-2). The phrase "distant years" suggests the timelessness and enduring quality of the nightingale's song.
2. "Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!" (line 9):
- This line alludes to the biblical concept of immortality and the contrast between mortal human existence and the eternal life promised by God. The nightingale is described as an immortal being, not subject to death, reflecting the idea of an eternal soul or the possibility of everlasting life.
3. **"In some melodious plot
Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
Singest of summer in full-throated ease." (lines 21-23)**:
- This passage contains several allusions to the Garden of Eden and the idyllic, blissful state of nature before the Fall of Man. The "melodious plot" and the "shadows numberless" create an image of a peaceful, lush environment, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. The nightingale's song, described as "full-throated ease," adds to this sense of harmony and tranquility.
4. **"Darkling I listen; and for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death,
Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme,
To take into the air my quiet breath;
Now more than ever seems it rich to die,
To cease upon the midnight with no pain." (lines 53-59)**:
- These lines contain allusions to the biblical narrative of Adam and Eve and the temptation of the forbidden fruit. The speaker's contemplation of death as a form of release from the sorrows and pains of life echoes the idea of the Fall of Man and the resulting human suffering. The desire for death is presented as a tempting allure, aligning with the biblical concept of temptation and the human tendency towards sin.
These biblical allusions in Ode to a Nightingale add depth and symbolic layers to the poem, connecting it to broader themes of eternity, immortality, the divine, and the contrast between earthly life and heavenly grace.