1. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats
Project by: Hunter Ralston, Nicole Small, and Taylor Tuso

2. Summary
The poem opens as the speaker addresses the Grecian urn to describes and ask about the scenes on the urn. They are described to be immortal and ever beautiful. Although they are beautiful scenes and will never fade, they are still not alive and can’t experience the joys of life. The world that the urn depicts is frozen and the world that surrounds it continues to prosper in life. The confusing scene of the sacrifice reinforces that the urn doesn’t hold up to the expectations of the real world. The final stanza displays the shift as the speaker states that “beauty is truth and truth is beauty” for that is all he needs to know in order to be successful on Earth.

3. Time period and style The poem is from the romantic time period.
The style of the poem is iambic pentameter so each line consists of ten syllables.

4. Theme
Eternal beauty and wisdom are often sought after although they are not obtainable.

5. Stanza I
In Stanza I, Keats establishes the urn to be a wise and ancient “Sylvan historian” who expresses flowery tales. The author primarily focuses on using imagery to connote the urn’s characteristics and the images it displays. Keats also directly addresses the urn asking it rhetorical questions establishing mystery about the urn. This mysteriousness is also seen as an imperfect aloofness. The urn is described as haunting as the unanswered questions about the scenes depicted still weigh on Keats mind.

6. Stanza II
In Stanza II, Keats again focuses on imagery to convey his message. Keats describes a scene of a piper playing a love song and sees the urn to be so beautiful that the piper’s song falls on his spirit instead of his ears. However, the author recognizes the faults of the serene setting. Though the piper’s love is forever beautiful, he will never hold her or kiss her. Forever will the piper love her and forever will she be fair but he will never have bliss.

7. Stanza III
Stanza III takes the ideas mentioned in the first two stanzas to describe the life one the urn as one without disappointment and suffering. The repetition of “happy” reinforces that the urn has a positive lifestyle where everything remains the same. The “paintings” on the urn are “forever young” as the world of art is eternal. The “happy methodist’s” songs will continue forever because the more music the more love. The speaker says love in the real world is imperfect in contrast to the “warm” “young” love on the urn.

8. Stanza IV
Stanza IV focuses on the life experiences as a community rather than the individual life described in stanza III. The poet portrays three possible locations that the town could exist where the sacrifice would take place. The silent town displays pain which relates to the pain of the “lowing” cow prior to its sacrifice. Moreover, this presents a theme of pain in suffering which contrasts the happy theme in stanza III.

9. Stanza V
Stanza V begins with a shift as the poem alters towards an excited tone from the previous mellow tone. There is a plethora of plant imagery of the urn. In stanza V, the urn is depicted as having “forest branches” and “trodden weed” which choke the poem with myriad vegetation. They depict the urn as being crowded and chaotic. Stanza V utilizes diction that portrays that even after the current generation the urn will always be around to assist in any problems. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty…” The two are one in the same and go hand in hand. Truth and beauty can only be felt and are not tangible. The urn emits these necessities.

10. Essay Organization
Thesis: Keats, in his “Ode on a Grecian Urn” utilizes figurative language, as well as structure to create his message that although often sought after, eternal beauty is unobtainable.
Topic Sentence: Feelings of happiness are evoked as the poet compares aspects of life on the urn to life in reality to convey that although beautiful the images on the urn lack life and are empty.
Through the use of imagery, Keats introduces readers to an urn depicting scenes of love frozen in time but never blissful, building his message of unobtainable eternal beauty.
Keats establishes a sense of chaos and complication at the end of the poem in order to establish his message that the urn will perpetually be around to assist generations in problems and display that truth is beauty and beauty is truth.

11. Poem Annotation

12. Works Cited
"625. Ode on a Grecian Urn. John Keats. The Oxford Book of English Verse." 625. Ode on a Grecian Urn. John Keats. The Oxford Book of English Verse. Web. 18 Jan <
"Ode on a Grecian Urn: Analysis & Interpretation." Bright Hub Education. Web. 18 Jan < literature/51455-ode-on-a-grecian-urn-analysis/>.
"Ode on a Grecian Urn: Analysis & Interpretation." Bright Hub Education. Web. 18 Jan < iterature/51455-ode-on-a-grecian-urn-analysis/>.