Ode on a Grecian Urn

A detailed Summary of Ode on a Grecian Urn

John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" portrays the speakers' attempt to express his emotions about the urn's painted images. As the poem progresses, we see his frustrations in that attempt. The narrator progresses first by asking the urn direct questions. He then tries to identify with the characters on the urn, and finally he forces his own context onto the characters. Throughout each of these three progressions, the narrator experiences personal transformations that prove him a dynamic character. The speaker is dynamic in "Ode on a Grecian Urn" because in the end he realizes that while he cannot fully identify with the characters on the urn, he can find meaning in their beauty.

In the first stanza Keats writes, "Thou still unravished bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of silence and slow time...A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme...What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?" (Keats, p869) To the speaker, at first, the urn is mesmerizing. The pictures, motionless like a statue, consume him. He is attracted to the silence and mystique of the urn. The speaker knows the splendor of the tale that the urn holds and wishes

the urn to unveil these tales. He wants answers to the sequence of events that occur on the urn. In order to unearth these answers he first tries the most logical way of getting answers, asking the urn questions. As the speaker inquires about the tale of the urn, his progressive line of questioning begins to change and implicate great movement which contradicts his opening remarks of "quietness" and "silence". He changes to such words as: "mad pursuit", "wild ecstasy",

Keats continues to show the speakers attempts in the second stanza. "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual ear, but more endeared, Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone" (Keats) The speaker tries to identify with other sensory perceptions, in this case auditory, but rather than actually hearing the music the speaker confesses that the unheard melodies are superior to those that he can hear. Believing that the two lovers can hear these melodies the speaker becomes more frustrated and shows contemptuous tone with the piper. Since the speaker cannot hear these melodies nor will he ever be able to enjoy them as the lovers do. But these sentiments and tone of disdain soon pass.

not a factor in the urn's self-contained existence. The speaker shows great progression throughout his attempts to connect with the urn and draw out answers to his questions.

silence of the urn at the beginning, he remains engrossed in the motion of the characters on the urn. He continues his fascination because he is still unsure as to the meaning of the story behind the painted images on the urn. The speaker realizes that it is futile to continue with the questioning and that the urn cannot respond but his curiosity compels him to continue to find the meaning behind the urn's masterpiece.

Keats concludes his ode by writing, "When old age shall this gen

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1277
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English