Ode to Grecian Urn

By John Keats

Instructor: Ms. Doris L.W. Chang

Our Group Members

Alice: Introduction, Paraphrase & Conclusion Sandy: Vocabulary, Symbolism, Metaphor & Diction Sally: Speaker, Listener & Situation Structure & About the Ode Penny: Imagery Allen: Irony & Conflicts

General Idea
It is a lyric poem based on the ironies of

The information was adapted from

The changes in reality and the motionless art that lasts forever It is contradictory to see the stillness of the urn with the beautiful art lively as the reality

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani /cs6

Our Main Theme

The conflicts of eternal and the motionless ideal life
The conflicts of a short and

changeable reality life among us

The Paraphrase Version

The Structure of This Poem

Five Stanzas: Overall description of the urn Several features of the urns world The compliments on the eternity in the urns world (Love & passion, eternal spring) IV. Another different sight of the sacrifice & desolate town V. the significance that the urn tells people
I. II. III.

Literary Terms
Ode
Lyric Poetry

Connotation
Paradox Meter
See the adapted information at the Glossary

section of An Introduction to Literature, 12th edition, Barnet, Sylvan, printed in 2001.

About the Ode

Started in Greek time, by Pindar
The triad: Strophe, Antistrophe &

Epode English Contemporary Version, developed by Andrew Cowley, follwed Roman Types The Roman Poet, Horace

The Structure of Odes

Strophe, a term in versification

which properly means a turn, as from one foot to another, or from one side of a chorus to the other

Antistrophe, the portion of an ode

which is sung by the chorus in its returning in response the strophe,

The Structure of Odes

Epode: It is of the nature of a reply, and balances the effect of the strophe
Adapted from http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani

/cs6/ode.html, http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antistrophe, http://www.onelook.com/?w=Strophe&ls=a http://www.onelook.com/?w=Epode&ls=a,

About the Ode 2

The description of an outer natural

scene;

An extended meditation, which the

scene begin to develop, focusing on a private problem or a universal situation or both;

About the Ode 2

The occurrence of an insight or

vision, a resolution or decision, returns back to the first scene as described, but with a new perspective created

About John Keats

1795-1821 Original Study:

apothecary Poems first published: 1817 Most of works written: after moving to Keats House Adapted from,
http://www.bl.uk/whatson /exhibitions/keats.html

Vocabulary

The Art of This Poem--Imagery

Urn ---Is set in wood. Is unchanged and lives in silence and slow time. The life carved on urn is ideal and permanent. Conflicts between real life and ideal life carved on urn. And conflicts of cold pastoral.

The Art of the Poem--Imagery

The Art of the Poem--Imagery

b. Sacrifice---is hold in the green altar. the heifer is leading to sacrifice. c. Town---peaceful little town. is desolate and emptied. Conflicts of joy and pain/life and death.

The Art of the Poem--Imagery

Speaker, Listener and Situation

The Speaker --- listener

A person talking to an object (the urn) & showing his admirations for it. The soliloquy that the speaker expressed his emotions, questions, and interpretations to the urns world.

The Art of the Poem--Diction & Word Pattern

The Art of This PoemSymbolism & Metaphor

The Art of the PoemIronic Contrast

The First stanza:
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express

A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme (line 3-4) The fairy tales are the stories that people could hear all the time in the real word; however, how a sylvan historian who is the figure carved on the quiet, motionless and silent urn could tell tales?

The Art of the PoemIronic Contrast

What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?(line8-10) In line 8-10 of the first stanza, the speaker is involved in rapid and exciting activities shown on the urn. Paradoxically, such a passion is convincingly portrayed on cold, motionless stone instead of a person or thing existing in the reality.

The Art of the PoemIronic Contrast

The second stanza: Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss. (line17) This is ironic because in reality, people who fall in love agree that kissing is a kind of significance showing stable relationship and affection among each other. She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair! (line 19-20)

The Art of the PoemIronic Contrast

As far as the picture on the urn is concerned, the time there is frozen and still which enables love becoming permanent ironic contrast flesh and blood staying sound. Nevertheless, in real world, every one dies one day and no one can avoid death. The third stanza: All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloyd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.( line 28-30)

The Art of the PoemIronic Contrast

At the beginning of this stanza, the speaker illustrates the pictures of his ideal world (p666, line 21-27). Later on, in the last three lines, All breathing human passion far above, ------ is irony. The breathing humans passion towards love, music, love seems to be very far away and unfulfillable. He doubts whether his ideal world exists or not.

The Art of the PoemIronic Contrast

The fourth stanza:
And this town, thy street for evermore

Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate can eer return. (line 38-40)

The Art of the PoemIronic Contrast

The speaker points out three ideal locations for peaceful citadel-by river, sea shore and

mountain. Then, he describes the town as emptied, silent and desolated which appears strong contrast of normal peoples perspectives because such these words: silence, desolation and emptiness are not equal to joy and happiness of the ideal word.

Others Comments About Keats Odes

The experience is an intense awareness of both the joy and pain, the happiness and the sorrow of human life. It is not only a feeling, but becomes a thought to satisfy their desire for happiness in a world where joy and pain are tied together. It is adapted from the website of http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu./english/mela ni/cs6, written by Wright Thomas and Stuart Gerry Brown

Our Reflection

The Resources
An Introduction to Literature, 12th edition. Sylvan Barnet, William Cain, William Burto and Mortan Berman. Printed in the United States, 2001.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antistrophe, http://www.onelook.com/?w=Strophe&ls=a

http://www.onelook.com/?w=Epode&ls=a,

Other Relevant Links

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/mela ni/cs6/rom.html http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/mela ni/cs6/keats.html#odes http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu.tw/english/m elani/cs6/ode.html http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/mela ni/cs6/read_lyr.html http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/keats.html

Thank You for Your Attention

Hope to See You Next Time