Question

How does the rhyme scheme in "Ode on a Grecian Urn" contribute to its meaning?

O A. The consistent repetition of sounds moves the reader through the speaker's
eester positive contemplations.
O B. The use of a traditional structure makes the speaker seem less excited about the urn.
O C. The internal rhyming sounds help the reader connect the speaker's flowing contemplations
O D. The use of rhyming couplets highlights how the speaker is singing the urn's praises.

Answer 1

The rhyme scheme in Keats's 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' provides a structured form that contrasts with the dynamic contemplations within the poem, representing the urn's enduring beauty against human transience.

Step-by-step explanation:

The rhyme scheme in John Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn contributes to the poem's meaning by shaping its contemplative and eternal qualities. The pattern 'a b a b c d d c e' creates a controlled yet fluid structure that mirrors the eternal scenes depicted on the urn, which contrast with the changeability of human life. Additionally, the conclusion's famous lines, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty', offer a paradox that is central to the poem's theme. Critics, like Cleanth Brooks and T. S. Eliot, have debated whether these lines are spoken by the urn or the poet, and whether they encapsulate a profound philosophical statement about beauty and truth or present an unresolved paradox. The consistent form of the ode is set against the dynamic ideas contained within it, much like the unchanging beauty of the urn set against the backdrop of fleeting human existence.