Ode-on-a-Grecian-Urn

10英语5班吴敏华34李晓华39钟伟倩56JohnKeatsJohnKeats(1795-1821)•Englishlyricpoet,isusuallyregardedasthearchetypeoftheRomanticwriter.Keatsfeltthatthedeepestmeaningoflifelayintheapprehensionofmaterialbeauty,althoughhismaturepoemsrevealhisfascinationwithaworldofdeathanddecay.LifeandLiteraryCareer•Lifeinpovertyandpoorhealth•Prematuredeath（aged26）•“Hereliesonewhosenamewaswritinwater”---inscriptiononhistombstoneMajorWorks•Longpoems:–“Endymion”《恩底弥瓮》–“Isabella”《伊萨贝拉》–“TheEveofSt.Agnes”《圣爱格尼斯之夜》–“Lamia”《莱米亚》–ToAutumn”《秋颂》–“Hyperion”《赫披里昂》–“OntheGrasshopperandtheCricket”asonnet•Shortlyrics:fiveodes,hismostimportant–“OdetoPsyche”《灵魂颂》•“OdeonIndolence”《懒惰颂》–“OdeonaGrecianUrn”《希腊古瓮颂》–“OdeonMelancholy”《哀感》–“OdetoaNightingale”《夜莺颂》CharacteristicsofKeats’Poetry•Loveofnature,romanticlove•Glorificationofbeauty•Exquisitesensibilityandkeenobservation•Sensuousdescriptionandrichimagery•LoveforclassicsOdeonaGrecianUrnStructureandRhymeScheme•Eachofthefivestanzasin“OdeonaGrecianUrn”istenlineslong,meteredinarelativelypreciseiambicpentameter,anddividedintoatwo-partrhymescheme,thelastthreelinesofwhicharevariable.Thefirstsevenlinesofeachstanzafollowanababcderhymescheme,butthesecondoccurrencesofthecedsoundsdonotfollowthesameorder.Theme•Urn:thisurn,withitssculpturedreliefsofDionysian（酒神节的）ecstasies,pantingyoungloversinflightandpursuit,apastoralpiperunderspringfoliage,andthequietcelebrationofcommunalpieties,resemblespartsofvariousvases,sculptures,andpaintings,allthesethingsexistedonlyinKeats’simagination.Thefirststanza•Tempe（溪谷）:abeautifulvalleyinGreece,regardedassacredtoApollo,theGodofpoetry.•Arcady（世外桃源）:anancientplaceinGreece,oftenusedasasymbolofthepastoralideal.•loth:loathunwilling.•timbrels:tambourines(手鼓)orsimilarinstruments•Inthefirststanza,thespeakerstandsbeforeanancientGrecianurnandaddressesit.Heispreoccupiedwithitsdepictionofpicturesfrozenintime.Healsodescribestheurnasa“historian”thatcantellastory.Thesecondstanza•Inthesecondstanza,thespeakerlooksatanotherpictureontheurn,thistimeofayoungmanplayingapipe,lyingwithhisloverbeneathagladeoftrees.Thespeakersaysthatthepiper’s“unheard”melodiesaresweeterthanmortalmelodiesbecausetheyareunaffectedbytime.Hetellstheyouththat,thoughhecanneverkisshisloverbecauseheisfrozenintime,heshouldnotgrieve,becauseherbeautywillneverfade.Thethirdstanza•Inthethirdstanza,helooksatthetreessurroundingtheloversandfeelshappythattheywillnevershedtheirleaves.Heishappyforthepiperbecausehissongswillbe“forevernew”,andhappythattheloveoftheboyandthegirlwilllastforever,unlikemortallove,whichlapsesinto“breathinghumanpassion”andeventuallyvanishes,leavingbehindonlya“burningforehead,andaparchingtongue”.•Inthesecondandthirdstanzas,heexaminesthepictureofthepiperplayingtohisloverbeneaththetrees.Here,thespeakertriestoimaginewhattheexperienceofthefiguresontheurnmustbelike;hetriestoidentifywiththem.Thefourthstanza•heifer:youngcow.•citadel(要塞):fortressonhighgroundoverlookingandprotectingatownorcity.•Inthefourthstanza,thespeakerexaminesanotherpictureontheurn,thisoneofagroupofvillagersleadingaheifertobesacrificed.Hewonderswheretheyaregoingandfromwheretheyhavecome.Heimaginestheirlittletown,emptyofallitscitizens,andtellsitthatitsstreetswill“forevermore”besilent,forthosewhohaveleftit,frozenontheurn,willneverreturn.•Inthefinalstanza,thespeakeragainaddressestheurnitself,sayingthatit,likeEternity,“dothteaseusoutofthought.”Hethinksthatwhenhisgenerationislongdead,theurnwillremain,tellingfuturegenerationsitsenigmaticlesson:“Beautyistruth,truthbeauty.”Thespeakersaysthatthatistheonlythingtheurnknowsandtheonlyitneedstoknow.•Thefinaltwolines,inwhichthespeakerimaginestheurnspeakingitsmessagetomankind—”Beautyistruth,truthbeauty,”haveprovedamongthemostdifficulttointerpretintheKeats’canon.•Thespeakerattemptsthreetimestoengagewithscenescarvedintotheurn;eachtimeheasksdifferentquestionsofit.Inthefirststanza,heexaminesthepictureofthe“madpursuit”andwonderswhatactualstoryliedbehindthepicture.Inthesecondandthirdstanzas,heexaminesthepictureofthepiperplayingtohisloverbeneaththetrees.•Ifitistheurnaddressingmankind,thenthephrasehasrathertheweightofanimportantlesson,beyondallthecomplicationsofhumanlifeyet,allhumanbeingsneedtoknowonearththatbeautyandtruthareoneandthesame.Itislargelyamatterofpersonalinterpretationwhichreadingtoaccept.