The Cathexis Reflection of Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats in the Light of Sigmund Freud’s Theory of the Unconscious Mind

Authors

  • Ayşe Çamur Istanbul Aydın University, English Preparatory School http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8896-5197

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.912.13607

Keywords:

Psychoanalysis, Unconsciousness, Cathexis, Sublimation, Poetry.

Abstract

Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats delineates a theory of unconsciousness in the light of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective. This study scrutinizes Freud’s theory of the unconscious mind in the way which penetrates one of the most memorable and notable poems, Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats in the Romantic Period. It shall then carry on perusing Keats in a novel layer, adopting Sigmund Freud’s theory of the unconscious mind as a cathexis reflection of the poem. By juxtaposing the psychoanalysis perspective and the noteworthy poem, Ode on a Grecian Urn, the research unveils in what aspects Freud’s psychoanalytical interpretation conveys the psychological stimulus behind the poem. The research probes the extent that John Keats’s reflection on the poem plays a pivotal role as a cathexis in the sense of Freud’s theory of the unconscious mind, which is the area that the reader sees the concepts psychoanalytically articulating in the poem. From the late 18th to the mid-19th century, framing the Romantic Period, this study attempts to disclose the unconscious impulse behind Keats’s reflection on the poem by demonstrating how the poem decodes itself as a way of cathexis from Freud’s term of Sublimation.

References

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2019). ecstasy. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ecstasy-religion

Dino, F. Modules on Psychoanalysis, Introductory guide to Critical Theory. http://www.purdue.edu/guidetotheory/psychoanalysis/psychmodules.htlm.

Freud, S. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams, Standard Edition, London: Hogarth Press.

Garma, A. (1966). The Psychoanalysis of Dreams, New York: Delta.

Hamilton, J. W. (1969). Object Loss, Dreaming, and Creativity- The Poetry of John Keats. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child.

Jacobson, E. (1965). The Return of the Lost Parent In: Drives, Affects, Behavior Vol 2 ed. M. Schur. New York: International Universities.

Keats, J. (2017). Ode on a Grecian Urn (Complete Edition): From one of the most beloved English Romantic poets, best known for his Odes, Ode to a Nightingale, Ode to Indolence, ... Eve of St. Agnes, Lamia, Hyperion and more. Amazon Classics Edition (Kindle Edition).

Krupp, G. R. (1962). The Bereavement Reaction: A Special Case of Separation Anxiety The Psychoanalytic Study of Society, New York: International Universities Press.

Murfin, R., Supriya, M. R. (1997). The Bedford glossary of critical and literary terms.

Oxford (2022). Lexico, https://www.lexico.com/definition/pastoral

Peck, J & Coyle, M. (1993). Literary terms and criticism, London: Macmillan

Phillips, A. (2014). Psychoanalysis for Poets. Salmagundi, No. 182/ 183 (Spring-Summer 2014).

Pun, M. (2018). The Interpretation of the Unconscious: From Freud to Lacan. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention. (IJHSSI). Volume 7 Issue, January. 2018, pp. 48-52.

Schmitz, A. (2012). Reading Keats’s “Urn” through the Psychoanalytic Lens. Creating Literary Analysis.

Segal, H. (1952). A Psycho-Analytical Approach to Aesthetics, Int. J. Psychoanalytic, 33:196-207

Shaddock, D. (2020). Poetry and Psychoanalysis: The opening of the field. New York, Routledge.

Waldoff, L. (1985). Keats and the Silent Work of Imagination, Champaign: University of Illinois Press.

Walinga, J., Stangar, C. (2012). Introduction to Psychology: 1st Canadian Edition, BCcampus Open Education. https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontopsychology/chapter/11-2-the-origins-of-personality/

Wings (2021). Top Rumi Quotes to Celebrate Love, Life, Nature, Sufism & the Universe, Theleverageedu.com https://leverageedu.com/blog/rumi-quotes/

Wolfenstein, M. (1966). How Is Mourning Possible, Psychoanalytic Study Child.

Wu, D. (1999). A Companion to Romanticism. Blackwell Publishers.

Trilling, L. (1972). Freud and Literature. London: Longman

Downloads

Published

2022-12-15

How to Cite

Çamur, A. (2022). The Cathexis Reflection of Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats in the Light of Sigmund Freud’s Theory of the Unconscious Mind. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(12), 192–203. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.912.13607