Ode-on-a-Grecian-Urn

OdeonaGrecianUrnOdeonaGrecianUrnisapoembyJohnKeatswrittenin1819andfirstpublishedinJanuary1820.ItwasoneofKeat'sFiveGreatOdesof1819whichalsoincludedOdeonIndolence,OdeonMelancholy,OdetoaNightingale,andOdetoAutumn.ItsinspirationispartlyconsideredtobeavisitbyKeatstotheexhibitionoftheElginMarblesandpartlyrelatedtoKeats'sexperiencewiththeaesthetictheoriesofBenjaminHaydon,Keats'sfriendandpainter,andhiscollectionofGrecianprints.Thelyricpoemisdividedintofivestanzas,eachwithtenlines,andreflectsupontheimagesonanancientGrecianurnwithimagesofAncientGreekstowhomthenarratoraddresseshisdiscourse.Thepoemtransitionsfromascenedepictingalovereternallypursuingabelovedwithoutfulfillmenttoascenethatdescribesavillageinwhichitspeopleventuredofftoperformasacrifice.ThefinallinesofthepoemdeclarethatBeautyistruth,truthbeauty,-thatisall/Yeknowonearth,andallyeneedtoknow,alinewhichhasprovokedcriticalconsideration.StructureTheodeisanancientformoriginallywrittenformusicalaccompaniment.Ingeneral,theodeoftheRomanticgenreisapoemof30to200linesthatmeditatesprogressivelyuponordirectlyaddressesasingleobjectorcondition.OdetoaGrecianUrnfollowsastrictstructuralpatternwitheachstanzacontaining10lineswithtensyllables.ThecomplexrhymeschemeofthepoemshowsahighlevelofcomplexitycommonamongodesofKeats’time.LineGroupingsThefirstfourlinesofeverystanzahaveastructureofABABTheremaining6linesoftheFirstandLaststanzafollowapatternofCDEDCETheThirdandFourthstanzasendwithastructureofCDECDETheSecondstanzaendsCDECEDThefirstfourlinesofeachstanzaareaShakespearianbasedquatrainandthelastsixlinesareaMiltonicbasedsestet.ThewordodeitselfisofGreekorigin,meaningsung.TheformbyKeats'stimehadundergoneenoughtransformationthatitreallyrepresentedamannerratherthanasetmethodforwritingacertaintypeoflyricpoetry.Keats’odesseektofindaClassicalbalancebetweentwoextremes,andinthestructureofOdeonaGrecianUrn,theseextremesarethesymmetricalstructureofClassicalLiteratureandtheasymmetryofRomanticPoetry.TheuseoftheABABstructureinthebeginninglinesofeachstanzarepresentsaclearexampleoftheheroiccoupletsofClassicliterature,andtheremainingsixlinesappeartobreakfreeofthetraditionalpoeticstylesofGreekandRomanodes.InthefirstandlaststanzaofOdetoaGrecianUrnthepoetaddressestheurnitselffromanoutwardperspective,allowingthenarratortospeakdirectlytotheobjectandtothereaderatonce.Inthemiddlethreestanzas,thepoemfocusesontheindividualspaintedontheurnandtherelationshipbetweentheindividualandart.Thenarratorsilencestheurnbydescribingitasthebrideofquietness,whichallowshimtospeakforitusinghisownimpressions.Thenarratoraddressestheurnbysaying:Thoustillunravishedbrideofquietness!Thoufoster-childofsilenceandslowtimebecauseitisbornfromstoneandmadebythehandofanartistwhodoesnotcommunicatethroughwords.Asstone,itisabletoslowtimeandbecomeaneternalpieceofartwork.Aseternal,theurniscapableofproducingastorythatisoutsideoftime,andthatsylvanhistorianexpresses:sylvan:pertainingtoorlivinginthewoods;hence,asylvanhistorianrecordsscenesinthewoods.Aflow'rytalemoresweetlythanourrhyme:Whatleaf-fringedlegendhauntsaboutthyshapeOfdeitiesormortals,orofboth,InTempeorthedalesofArcady?Whatmenorgodsarethese?Whatmaidensloth?Whatmadpursuit?Whatstruggletoescape?Whatpipesandtimbrels?Whatwildecstasy?Tempe:abeautifulvalleyinGreece,itwassacredtoApollo,thegodofpoetryandmusic.Arcady:theliteraryformofArcadia,inthecentralPeloponnesus.Zeuswasbornthere,inoneaccount.Thewordconnotesaplaceofruralpeaceandsimplicitybecauseoftheancientreputationofitsinhaitantsasinnocentandpeaceful.timbrels:ancienttambourines你委身“寂静”的、完美的处子，受过了“沉默”和“悠久”的抚育，呵，田园的史家，你竟能铺叙一个如花的故事，比诗还瑰丽：在你的形体上，岂非缭绕着古老的传说，以绿叶为其边缘；讲着人，或神，敦陂或阿卡狄？呵，是怎样的人，或神！在舞乐前多热烈的追求！少女怎样地逃躲！怎样的风笛和鼓谣！怎样的狂喜！Thequestionsaretooambiguoustocreateadefinitescene,butelementsofitarerevealed.Thereisapursuitandastrongsexualelement.Themelodyaccompanyingthepursuitisintensifiedinthesecondstanza:Heardmelodiesaresweet,butthoseunheardAresweeter;therefore,yesoftpipes,playon;Nottothesensualear,but,moreendeared,Pipetothespiritdittiesofnotone:sensualear:earofthesenses,i.e.,whichhear.听见的乐声虽好，但若听不见却更美；所以，吹吧，柔情的风笛；不是奏给耳朵听，而是更甜，它给灵魂奏出无声的乐曲；Thereisahintofaparadoxinwhichindulgingcausessomeonetoonlywantmoreandasoundlessmusicisdesiredbythesoul.Thereisalsoastasisthatprohibitsthecharactersontheurnfromeverbeingfulfilled:Fairyouth,beneaththetrees,thoucanstnotleaveThysong,norevercanthosetreesbebare;BoldLover,never,nevercanstthoukiss,Thoughwinningnearthegoal-yet,donotgrieve;Shecannotfade,thoughthouhastnotthybliss,Foreverwiltthoulove,andshebefair!树下的美少年呵，你无法中断你的歌，那树木也落不了叶子；卤莽的恋人，你永远、永远吻不上，虽然够接近了－－但不必心酸；她不会老，虽然你不能如愿以偿，你将永远爱下去，她也永远秀丽！Inthethirdstanza,thenarratorbeginsbyspeakingtoatree,whichwilleverholditsleavesandwillnot“bidtheSpringadieu.”Theparadoxoflifeversuslifelessnessextendsbeyondtheloverandthefairladyandtakesamoretemporalshapeasthreeofthetenlinesbeginwiththeword“forever.”J.W.MynsCarrdescribesthisphenomenonin“TheArtisticSpiritofModernPoetry”Menandwomenperfectintheflesh,withtheirfeetonperfectflowers,moveacross