Two Poems about
Life : The Forever-lasting Moment
The poem Ode
on a Grecian Urn the speaker described an urn come from ancient Greece.
The first stanza, the speaker was fascinated by the picture on the urn
and he showed proper respect to the lady on the urn. In the second stanza,
he imagined that as if he could hear the sweet melodies. And when he saw
a young man kissing his lovers, in his heart he had the impulse to kiss
her. But unfortunately he would never be able to kiss her because they
are in different world. So he elevated his emotions to the state of permanency.
That his love would become immortal, because she cannot fade, the art can
exist permanently. Even if he couldn't get the real one, he couldn't lose
it, too. The third stanza, he might have a little bit sense of jealousy.
Everything on the urn could always be happy. The bushes would never shed
their leaves and winter would not come. But the speaker, he would meet
unhappy things, he would become old. We can know from the last three lines.
Then the author kept seeing this Urn. He found there is another picture
on the other side of this Urn. And the pictures formed a harsh contrast
to the picture he saw before. It's a sacrificial procession on their way
to the altar, and one desert town. He was deeply influenced by these two
pictures, so his attitude toward his life had a great change. He found
some different meaning from this artwork. He didn't envy the fair vision
on the Urn any more. He realized that the most important thing in his life
is to have a happy and meaningful life. That's the only true thing in the
world. So from the words "Beauty is truth, truth is beauty" We can
know that in author's heart raise the identification toward the Urn and
built up a new way for his future life.
As for another
poem ozymandias. It also described an artwork but it gives us different
inspiration. The status of Ozymandias, one dilapidated sculpture standing
in the desert. The king-Ozymandias, who once ruled a great empire. He once
enjoyed the most luxurious life, had powerful authority. But this poem
is written to express that after somepeople dead he can keep nothing he
had when he was alive. But ironically, the king who seemed to think that
he could preserve his mighty, his power through the stone statue standing
in the desert. This tells us that everything will not last forever. Now,
the environment surrounded him was a large desert. This formed an apparent
contrast to the time when he was alive. Another ironical point is the countenance
of the status is proud and arrogant. But the whole status became very shabby.
"Half sunk, a shattered visage lies." It suggests time will take away everything
whether it is alive or not. So the most important thing in our life is
holding on present time.
Nancy
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