(7) JOHN KEATS –

ODE ON A GRECIAN URN (1819)

 

“What men or gods are these? What maidens loath?”
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?”

Ode on a Fury Road – if Keats were to replace pipes and timbrels with flame-throwing electric guitar – and ecstasy with insanity, all shiny and chrome?

Although I’m probably the only one to think of Ode on a Grecian Urn for Mad Max Fury Road. It’s just how my mind works.

 

 

John Keats – a life tragically cut short at the age of 25 by tuberculosis, but attributed by Byron to bad reviews by the Quarterly Review

“Who killed John Keats?
I, says the Quarterly
So savage & Tartarly
‘Twas one of my feats”

Ode on a Grecian BURN, Quarterly!

Typical pagan sensuousness from Keats, evocative of a damn good night out, although with maidens perhaps a little less loath – but that’s classical mythology for you.

Beauty in art transcends life, although lacking the actual consummation of the latter – as with the lovers who are left for the urn’s eternity without, you know, actually getting it on:

“Forever warm and still to be enjoyed
Forever panting and forever young”

O yes!

Also a touch of darkness a la The Wicker Man?

“Who are these coming to the sacrifice?”.

O yes, who indeed? Spoiler – it’s just a heifer… or is it? Perhaps it’s someone – a virgin – in the costume of a heifer…”and all her silken flanks in garlands dressed”? You heard it here first – John Keats was the trope creator of the folk horror genre! It’s surprising how few of the lines you have to change in the poem to play it as The Wicker Man, beat for beat – it totally works!

 

 

Again I’m probably the only one to think of Ode on a Grecian Urn for The Wicker Man. Still – animal sacrifice? That urn is metal!

And of course the aesthetic philosophy of Keats in two lines, dropping goodness from the usual transcendental trinity for the duality of beauty and truth:

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” – that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

 

RATING: 4 STARS****
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