"Ode on a Grecian Urn"
Poetry
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John Keats
Ode on a Grecian Urn Full Poem
Ode on a Grecian Urn
By John Keats
Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fring'd legend haunts about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle...
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"Ode on a Grecian Urn" Key Facts
Author: John Keats (1795–1821)
Title of the Author:
Leading Second Generation Romantic Poet
Poet of Sensuousness
Poet of Beauty and Mortality
Full Title: “Ode on a Grecian Urn”
Total Lines: 50
Stanza: 5
Genre: Romantic Poetry
Published Date: Published in “Annals of the Fine Arts” in 1819.
Written Date: May 1819
Form: Ode
Meter: Iambic Pentameter
Tone: Philosophical & Reflective.
Rhy...
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"Ode on a Grecian Urn" Summary
Inspiration for Writing the Poem: "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is a remarkable poem by John Keats. It was published in 1819. In this poem, the poet makes a comparison between art and life. John Keats visited this Grecian Urn in a Museum in London. He was impressed by its craftsmanship, so he wrote this poem.
Description of the Grecian Urn: In the poem's first stanza, the poet describes the Grecian Urn....
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"Ode on a Grecian Urn" Themes
Beauty and Permanence: The poem celebrates the timeless beauty captured on the Grecian urn. It contrasts the ephemeral nature of human existence with the enduring beauty of art.
Art and Imagination: Keats extols the power of art to transport the viewer into different worlds and times. The urn becomes a canvas that allows the imagination to roam.
Time and Transience: The poem reflects on the fleeti...
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Ode on a Grecian Urn Characters
The Lovers: They are a young man and woman about to kiss, but forever frozen in time.
The Piper (Flute Player): A young musician is playing a pipe (flute) under a tree.
The Trees: Not people, but treated almost like characters, forever in bloom.
The Priest and Sacrificial Crowd: A group of people leading a heifer (young cow) to be sacrificed, with a priest in front.
The Speaker (Narrator / Observe...
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"Ode on a Grecian Urn" Literary Device
Literary Terms
Ode → The poem is a type of ode, which means it is a serious, thoughtful poem about a deep subject.
Figures of Speech:
Imagery: Words that create pictures in the reader’s mind. Example: "A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme." This line helps us imagine a beautifully decorated urn with stories painted on it.
Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things....
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"Ode on a Grecian Urn" Quotes
“Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,
hou foster-child of silence and slow time,”
Explanation: In these lines, the speaker addresses the Grecian urn as an untouched symbol of serenity and timelessness.
“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter;”
Explanation: In this line, Keats suggests that the beauty of imagined or unexperienced pleasures is even greater than those w...
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Notes
Explore 5 detailed notes related to "Ode on a Grecian Urn". Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.