'Ode (Bards Of Passion And Of Mirth)' Summary

The poem begins with a description of a group of bards, or poets, who are singing and playing music. The speaker of the poem is immediately drawn to their music, and he begins to reflect on the nature of their art. He notes that the bards are able to create beauty and joy through their music, and he wonders how they are able to do this. The speaker then goes on to reflect on the nature of mortality. He notes that all things must eventually die, and he wonders what happens to the beauty and joy that the bards create when they are gone. He concludes the poem by saying that he believes that the beauty and joy that the bards create will live on forever, even after they are gone.