Assignment # 2

Ode on a Grecian Urn

Subject:

19th century Poetry

Class:

BS-English-6th

Submitted by:

Saaida Saaid

Roll no.29

Submitted To:

Sir Sarosh Ahmad

Ode on a Grecian Urn

"Ode on a Grecian Urn" is a poem written by the English Romantic poet John Keats in May
1819, first published anonymously in Annals of the Fine Arts for 1819.

Critical Appreciation

Obessesion of beauty is the most important ingredient of John Keats’ poetry. All his life, he
haunted beauty, praised it and put it in front of his readers. He tried to prove its superiority over
other material things of life.

John Keats visits British Museum. He sees an antique piece of Grecian Urn there. Urn is the
name of a vase, which is mostly used to put ashes of the deads. The poet does not talk about
importance or beauty of the urn but the beauty of art in shape of sculpture which is carved on it.
Hence, the poem is not on the urn but on sculpture.

He sees figure on the urn and feels its quietness yet claims that it tells a story. In fact, it is Keats
who creates a story in his imagination and addresses it to his readers. Pipers, lovers and trees
confuse him yet he is sure that the sculpture is depicting a pastoral lifestyle.

Superiority of the Imagination over Reality

Keats asserts that imagination is better than reality. He realizes superiority of imagination. It is
unstressed. Life, on the opposite is harsh. Mostly, people become victim of circumstances. Their
actions actually are reaction to the circumstances. Hence, they do not act but react. In
imagination, one can do anything, whether he is capable or not. Keats’ personal life was a
problematic one. He suffered cancer. And saw his entire family die before his eyes due to the
deadly disease. It was the reason of his death at an early age.

The entire poem is imaginative. Poet hears music in his imagination though it is not being played
in reality. He expresses his joyful moment in following line:-

“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter”.

Permanence of Art
John Keats stresses on the permanence of art. To explain the superiority of art he refers to
lovers, painted on the Grecian urn. They are trying to kiss each other. The poet says that their
love is permanent and unending. People may die, old generations will replace new generations,
time will pass centuries but passion of love will never fade. Indeed, their love is permanent and
everlasting. Similarly, the musician will permanently blow the pipe and music will be listened
forever. Grecian urn will continue telling this story to every person, who will visit the museum
even after death of the poet. Art of the urn was felt by the Grecians; it is being felt by the poet
and it will be felt in future.

Art vs Life
It has been proved in “Ode on Grecian Urn” that analysis of life makes one’s mind critical and
tortures it whereas art bestows it peace. Beauty of art has been glorified and the sad realities of
life have been degraded in this poem. Though the poet talks about miseries of life yet his mood is
not sad nor has the poem been written in a gloomy atmosphere.

Picturesque Scenes
The poet then enhances his story when he sees people, who are going for a sacred purpose. Keats
creates a town for them. He imagines that perhaps the town, in which people are living, is empty
now. He creates a fancy tale and feels that people are fixed on the urn and no one will return to
the streets or town. He can visualize the legendary figure. He imagines it to be of a human. Then
he thinks it might be of some deity. Then counting on the Hellenistic allusions, he terms it a
demigod; a legendary figure both human and godly.

From the imagery in the stone, the poet crafts a romantic scene where the lovers are chasing their
beloveds. Then he adds minute details of how they must be "panting" with the "burning
foreheads" and "dried tongues" in their "mad" and playful "pursuit" of love making.

With the music added to the pleasures of the youth, Keats considers it a "wild ecstasy" because
the height of this joy could neither be limited nor could have an end to it. No one will tell people
of the town about the folks, who are on the urn. These lines are evident for his love for Greeks.

Last stanza of the poem is about the beauty of art. The poet emphasizes on its importance and
advises people to take shelter under it. People may fade and die but art will remain the same.He
ends the poem with an explanation of importance of beauty in life.

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty’, --that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”

“Ode on Grecian Urn” is best piece of literature. It emphasizes on the importance of beauty and
art. Sculpture, carved on the Grecian urn influenced the poet to write this ode. Downer, who
minutely observed the philosophical idea in the poem and wrote:

‘This verse, the last two lines of which contain its real interest, possesses two
philosophical ideas – (1) The incomprehensibility of the Infinite in Art and Nature and
(2) The Ethics of Beauty.’