ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Keats argues that the urn is a true work of art because it reflects a truth and a beauty that will remain a lasting guide in a world of unknowns. Before continuing, it is important to acknowledge and distinguish the two levels of beauty present in the urn and in the poem.

Detailed explanation-2: -The urn itself symbolizes the intertwining of life and death. In one scene, the urn’s etchings depict life and vitality. Images rooted in plant-life help shape the vitality of the moment as the speaker reflects that one scene on the urn tells “A flowery tale” (Line 4) and “leaf-ring’d legend” (Line 5).

Detailed explanation-3: -The poem’s central theme is the transient nature of human existence. The scenes on the urn evoke stories of romantic pursuit and religious ceremony. In reality, such scenes come to pass in brief moments. The urn provides a space where such stories can be frozen and made essential.

Detailed explanation-4: -Ode to a Nightingale and Ode on a Grecian Urn belong to a series of poems written by John Keats in 1819. Although both poems do not have a plot in common, they share, at least, a theme: the immortality of art vs. the ephemerality of human life.