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In Ode on a Grecian Urn, which of the following things is NOT depicted on the urn Keats writes about?

A) Two lovers in an eternal embrace
B) A pastoral scene with pipes and timbrels
C) A warrior's triumph in battle
D) A sacrificial ritual with a priest

1 Answer

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Final answer:

A warrior's triumph in battle is not depicted on the urn in John Keats's 'Ode on a Grecian Urn.' Instead, the urn features two lovers, a pastoral scene, and a sacrificial ritual, which all relate to the poem's exploration of beauty and truth.

Step-by-step explanation:

In John Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn, there are several scenes depicted on the urn, but a warrior's triumph in battle is not one of them. The urn famously features two lovers in an eternal embrace, a pastoral scene with pipes and timbrels, and a sacrificial ritual with a priest. These images represent timeless beauty and are skillfully linked to the themes of the poem, including the relationship between beauty and truth.

It is the last two lines of the poem, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know,' that encapsulate these themes. There has been debate among critics like T.S. Eliot and Cleanth Brooks over whether these lines are spoken by the urn or the poet and whether they genuinely represent a fitting conclusion to the poem. Keats uses the urn as a symbol to express the idea that artistic beauty is an eternal truth, capable of conveying deep meaning beyond its physical form.

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