The group presentation I enjoyed most was the one on Keats' Ode to a Grecian Urn. I though the group did a great job of incorporating their own talents into an analysis of this poem. First, I was taken back by Janwyn's artistic ability. It really reminded me of the Blake's plates the way the words were mixed with artistic expressions. Another similarity was that the figures were not distinct, just like in Blake, and there was also a lot of "drooping" scenery leading from one stanza to the next. Then came Marc's poem. To me, poetry is probably to hardest thing to do since it involves letting go of all you inhibitions and laying yourself out on the line. It must have taken a lot of courage to write a poem for two professors who are undoubtedly acquainted with the best poets ever. Then came Phuc's visual presentation of " more happy love, more happy happy love" This part of the presentation really made me think of my relationship with my girlfriend, and how sometimes it gets a little boring, but it is up to us to change things up once in a while to keep things new and exciting. Last came Wilmar's comparison of frozen time and everlasting of the urn's characters and the freezing scene from Star Wars. I thought the comparison was one of the best presented in class thus far, and even though I am not a big Star Wars junky as it seems the rest of the world has become lately, I realized that there is more to the story than just the fighting and effects.
Jimmie Johnson
The frozen picture
Wouldn't it be perfect to stay in your favorite place forever; a frozen eternity. It sounds wonderful right? Like living in a twenty-four hour sunset or having the endless chocolate sundae. As the group described in class; staying in the perfect situation forever will only become very boring. The object we thought we couldn't get enough of will become monotonous and stale. The characters in The Grecian Urn by Keats do not feel this redunancy. Two youths frozen in purity, never able to get the one thing they want the most, each other. As my friend James would say, the youths are like "parallel lines, they are always connected but will never touch." Disappointment is impossible, however fulfillment is as well. The young man is comforted by the idea that his beautiful lady "cannot fade, though hast not thy bliss. For ever wllt thou love, and she be fair!" His perfect image of beauty will never disappear and yet his hands will never tough her loveliness.
Do we want to stay in that state of wonder always questioning what it would be like to actually acquire ones goal? One begins to question if not getting it is just as good or better than obtaining your object of desire. Will we become disappointed once the object of desire is obtained? Will we become bored with our once perfect entity? What if that one person you found so young and full of life after time becomes old and weak. Will you love them the same or will your attention be drawn towards another energetic youth?
Keats brings up several questions in the poem The Grecian Urn, however, he is not interested in finding a solution. He prefers to stay in a state of mystery in order to find poetry. So who will answer these questions that have arise? Experience.
Cory Symonds