"A rosy sanctuary will I dress
With the wreathed trellis of a working brain."
Correct Answer: 2. Ode to Psyche — by John Keats
These lines appear in John Keats' poem "Ode to Psyche", first published in 1820.
The poem is an address to Psyche, the Greek goddess of the soul, whom Keats imagines he will worship not in a traditional temple but in the chambers of his mind.
Contextual Understanding of the Lines:
In Ode to Psyche, Keats says that he will build a mental shrine for Psyche, since she was neglected by ancient worshippers.
"A rosy sanctuary" refers to the mental temple he will create.
"Wreathed trellis of a working brain" signifies that the temple will be made out of his thoughts, imagination, and creativity, rather than physical materials.
Thus, the "working brain" symbolizes the mind's imaginative capacity to create beauty and devotion.
Why not the other options?
1. ‘Adonais’ — (By Percy Bysshe Shelley, not Keats)
Adonais is an elegy for John Keats. The style and emotional tone are different—focused on mourning, not imaginative construction of mental sanctuaries.
3. ‘Eve of St. Agnes’ — (By John Keats)
Eve of St. Agnes is a narrative poem focusing on medieval romance and superstition, set in a cold castle on the feast of St. Agnes. It deals with sensory detail and romantic escape, not mental sanctuaries or Psyche.
4. ‘Endymion’ — (By John Keats)
Endymion is an epic mythological romance beginning with the famous line "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever." It is expansive and explores love and beauty, but this specific metaphor about mental creation is not from Endymion.
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