English 10 Literature Lesson #35 Mr. Rinka Odes, Prose Poetry & Sonnets

Ode A complex, generally lengthy lyric poem on a serious subject. My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: “Ode to a Nightingale” John Keats

by John Keats http://www.shmoop.com/ode-grecian-urn/ http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps285400_l.jpg “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats http://www.shmoop.com/ode-grecian-urn/

Background In 1819 Keats wrote “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” He wrote a total of 5 odes that are all considered literary masterpieces. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is his most famous ode because of its often quoted statement, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”

Background When Keats wrote “Ode on a Grecian Urn” he was ill with tuberculosis and felt the approach of death. He addresses the subject of immortality in the poem. The speaker in the poem is talking to a marble Greek urn.

Background Keats would have seen many Greek urns at the British Museum which had a great collection of archeological finds. Urns are known not only for their beautiful shape but for the pictures that adorn them.

Background This ode focuses on the stories that these pictures tell, stories of love, passion, nature, and death.

by John Keats http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15564 http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd106/TheAutark/AchillesKillsHector.jpg “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15564

Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady? What men or gods are these? what maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd, Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone: Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare; Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal--yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu; And, happy melodist, unwearied, For ever piping songs for ever new; More happy love! more happy, happy love! For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd, For ever panting, and for ever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

Who are these coming to the sacrifice Who are these coming to the sacrifice? To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, And all her silken flanks with garlands drest? What little town by river or sea shore, Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel, Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets for evermore Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.

O Attic shape. Fair attitude O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty'--that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

“Ode on a Grecian Urn” Analysis http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd106/TheAutark/AchillesKillsHector.jpg “Ode on a Grecian Urn” Analysis by John Keats http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/keats/section4.rhtml

1st Stanza The speaker in the poem is speaking to the urn. He marvels at the picture on the urn that are “frozen” in time. Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Time,

1st Stanza The speaker describes the urn itself as a “historian” that tells a story. Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:

1st Stanza The speaker looking at the figures on the urn’s side, wonders what legends they illustrate and where they come from. What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?

1st Stanza He then focuses on a group of men chasing women and wonders what their story is. What men or gods are these? what maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

2nd Stanza He states that the music that is not heard is greater than real music because it is outside the bounds of time. Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd, Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:

2nd Stanza The speaker looks at a picture of a young man playing a pipe who is with his lover lying beneath a glade of trees. Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;

2nd Stanza The speaker tells the young man he will never kiss the young maiden but should not feel bad because her beauty will never fade. Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal--yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

3rd Stanza The speaker looks at the trees and expresses happiness because they will never shed their leaves. Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu;

3rd Stanza He is happy that the piper’s song will always be new. And, happy melodist, unwearied, For ever piping songs for ever new;

3rd Stanza The speaker is happy that the love between the boy and girl will last forever, not like mortal love which eventually fades in its passion and ends in conflict. More happy love! more happy, happy love! For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd, For ever panting, and for ever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

4th Stanza The speaker now focuses on a group of villagers who are leading a cow to sacrifice. Where are they going? Where have they come from? Who are these coming to the sacrifice? To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?

4th Stanza http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/keats/section4.rhtml He considers the town they have left and remarks that the streets will remain empty; the townspeople will never return. What little town by river or sea shore, Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel, Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets for evermore Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.

5th Stanza Now, the speaker addresses the urn itself and states that much like the concept of eternity, the urn stimulates us to think outside of our usual context. O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold pastoral!

5th Stanza http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/keats/section4.rhtml He realizes that when his generation is dead, the urn will remain in other circumstances than the speaker’s. When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours,

5th Stanza For future generations, the urn will continue to teach its message that , “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” The idea is the only one the urn knows and the only one it needs to know. a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty'--that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

Prose Poetry Poetry written in prose form but using poetic devices to express a single emotion or idea. Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. “Loveliest of trees, the cherry now” A. E. Housman

Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio By James Wright http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15590

In the Shreve High football stadium, I think of Polacks nursing long beers in Tiltonsville, And gray faces of Negroes in the blast furnace at Benwood, And the ruptured night watchman of Wheeling Steel, Dreaming of heroes.

All the proud fathers are ashamed to go home All the proud fathers are ashamed to go home. Their women cluck like starved pullets, Dying for love. Therefore, Their sons grow suicidally beautiful At the beginning of October, And gallop terribly against each other's bodies.

By William Carlos Williams Spring and All By William Carlos Williams http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15536

By the road to the contagious hospital under the surge of the blue mottled clouds driven from the northeast-a cold wind. Beyond, the waste of broad, muddy fields brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen patches of standing water the scattering of tall trees

All along the road the reddish purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy stuff of bushes and small trees with dead, brown leaves under them leafless vines- Lifeless in appearance, sluggish dazed spring approaches-

They enter the new world naked, cold, uncertain of all save that they enter. All about them the cold, familiar wind- Now the grass, tomorrow the stiff curl of wild carrot leaf One by one objects are defined- It quickens: clarity, outline of leaf

But now the stark dignity of entrance-Still, the profound change has come upon them: rooted, they grip down and begin to awaken

Sonnet A 14 lines poem, usually written in iambic pentameter, that has one or several traditional rhyme schemes.

Sonnet http://www.cranberrydesigns.com/poetry/sonnet/examples.htm

When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes (Sonnet 29) By William Shakespeare http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16230

When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate, wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee--and then my state,

Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth sings hymns at heaven's gate; For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings, That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Paraphrase Sonnet 29 http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/29detail.html When I’ve fallen out of favor with fortune and men, All alone I weep over my position as a social outcast, And pray to heaven, but my cries go unheard, And I look at myself, cursing my fate, Wishing I were like one who had more hope Wishing I looked like him; wishing I were surrounded by friends, Wishing I had this man's skill and that man's freedom I am least contented with what I used to enjoy most. But, with these thoughts – almost despising myself, I, by chance, think of you and then my melancholy

Paraphrase Sonnet 29 http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/29detail.html Like the lark at the break of day, rises From the dark earth and (I) sing hymns to heaven; For thinking of your love brings such happiness That then I would not change my position in life with kings.

Sonnet 29 The poet in this sonnet is troubled and insecure. He feels unlucky, shamed and jealous. We do not learn what causes these feelings nor do we know if this relates to Shakespeare himself. However, the poems ends on a positive note with the thoughts of his love.

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought (Sonnet 30) By William Shakespeare http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15811

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste: Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow, For precious friends hid in death's dateless night, And weep afresh love's long since cancelled woe, And moan the expense of many a vanished sight: Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er

The sad account of fore-bemoanèd moan, Which I new pay as if not paid before. But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, All losses are restored and sorrows end..

Paraphrase Sonnet 29 http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/29detail.html When in these sessions of gratifying silent thought I think of the past, I lament my failure to achieve all that I wanted, And I sorrowfully remember that I wasted the best years of my life: Then I can cry, although I am not used to crying, For dear friends now hid in death's unending night, And cry again over woes that were long since healed, And lament the loss of many things that I have seen and loved: Then can I grieve over past griefs again, And sadly repeat (to myself) my woes

Paraphrase Sonnet 29 http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/29detail.html The sorrowful account of griefs already grieved for, Which (the account) I repay as if I had not paid before. But if I think of you while I am in this state of sadness, dear friend, All my losses are compensated for and my sorrow ends.

Sonnet 30 The poet in this sonnet is writing a tribute to his friend. The poet recalls dead friends and finds consolation in thinking of this living friend who gives him spiritual and emotional support.

Assignment Write a poem using one of these three forms, Ode, Prose Poetry or sonnet. Use a stanza from one of the poems as a model and create your own poem reflecting that stanza’s format.

English 10 Literature Lesson #35 Mr. Rinka Odes, Prose Poetry & Sonnets