Though the poem is dominated by thoughts of death, of ways to escape life, Keats does not appear to fear it. Rather, the ode’s rich imagery illustrates his acceptance of death as a refuge from the pain and suffering associated with his life. Keats invokes poetry as deaths alternative, as a medium for peace, which is represented by the nightingale within the ode. Poetry is undoubtedly his muse. The dreamland metaphor frees Keats from the chains which tether him in the physical realm.