Transsexual Dreamer

“Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats is the memory of a young woman who has died, and how that memory affects the entire town. The Grecian urn is the canvas which Keats writes a testimony to her and it is unclear whether he himself is in love with her. The setting for the poem is directly described.

Several conflicts exist throughout the poem. The first is the woman herself. She is described by Keats as a virgin who never had a chance to bear children and was untouched by any man. However, he uses words that have definite sexual tones like “wild ecstasy”, “mad pursuit”, “sensual ear”, “bliss” and “panting human passion”.

Another conflict is the amount of sound throughout the piece. Keats describes the quiet and silence of the glade where she is honored. He uses the words “heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter”, “ditties of no tone”, “streets for evermore will silent be” and “silent form” to present the lack of noise in the community. When describing her life and its impact on those she touched, he talked about organs and drums playing while writing “heard melodies”, “pipe to the spirit” and “piping songs”.

A third conflict is the life and death of the woman. The town will painfully miss her “he

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Perhaps this is the final conflict of the poem, and why she will remain “forever young”. The lover feels compelled to act immediately in convincing his mistress to make love to him. Symbolism is conveying impressions by suggestion instead of direct statements. Time uses in this poem is much different then the poem, “To his Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell”. Time is symbolized through a lover attempting to a woman into engaging in sexual relations with him. “Now therefore, while the youthful hue, Sits on thy skin like morning dew,” represents also the need for immediate action while she is still young and it is still early.

The first is the general feeling of the community toward the woman. There was a physical pain for them as “heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, a burning forehead, and a parching tongue” describes the heart-ache, fever and dry mouth that they felt. “And tear our pleasures with rough strife , Thorough the iron gates of life” is clearly a motivational statement. art sorrowed never more in their midst”, as they move on to future without her. ” The lover is not afraid of death however he is afraid of not fulfilling life to its utmost potential. Another feeling of loss was specifically aimed at the young men of the area. There was not anyone left at their homes during the funeral as “river town, mountain fortress empty of folk” says. Marvell then continues on to symbolize the lack of time using other literary devices. “Rather at once our time devour” shows the urgency of it all.

Approximate Word count = 1050
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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