Ode on a Grecian Urn

'Ode on a Grecian Urn': context

John Keats did not live long, but the two historical contexts to be considered when reading this poem are Greek history and Keats' own personal life.

Greek History

Urns were used to store the ashes of the dead. From the title, Keats introduces the theme of mortality as the urn is a tangible symbol of death. Tales of great Greek heroes were often inscribed on pottery, with images detailing their adventures and bravery.

A specific urn is not described, but we know that Keats did see urns in real life at the British Museum prior to writing the poem.

Keats' personal life

Keats was dying from tuberculosis. He had witnessed his youngest brother die from the ailment earlier in 1819, at only 19 years old. At the time of writing 'Ode on a Grecian Urn', he was aware that he also had the disease and his health was rapidly deteriorating.

He had studied medicine, before dropping it to focus on poetry, so he recognised the symptoms of tuberculosis. He died from the illness just two years later, in 1821.

Keats was introduced to the theme of mortality early on in his life, when his mother died from tuberculosis when he was 14 years old. His father had died in an accident when Keats was 9 and so he was left orphaned.

Literary context

'Ode on a Grecian Urn' was written during the Romantic era and as such falls under the literary tradition of Romanticism.

There were two waves of Romanticism. The first wave included poets such as William Wordsworth, William Blake, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Keats was part of the second wave of Romantic writers; Lord Byron and his friend Percy Shelley are two other notable romantics.

'Ode on a Grecian Urn': full poem

Below is the full poem of 'Ode on a Grecian Urn'.

'Ode on a Grecian Urn': analysis

Let's delve into a deeper analysis of 'Ode on a Grecian Urn'.

Form

The poem is an ode.

Structure

'Ode on a Grecian Urn' is written in iambic pentameter.

Iambic pentameter mimics the natural flow of speech. Keats uses it here to mimic the natural flow of conscious thought - we are taken into the poet's mind and hear his thoughts in real time as he observes the urn.

'Ode on a Grecian Urn': tone

'Ode on a Grecian Urn' has no fixed tone, a stylistic choice made by Keats. The tone is ever-changing, from admiration of the urn to despair at reality. This dichotomy between admiration of art and the gravity of Keats' thoughts on mortality is summarised at the end of the poem:

Beauty represents Keats' admiration of the urn. Truth represents reality. Equating truth and beauty with each other in the conclusion of his discussion of the two is an admission of defeat from Keats.

The entirety of the poem presents Keats' struggle between the two concepts, and this statement represents the end of that struggle. Keats accepts that there are some things he does not 'need to know'. It is not a resolution of the struggle between art and reality, but an acceptance that there will never be one. Art will continue to defy death.

'Ode on a Grecian Urn': literary techniques and devices

Let's take a look at the literary techniques used by Keats in 'Ode on a Grecian Urn'.

Symbolism

First, let us look at the symbolism of the urn itself. Amongst the Elgin Marbles which inspired the poem, there were many different types of marble, sculptures, vases, statues, and friezes. So it is significant that Keats chose an urn as the subject of the poem.

An urn contains death (in the form of ashes of the deceased) and on its outer surface, it defies death (with its depiction of people and events immortalised forever). The choice to write about an urn introduces us to the poem's principal theme of mortality and immortality.

Fig. 2 - George Keats copied the poem for his brother, proving the lasting endurance of the poem.

Alliteration and assonance

Keats uses alliteration to mimic an echo, as the urn is nothing but an echo of the past. An echo is not an original sound, just a remnant of what once was. The use of assonance in the words 'trodden weed' and 'tease' adds to this echoing effect.

Question marks

Keats asks many questions throughout the poem. The frequent question marks which punctuate 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' are used to break up the flow of the poem. When analysed for its use of iambic pentameter (which is used to make the poem feel like a stream of thought as Keats observes the urn), the questions he asks are representative of his grappling with mortality. This hinders his enjoyment of the art on the urn.

Contextually, we can see how Keats' own questions about the longevity of his life affect his appreciation of the Romantic ideals the urn represents. These ideals of love and beauty are explored through the image of the 'bold lover' and his partner. In a mocking tone Keats writes:

Keats thinks the only reason the couple will love 'for ever' is because they are suspended in time. Yet he thinks their love is not real love, for they are unable to act on it and consummate it. They do not have their bliss.

Enjambment

Keats uses enjambment to show the passing of time.

The way the sentence runs on from 'those unheard' to 'are sweeter' suggests a fluidity that transcends the structures of the lines. In the same way, the pipe player on the urn transcends the structure and confines of time.

The repetition of the word 'happy' describing the art on the urn emphasises the desire Keats has to live forever. At this time in his life Keats was decidedly unhappy and his poetic art was his only escape. He envies the 'happy melodist' who gets to create his art forever, 'unwearied' by the burdens of reality.

'Ode on a Grecian Urn': themes

The main themes for 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' are the passage of time, desire and fulfilment, and transience and impermanence.

1. The relationship between art and life: The poem explores the idea that art is eternal and unchanging, while life is fleeting and impermanent. The images on the urn will continue to inspire and fascinate viewers long after the people and events they depict have passed into obscurity.
2. Desire and fulfilment: The speaker is drawn to the images of young lovers depicted on the urn, who will remain forever locked in an eternal embrace. He contrasts their unchanging passion with the transience of human desire, which is always in flux and can never be fully satisfied.
3. Transience and impermanence: While the urn and its images are eternal, the people and events they depict are long gone. The poem acknowledges the fleeting and imperfect nature of human life, and the fact that all things must eventually pass away.

Pining for love

The theme of pining for love was also seen in Keats' personal life. Shortly after writing this poem, Keats wrote his first love letter to Fanny Brawne, his fiancée. He grew increasingly obsessed with her, and his love for her was exacerbated by the belief that he was suffering from syphilis. He was haunted by the fact he'd never have his 'bliss' with her. ¹

In the above quote, Keats cannot distinguish between men and gods. Metaphorically speaking, men are symbolic of mortality and gods are symbolic of immortality. Here the men and gods alike are unified in their pursuit of the maidens, representing love. The point Keats is making is that whether you live forever, or you live for a finite time, it is all the same.

The gods are just as concerned with love as the humans are. For both of them, it is a 'mad pursuit'. This fits the Romantic ideal that love is what makes life worth living. It is immaterial whether Keats will transcend time like the gods on the urn or whether he will live a short life. However long his life is, it will have no meaning if he can't have love.

This analysis is supported by the fact that Keats saw Greek and Roman mythology as allegories and metaphors for the human condition, not as literal belief systems.¹

References:

1. Lucasta Miller, Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph, 2021.