Ode on a Grecian Urn
1.

Thou still unravished 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 loath?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

By John Keats

2.
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endeared,
Pipe to the spirit dities 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
Forever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

3.
Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
Forever piping songs forever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
Forever warm and still to be enjoyed,
Forever panting, and forever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloyed,
A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

Who is “thou” the speaker is talking to? How does the speaker characterize it?1.
The speaker is talking to the urn itself. He says it is married to quietness but hasn’t
yet consummated the marriage and that it’s the child of silence and slowness,
probably because it is in a museum on display. He mentions it can tell historical
stories.

2. What questions does the speaker ask the urn?
He asks if the characters painted on it are mortal or gods. He asks where the scenes take
place. He asks why there is such wild party music playing while young women are being
chased by men, possibly for sex.

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3. The music played by the musician in this scene is unheard by the physical ear, but
the speaker says it plays music to what?

4. In this scene, two people are about to kiss. What does the speaker say is the problem
these lovers face? What is the consolation?

5. Two images of permanence are given side by side in this section. What two things
are said to never change on the urn?

6. How do the two lovers who are about the kiss feel and why? What does this suggest
about human passion?

4
Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead thou that heifer lowing at the skies,
And all her silken flanks with garlands dressed?
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 ever return.

5
O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with braid
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.

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7. In this scene, a priest is leading a procession of people to go sacrifice a very
dressed-up cow. What concern does the speaker have for the people in the picture?

8. What 2 complaints does the speaker have about the urn in these lines?

9. What is the stanza saying about how the urn will stand up to time?

10. The line, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” is emphasized by the use of quotation
marks and a dash. Why do you think the poet draw such attention to this line? What
do you think he means?

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