Explication of Ode on a Grecian Urn Ryan Blanchard & Rebecca Kuhn
Ode on a Grecian Urn 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 haunt 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 to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd, Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone: Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare; Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!
Ode on a Grecian Urn Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu; And, happy melodist, unwearied, For ever piping songs for ever new; More happy love! more happy, happy love! For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd, For ever panting, and for ever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. Who are these coming to the sacrifice? To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, And all her silken flanks with garlands drest? What little town by river or sea shore, Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel, Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets for evermore Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.
Ode on a Grecian Urn O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
Simplified You are like a woman that has not been with a man yet, a virgin urn You will live on forever even if the one who has made you is gone; you are times child now, A scholarly vase; you seem to know everything and can express it, The story that you tell is better than any that are in our world, What is the story you are trying to tell? Is it on about gods, humans, or both? Is it in the temple or the city of Arcady? Who are these men or gods? Who are the women they are chasing? What is this intense chase? What a struggle to escape by the women, What is this music made by the pipes and timbrels? This almost creates an amazing feeling!
Simplified Music you can hear can be very moving, but music that you cannot hear is even better because you will not grow tired of it or judge it since you cannot hear it. So because of this, play on unheard music. Do not play music that creates a sexual mood, but instead play happy tunes that create joy, Youthful boy sitting under the trees, you will never be able to stop playing your song under the trees and they will never feel the effects of winter, You will never be able to kiss the girl who you are trying to swoon, even if you get so close to achieving it but do not worry! You will never stop loving her (which would probably happen over time in our world) and she will always be beautiful. Oh beautiful trees you will never have to experience anything but spring because that is what the picture was painted of, And you, happy composer, your songs will not become boring or old because they are never really heard and they remain just the same. You have the most amazing love that is forever going. It is warm and enjoyable forever. You will always have young ambitions and never grow old. You will never have to endure the troubles with love; how it leaves you heart broking and wishing for more.
Simplified Who are all these people coming to make a sacrifice? Why is this altar here and why do you, priest, do you lead that cow that is mooing and bemoaning his fate to the altar? Her head is crowned with a flowery crown. There is a little town somewhere; either by the seaside, river, or on the side of a mountain that is completely empty because everyone has gone to the altar. Now the town’s streets will always be empty because the people cannot go back because they are frozen where they are forever, never to return. You are so mysterious, urn! You are covered in marble men and women that are well wrought into your shape, but we cannot talk to them and know what they are really thinking and doing. Even though they have left behind trodden grass and forest branches they are still silent and have no explanation. It makes me so curious to know what they are doing! Even when this whole generation I live in dies, you will remain because in a sense you are immortal. You will live on through the agony of the old age around you and you will not be affected by it. You will live on to tell future generations that truth is beauty and vice versa. What you know is all that anyone needs to know.
Diction Keats uses a mix of both formal and colloquial language creating vivid images with his speech to force the reader to try and imagine what it is the Author seems in the urn. Keats, however does not deviate from the normal grammar usage of the time in order to express himself. Keats also does not use any words out of context in his poem.
Tone The tone throughout the poem is one of happiness but also some curiosity. “Ah, happy, happy boughs!” “More happy love! more happy, happy love!” Both of these lines give insight to the happy emotions that Keats is not only feeling as he gazes upon the Urn but the ones that he is describing.
Mood The poem makes the reader feel happy themselves because of the joy that Keats appears to be taking in the urn. It also makes the reader feel curious. Keats begins to take so much joy in the urn that the reader themselves become compelled to see the urn and its beauty which Keats endeavors to convey.
Perspective Throughout the entire poem there is no address to the reader at all from the author. He speaks solely to the urn and the people on it. We are there merely as someone who is overhearing the author’s words to the urn.
Personification He refers to the urn as the “bride of silence” This personifies not only the urn but also silence as only humans can be married.
Imagery Imagery throughout this poem is very scarce. There are only a couple of examples
Imagery “A burning forehead, and a parching tongue” We are given insight here as to how much passion Keats believes the two lovers sitting together feel for each other.
Imagery The author creates images of happiness and joy through several lines in the poem: “Ah, happy, happy happy boughs!” “More happy love! More happy, happy love!”
Keats uses many example of assonance, alliteration and repetition in this Ode. They are used in order to emphasize the emotions he is conveying. However, he doesn’t really use much onomatopoeia or cacophony.
Poem Structure This poem is classified as an Indefinable Sonnet. It also has 5 stanzas with 10 lines in each stanzas.
Poem Structure Rhyme Scheme ABABCDE ABABDCE ABABCED ABABCDE ABABDCE