Question

Read the analysis of a theme from "Ode on a Grecian Urn."

One theme in "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is that art is an eternal and unchanging truth.

Now, read the passage from "Solitary Reaper," another poem from the romantic period.

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
I listen'd, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

Which line from "Solitary Reaper" is most thematically similar to the theme of eternal art in "Ode on a Grecian Urn"?

Answer 1

That line would be "Long after it was heard no more."
Ode on a Grecian Urn has to do with how art is eternal and how it can last forever it done appropriately. Keats wanted to show that art is something that can surpass time because people will always be interested in in and carry it in their hearts. Similarly, if you take a look at the line above from Solitary Reaper, you will see that music will remain in the poet's heart even when it cannot actually be heard anymore - it will be eternal in his soul.

Answer 2

The line from "Solitary Reaper" that is most thematically to the theme of eternal art in "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is:

"Long after it was heard no more."

This line shows that the impact of the Maiden's song lingered in the speaker even after the singing had ended. The effect it had did not disappear after the lyrics ended, but rather made such an impact on the speaker that he felt like he carried them around in his heart.

This relates to the theme presented in "Ode on a Grecian Urn" that art is timeless. In this ode, Keats wants to show how people will always find beauty and meaning in art, and that, once it has been appreciated, the feelings it produced will stay with us forever.