Overview
John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is a meditation on beauty, art, and eternity, as the speaker contemplates scenes depicted on an ancient urn.
Addressing the Urn
- The urn is described as an "unravished bride of quietness" and a "foster-child of silence and slow time."
- The urn acts as a silent storyteller, expressing ancient tales better than poetry can.
- The speaker questions what legends or stories are captured on the urn's surface.
The Nature of Art and Permanence
- The urn's images depict people, gods, and celebrations frozen in time.
- Music on the urn is described as sweeter when imagined, not actually heard.
- Lovers on the urn are forever about to kiss, trapped in unfulfilled anticipation but never aging or fading.
- Trees and springtime on the urn never end, symbolizing eternal youth and renewal.
Contrast: Art vs. Human Experience
- Artistic scenes are contrasted with the sorrow and transience of real life.
- The passion on the urn is always warm and unchanging, while human love fades and causes pain.
- The speaker envies the endless happiness and beauty in art, free from time and decay.
The Mystery of Sacrifice
- The urn shows a procession for a sacrifice, including a priest and a garlanded heifer.
- The speaker wonders about the town emptied for the ritual, now silent and permanently deserted in the scene.
Reflections on Time and Truth
- The urn is called an "Attic shape" and a "Cold Pastoral," admired for its intricate design and frozen moment.
- The urn will remain when current generations are gone, providing solace and meaning for future viewers.
- The poem ends with the urn's message: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty," suggesting that beauty and truth are inseparable and all people need to know.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Ode — a formal poem addressing and often celebrating a person, place, thing, or idea.
- Ekphrasis — a vivid description of a work of art within a poem.
- Pastoral — literature that idealizes nature and rural life.
- Attic — relating to ancient Athens, Greece.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the poem's main images and Keats’s central message for class discussion.
- Read the poem guide on the Poetry Foundation website for deeper analysis.