"Ode to a Grecian Urn," by John Keats

An ancient work of art in-hand, John Keats gazes on the beauty and paradox of the figures represented. He turns the urn in his hand, organizing his address to it by its physical attributes. Uniform iambic pentameter and semi-uniform rhyme dominate this apostrophe.

Comparing the Urn to an "unravish'd bride" and a "sylvan historian," Keats establishes his whimsical yet ultimately somber tone. The subjects of the Urn find themselves in passionate, "unwearied" frames. At first, Keats longingly describes these characters who do not age or grow weary of love. However, in the second and fourth stanzas, Keats describes two unfortunate situations where the characters are frozen in time: the first, a ""youth" awaiting a kiss from his lover, and, the second, a barren city "emptied of its folk" for a festival. Though these pictures are not inherently saddening, their inability to move in time deprives them of experiencing joy. On the other hand, Keats reflects on the frozen lover writing," For ever panting, and for ever young/All breathing human passion far above." Though the youth is unable to experience the kiss, he doesn't have to risk experiencing feelings of dissatisfaction or heartbreak.

This discussion of the characters’ position in time brings the ode to a deeper meaning. Though the idea of eternal youth and passion sounds enviable at first, Keats notes that the characters’ stagnation in time. Being frozen in youth means that the characters will not experience the wisdom and faithful relationships of old age. Being frozen in youth means that the characters “shlat remain in midst of other woe/than ours.”