济慈--Ode-on-a-Grecian-Urn解析

济慈OdeonaGrecianUrn解析TypeofWork........OdeonaGrecianUrnisaromanticode,adignifiedbuthighlylyrical(emotional)poeminwhichtheauthorspeakstoapersonorthingabsentorpresent.Inthisfamousode,Keatsaddressestheurnandtheimagesonit.Theromanticodewasatthepinnacleofitspopularityinthenineteenthcentury.Itwastheresultofanauthor’sdeepmeditationonthepersonorobject........TheromanticodeevolvedfromtheancientGreekode,writteninaserioustonetocelebrateaneventortopraiseanindividual.TheGreekodewasintendedtobesungbyachorusorbyonepersontotheaccompanimentofmusicalinstruments.TheodesoftheGreekpoetPindar(circa518-438BC)frequentlyextolledathleteswhoparticipatedinathleticgamesatOlympus,Delphi,theIsthmusofCorinth,andNemea.Bacchylides,acontemporaryofPindar,alsowroteodespraisingathletes........TheRomanpoetsHorace(65-8BC)andCatullus(84-54BC)wroteodesbasedontheGreekmodel,buttheirodeswerenotintendedtobesung.Inthenineteenthcentury,EnglishromanticpoetswroteodesthatretainedtheserioustoneoftheGreekode.However,liketheRomanpoets,theydidnotwriteodestobesung.UnliketheRomanpoets,though,theauthorsof19thCenturyromanticodesgenerallyweremoreemotionalintheirwriting.Theauthorofatypicalromanticodefocusedonascene,pondereditsmeaning,andpresentedahighlypersonalreactiontoitthatincludedaspecialinsightattheendofthepoem(liketheclosinglinesof“OdeonaGrecianUrn”).WritingandPublicationDates.......OdeonaGrecianUrnwaswritteninthespringof1819andpublishedlaterthatyearinAnnalsoftheFineArts,whichfocusedonarchitecture,sculpture,andpaintingbutsometimespublishedpoemsandessayswiththemesrelatedtothearts.StructureandMeter.......OdeonaGrecianUrnconsistsoffivestanzasthatpresentascene,describeandcommentonwhatitshows,andofferageneraltruththatthesceneteachesapersonanalyzingthescene.Eachstanzahastenlineswritteniniambicpentameter,apatternofrhythm(meter)thatassignstensyllablestoeachline.Thefirstsyllableisunaccented,thesecondaccented,thethirdunaccented,thefourthaccented,andsoon.Note,forexample,theaccentpatternofthefirsttwolinesofthepoem.Theunaccentedsyllablesareinlower-casedblueletters,andtheaccentedsyllablesareinupper-casedredletters.thouSTILL..|..unRAV..|..ishedBRIDE..|..ofQUI..|..etNESS,thouFOS..|..terCHILD..|..ofSI..|..lenceAND..|..slowTIMENoticethateachlinehastensyllables,fiveunaccentedonesinblueandfiveaccentedonesinred.Thus,theselines—liketheotherlinesinthepoem—areiniambicpentameter.Iambicreferstoapairofsyllables,oneunaccentedandtheotheraccented.Suchapairiscalledaniamb.ThouSTILLisaniamb;soareetNESSandslowTIME.However,BRIDEofandFOSterarenotiambsbecausetheyconsistofanaccentedsyllablefollowedbyanunaccentedsyllable.Pentameter—thefirstsyllableofwhichisderivedfromtheGreekwordforfive—referstolinesthathavefiveiambs(which,asdemonstrated,eachhavetwosyllables).OdeonaGrecianUrn,then,isiniambicpentameterbecauseeverylinehasfiveiambs,eachiambconsistingofanunaccentedsyllablefollowedbyanaccentedone.Thepurposeofthisstresspatternistogivethepoemrhythmthatpleasestheear.SituationandSetting.......InEngland,KeatsexaminesamarbleurncraftedinancientGreece.(Whethersuchanurnwasrealorimaginedisuncertain.However,manyartifactsfromancientGreece,oneswhichcouldhaveinspiredKeats,wereondisplayintheBritishMuseumatthetimethatKeatswrotethepoem.)Picturedontheurn,atypeofvase,arepastoralscenesinGreece.Inonescene,malesarechasingfemalesinsomesortofrevelryorcelebration.Therearemusiciansplayingpipes(windinstrumentssuchasflutes)andtimbrels(ancienttambourines).Keatswonderswhethertheimagesrepresentbothgodsandhumans.Healsowonderswhathasoccasionedtheirmerrymaking.Asecondscenedepictspeopleleadingaheifertoasacrificialaltar.Keatswriteshisodeaboutwhathesees,addressingorcommentingontheurnanditsimagesasiftheywererealbeingswithwhomhecanspeak...OdeonaGrecianUrnByJohnKeatsEnd-RhymingWordsAreHighlightedStanza1Thoustillunravish’dbrideofquietness,Thoufoster-childofsilenceandslowtime,Sylvanhistorian,whocanstthusexpressAflowerytalemoresweetlythanourrhyme:Whatleaf-fring’dlegendhauntsaboutthyshapeOfdeitiesormortals,orofboth,InTempeorthedalesofArcady?Whatmenorgodsarethese?Whatmaidensloth?Whatmadpursuit?Whatstruggletoescape?Whatpipesandtimbrels?Whatwildecstasy?Stanza2Heardmelodiesaresweet,butthoseunheardAresweeter;therefore,yesoftpipes,playon;Nottothesensualear,but,moreendear’d,Pipetothespiritdittiesofnotone:Fairyouth,beneaththetrees,thoucanstnotleaveThysong,norevercanthosetreesbebare;BoldLover,never,nevercanstthoukiss,Thoughwinningnearthegoal—yet,donotgrieve;Shecannotfade,thoughthouhastnotthybliss,Foreverwiltthoulove,andshebefair!Stanza3Ah,happy,happyboughs!thatcannotshedYourleaves,noreverbidtheSpringadieu;And,happymelodist,unwearied,[unWEEReED]Foreverpipingsongsforevernew;Morehappylove!morehappy,happylove!Foreverwarmandstilltobeenjoy’d,Foreverpanting,andforeveryoung;Allbreathinghumanpassionfarabove,Thatleavesahearthigh-sorrowfulandcloy’d,Aburningforehead,andaparchingtongue.Stanza4Whoarethesecomingtothesacrifice?Towhatgreenaltar,Omysteriouspriest,Lead’stthouthatheiferlowingattheskies,Andallhersilkenflankswithgarlandsdrest?Whatlittletownbyriverorseashore,Ormo