English Language · English Literature

In John Keats's 'Ode to a Nightingale', consider the lines: 'Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I heard this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown.' Which of the following statements correctly interpret the sense in which the Bird is termed 'immortal'? (a) In terms of the struggle for physical survival, both Man and Bird are equally mortal. (b) Man as an individual is contrasted with the bird as an immortal species. (c) The bird is immortal because its song ('voice') remains unchanged through ages, transcending individual human mortality. (d) The bird is immortal because its song has brought eternal aesthetic joy to humanity throughout history.