Final answer:
Keats's 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' ends with the lines 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,' indicating the poem's theme that art preserves beauty eternally, and outlasts the transient nature of human experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
In addressing the question regarding the conclusion of Keats's 'Ode on a Grecian Urn', we delve into the poem's exploration of art and beauty. The last two lines of the poem, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,' encapsulate the theme that art can capture and preserve the essence of beauty beyond the confines of time. This idea is crystalized within the urn's eternal depiction of scenes and figures, which remain unaltered despite the passing of ages.
The concept that art and beauty endure is a central paradox tackled by critics like Cleanth Brooks and T. S. Eliot, with Brooks arguing for the unity of the poem around this theme. The paradox lies in the juxtaposition of the permanence and perfection of art against the transient and imperfect nature of life itself. Keats's poem suggests that while human efforts and achievements may fade, the beauty captured in art outlasts its creators and beholders alike.