John Keats Essay, Research Paper

ODE ON AN GRECIAN MAN

Still unravish d bride of quietness

By this sentence the poet want to describe that the woman is married with the bride of quietness which is not a real marriage but a hypothetical. The bride is quiet, as she cannot speak because she is an image in the urn.

Foster child of silence and slow time

The child is foster because she is probably a very young lady, in her teens that it looks like she is a foster child. Silence is again used to describe that she can t speak and to show a figure of calm. Finally slow time is used to give the impression that time is passing very slowly.

Heard melodies are sweet but those unheard are sweeter

The point that Keats wants to make is that many people could look at the same urn and have a mental picture in their mind and by using their imagination create thoughts that are pleasurable to them.

What other paradoxes can you find in the first four stranzas?

+ Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear’d,

+ Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,

+ For ever piping songs for ever new

+ That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy’d,

+ Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave

What biographical note is there in the third stranza ?

The biographical note is that Keats is in love. It is probable that his is in love, because he is using repeatedly some words such as, happy and love. Ah, happy, happy boughs! More happy love! more happy, happy love! . It is possible that Keats is not having a relationship because of his health and financial problems. So he may be just in love with a lady. This can also be justified as he avoids finishing his imagination about the lovers that don t kiss. Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss He afraid to finish his though as a love may conform to hate. This is ironic because generally speaking lover are kissing, but these will never be able to show their affection.

What truth about the human condition does the urn convey?

The urn conveys that human are mortal and that everybody is going to die. Only, this peace of world will stay in eternity. The urn will remain youthful through the time while the views will grow old with age and die.

What do you think is Keat s concept of beauty?

Keat has a different perception about beauty. He doen t look beauty in terms of something that is beautiful but something that is true. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,–that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” This is an example of paradox revealing truth about life.

What is the theme of the poem?

The theme of the poem is imagination. Keats just sees a urn and he imagines everything else. He brings the idea of life with the description of music, love and youth. He wants the reader to imagine a world through the urn and not to be stacked just in the pictures.