Essay on John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn"

*Author's note: These are being published to provide students with a fresh perspective on some frequently-studied works of American and British literature and relevant classic movies shown in progressive English literature classes. Feel free to play around with my point of view but please do not plagiarize in part or in whole. Consider my text a stepping stone and allow your thoughts to flourish in your own writing.

In John Keats's poem, "Ode on a Grecian Urn," the speaker illustrates a story from the carvings of an urn, which in turn discusses the concept of human immortality through art.

From the onset of the poem, one can tell that the speaker is captivated by the beauty and history of the centuries-old urn. The speaker even starts off by mentioning that the picture of the couple on the urn tells a tale better than a poem about it ever could.

The second section describes the struggle found within the carving. It shows a man pursuing a lady of whom he wants to perhaps marry. Even though one could be saddened by this never-ending chase, the reader suddenly realizes how lucky they are in a way because this couple will never age or grow tired of each other, unlike more traditional relationships in real life.

The discussion of the chase continues throughout the rest of the poem, but the story ties into a greater theme - the immortality of man. Not only are the people on the urn essentially immortal, but the speaker suggests that the urn's sculptor has also been immortalized. He figures that even though the anonymous sculptor died hundreds of years ago, the artwork, which is technically a piece of the artist himself, lives on.

This poem is fairly easy to relate to because we all have the desire to stay young and live forever. Keats says instead of having your mid-life crisis revolve around how old you are getting, you can always discover a hidden talent and make something that is well-worth preserving and hope that it outlives yourself so your story can live on indefinitely, or at least slow time down for a spell.

Slowing time down and wanting to be immortal can also be linked to salvation anxiety or even an Atheist's point of view. A true theist might wonder why would one who is guaranteed life after death thanks to "God's plan" need to be (rather egotistically) concerned with extending time on Earth or leaving a piece of him/herself behind. An Atheist or Agnostic who does not believe in an afterlife might be more apt to create ways to specifically immortalize themselves here on Earth. This question leaves the reader wondering Keats's specific thoughts on the issue of theism and true immortality.