Question

Importance of last two lines of ode to a nightingale

Answer 1

There is a difference between believing there is something and thinking there is or is not something.  When one believes that there "is," but thinks there "is not," it is clear that people can believe IN something, but THINK that it does not exist or never will exist.  This is just one very elementary example.  The way that I interpret this quotation is that BELIEF encompasses our hopes, dreams, and ideals.  THINKING involves our logical and rational side.  These two do not mix or mesh sometimes, as we all know.