Mackenzie Mulligan Honors English 12 Period

Poem Analysis: Ode on a Grecian Urn Reflection: The poem is written in an old english dialect, using words such as thou and canst. It seems to be about an old painted urn from the past found at a later date. At which time the speaker describes the images he/she sees depicted on the urn. The speaker talks about love and music and beauty.

Biography: Author: John Keats - Born in London in 1795 - both parents died while he was still young - liked the works of Shakespeare and Chaucer - several members of his family along with John himself died of tuberculosis - fell in love with a young Frances Brawne and got engaged quickly. young love - loyal relationship with Frances How this relates: Many of John Keats works are about women and love. This common theme in his poems of young love and beauty most likely comes from his own love experience. His young love and quick engagement with Frances Brawne. While on his death bed Frances was very loyal to Keats never leaving him. Like the lovers on the Urn who will always be frozen in time together. Another explanation for the images of frozen time on the urn could come from the short lives of his mother, father, and brother. He wishes that life could stay frozen on the happy times. The old english dialect of the poem comes from the time period and location the John Keats came from. Literary devices: - Keats uses an apostrophe through out the poem when he addresses the urn and the town.

Mackenzie Mulligan Honors English 12 Period

- talking to the urn in lines 1-2 - talking to the little town in line 38 - another device used many times through out the poem is personification - calling the urn a bride and a foster-child like it is a person in lines 1-2 - calling the boughs of the tree happy and giving it human emotions in line 21 - at the end of the poem saying that the urn tells a beautiful truth - in the first stanza he uses an anaphora repeating the word what at the beginning of each sentence - What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? - he uses an allusions in line 7 referring to places in Greece Tempe and the dales of Arcady - metaphors compare the urn to a bride and a Sylvan historian in lines 1&3 - he uses a paradox in lines 11-12 when he says Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter - imagery is used when he describes the green alter and forest branches and the trodden weed in lines 32&43

Self-assessment and life experiences: When I initially read this I thought the dialect used was chosen by the author to portray a certain time period, but after further research I found that it was actually the dialect of the time and place the author came from. In my research I also discovered that the speaker is not describing the urn to an outside audience, but actually talking to the urn itself. After researching the authors life I found that the lovers in the poem may come from the experiences with his life love Frances Brawne. I found that the poem is meant to contrast the perfection of frozen time in art and the weariness and problems of the changes in real life. Like the poem talks about I too sometimes wish that time could be frozen. When things arent going right in your life and you start to wish you could go back in time to that happy place in your life and stay there. Why cant you just rewind time and fix your mistake and stop before you can make that mistake again. Like the young lovers, could you go back in time to a carefree childhood and never grow up. I think in my senior year this has started to become a thought in my mind as I have started my search for college.

Mackenzie Mulligan Honors English 12 Period

People always tell you enjoy your childhood while you are still young and you do not really think much of it. As you get older and you look back you wish you still had those times. The times when you did not have to make major decisions and all you did on the first day of school was talk and catch up with friends not do work and already have a ton of homework to bring home. Thats when you look back and wish you could still be there frozen in time.