Thursday, January 23, 2014

It's really hard for me to get into the Romantic poets for some reason. I can understand how they've mastered their craft in poetry, particularly in terms of style and form, but so far I don't think I've read a poet's work I thoroughly enjoyed. For example, in Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn", I would've thought I'd like it, since I am interested in Ancient Greek mythology and culture. Even though he has very nice images, I just get lost reading the poem...

Also, in part III, it is a little over-the-top with the repetitive happiness. However, I don't think he's been overly joyous and celebrating the stuck figures on the urn; instead, it feels as though he's mourning their ignorance to the fact that they are "for ever panting, and for ever young". Being permanently young and trapped in a naive cloud does not let anyone enjoy life, or lessons learned in life; and, in Keats' perspective, it seems the youth do not appreciate beauty as they would when they age. Thus, the poor figures are blind to the rest of their life, and will never know the truth in beauty, or the beauty in truth.

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