Ode On A Grecian Urn

1. Ode On A Grecian Urn By: John Keats

2. Introduction • Plot Summary-A man is talking highly of an Grecian urn, an ancient Greek pot that is covered in illustrations. He thinks the pot is married to a guy named "Quietness," but they haven’t had sex yet, so the marriage isn’t official. He also thinks that the urn is the adopted child of "Silence" and "Slow Time.“ • Thesis Statement- In his poem, John Keats uses the literary devices Imagery, Symbolism, Rhetorical Questions, Moods and Ancient Greece Language get make his reader use their imagination to see what he sees about this amazing Grecian Urn.

3. Theme and Tone • I think the themes are Innocence, Transience, Wisdom and Knowledge, Sex ,Art and culture. • “Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness”, (line 1) The innocence of the urn is connected to sexual purity with this line. The urn exists in the middle between innocence and experience. • “Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time, (line 2)” Time moves slowly on the urn. Its lifespan is much longer than ours, and so changes happen to it much more gradually. {Transience} • Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: (lines 3-4) The speaker thinks highly of the urn’s skills as a historian and storyteller and compares them favorably with his own. The wisdom of the Ancient Greeks is filtered through a piece of marble and then through the poet’s verses. • All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. (lines 28-30) This is the ugly side of sex and love, the one that leaves you feeling sad and oppressed ("cloy’d") by thoughts of the object of your affection. • And, happy melodist, unwearied, For ever piping songs for ever new; (lines 23-24) Freeze time so that the same song is playing forever, and it always sounds new. If this were possible, however, there would be no need for new artworks to replace older ones.