Thou shalt remain, in the midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,' -- that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
This part of Ode On a Grecian Urn intrigued me... mainly because I'm not exactly sure what it is saying. So, in this blog I will attempt to discover a meaning for it...
The tension in the lines comes from the parallel of old age and beauty, because in this culture we are taught that beauty is synonomous with young and fit. However, in the poem it says that, "beauty is truth, and truth beauty." How can this be so? Just because something is beautiful doesn't make it truth. Does it? This urn that shall remain "in the midst of other woe" is a "friend to man" by making this statement. How so? How can "beauty is truth" be "all we need to know"? I understand how it might be "all ye know on earth," after all aren't we as a culture generally more likely to believe people who are pretty, poised, and put together? But how can it be ALL we need to know? Maybe, one possible explanation could be that if we knew beauty in its truest form then it would all make sense. So, beauty in its truest form to me, is Christ. His love, grace, mercy, and sacrifice exemplify beauty. Yes, the cross was ugly, but the result is beauty -when He washes our sins away we are made new and blameless and beautiful. So, just as He is Beauty, so also is He Truth. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." (John 14:6) A verse we all know, but when applied here, I believe it brings clarity. If Jesus Christ is Truth and Beauty, then truly this is all we need to know. So even when old age takes away the bloom of youth, the inner beauty we have in Christ will remain, and the truth that we are His children will never change.
Maybe you stuck with me through all the rambling and random alliterations... I'm not saying this is the correct interpretation of this section, but it's my attempt at it.
**as for the title... I was at a loss and I ate popcorn while I wrote this :)
p.s. commented on Lucy Beth's "Schlier-Ma-Who?"
Great work trying to find the meaning through the poetry (:
ReplyDeleteI liked how you incorporated Christ into this post and your understanding of the poetry! (: