Septimus & Keats: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" ( 82-102).
Review the assignment linked under the Mrs. Dalloway section of the blog (to the right). Examine the connections between the text, offer insight into the poem, or ask clarifying questions.
This is my very first draft of my intro for the essay, can anyone validate that I'm on the right path/let me know if they agree or disagree with any of my ideas? thanks
Beauty is complex and undefinable. For most, it is difficult to express one’s idea of beauty, or one’s truth of beauty. In John Keats “Ode to a Grecian Urn”, the narrator questions the purpose of art and its beauty. The penultimate line of the poem “Beauty is truth, truth beauty--that it all” references the relativity of the truth of beauty. Each person has his or her own interpretation of beauty, and thus his or her own truth of the world. For Septimus Warren Smith in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, the exposure to the horrors of human nature in World War I has caused “the flesh (to be) melted off the world” (68) so he now sees a new truth to the world that he once saw as beautiful. Woolf uses a allusion to Keats' poem to emphasize the affect that the war had on Septimus as it has caused him to see a new, much harsher truth to the world.
Okay I really love the idea that your going for with Septimus loosing the ability to see the beauty because of his trauma. I think you need to make this purpose a bit clearer in your begging sentences. I would keep in mind (not bluntly use) the cliche "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Tailor some of your beginning statements to fit this idea before you say that what Septimus once found beautiful is now tainted and reshaped by the truths he has learned from his experiences in war. My paper has a somewhat similar thesis so let me know if you need to flush out any ideas!
Hey guys- so I understand how the text and the poem relate, but I'm struggling to find a way to format the essay, I'm not sure if I should talk about specific events (for example to plane or the car backfiring) or if I should focus more on big ideas? Does anyone have any suggestions?
I'm feeling the same way. I have been writing and rewriting my paper for a while now. I'm struggling with trying to figure out my main points for my body paragraph. I think it's important to focus on the idea of the urn and how it's stuck in a moment in time, but I'm in the same boat as you.
I'm also kind of confused about how to actually put my ideas into words. I think I'm going to focus on some of the specific events as examples, but try to relate them to the bigger ideas. I'm not totally sure, though, I keep getting stuck trying to write some of this.
I think because the paper is mainly going to revolve around Septimus that it would be best to use specific examples from the text, and then relate them back to the main idea of the poem. By doing this I think it might be easier for the paper to flow because then all of the examples would touch upon the same purpose. In my paper I found it very difficult to keep one common theme throughout.
I'm also a bit stuck on how to write the paper. But in case anyone needs a website to help support their interpretation this might help: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/urn.html
I'm kind of confused on how to organize my essay. I was going to have two body paragraphs, one about the car backfiring and one about the plane in the sky. But then I don't know where I should tie in the poem because I feel like it should be addressed in both paragraphs, but if I do that my essay feels really repetitive and my paragraphs become way too long to even be coherent. I feel like I am on the right track with my ideas, but I don't know how to organize what I'm saying so that its understandable. I was wondering how all of you are formatting your essay?
Try to not focus on the number of paragraphs- that always helps me. Write out your ideas first and then go back and re-order, organize etc. If you have more than the "typical" 4 paragraph essay, I don't think it is a bad thing. You need as many paragraphs as need to get your point across. Some paragraphs may have similar ideas because you need that to support your thesis.
I am organizing mine chronologically through all of the major scenes regarding Septimus. I want to use the park, the doctors' diagnosis, and his death as well as Clarissa's reaction to his death. As of now, the "beauty is truth" quote/explanation is precedes my thesis. I am also using the articles to help support my arguments (I am focussing on his mental illness and how it effects his experiences through the world). Also, I am using quotes from the poem in this way as well. Hopefully this helps with your organization part :)
When I read this poem, what jumped out at me more than anything else was the Grecian Urn. I think the Grecian Urn connects to Septimus in many ways that I want to explore in my essay. For example, Urns contain memories and they keep everything stored away and separate from the outside world. Septimus is similarly distanced from the outside world and has many suppressed memories from his time in the war and his PTSD. In addition, Urns are beautiful and ornate on the outside, but the inside contents are hidden from this beauty and kept in darkness. This connects to how Septimus has a great understanding and respect for life’s beauty, but this beauty is at times hidden from him by his PTSD. He is metaphorically trapped inside the Grecian Urn and he is only able to see the beautiful exterior when his PTSD permits him to do so. Although I like these ideas, I am not sure how I can connect them to my essay and still address everything that needs to be addressed from the novel and the prompt. That is what has me the most confused about this essay. I feel like I have a decent understanding of the text and many good ideas, but I am not sure how I should organize them and address everything.
When I read this poem, what jumped out at me more than anything else was the Grecian Urn. I think the Grecian Urn connects to Septimus in many ways that I want to explore in my essay. For example, Urns contain memories and they keep everything stored away and separate from the outside world. Septimus is similarly distanced from the outside world and has many suppressed memories from his time in the war and his PTSD. In addition, Urns are beautiful and ornate on the outside, but the inside contents are hidden from this beauty and kept in darkness. This connects to how Septimus has a great understanding and respect for life’s beauty, but this beauty is at times hidden from him by his PTSD. He is metaphorically trapped inside the Grecian Urn and he is only able to see the beautiful exterior when his PTSD permits him to do so. Although I like these ideas, I am not sure how I can connect them to my essay and still address everything that needs to be addressed from the novel and the prompt. That is what has me the most confused about this essay. I feel like I have a decent understanding of the text and many good ideas, but I am not sure how I should organize them and address everything.
When I read this poem, what jumped out at me more than anything else was the Grecian Urn. I think the Grecian Urn connects to Septimus in many ways that I want to explore in my essay. For example, Urns contain memories and they keep everything stored away and separate from the outside world. Septimus is similarly distanced from the outside world and has many suppressed memories from his time in the war and his PTSD. In addition, Urns are beautiful and ornate on the outside, but the inside contents are hidden from this beauty and kept in darkness. This connects to how Septimus has a great understanding and respect for life’s beauty, but this beauty is at times hidden from him by his PTSD. He is metaphorically trapped inside the Grecian Urn and he is only able to see the beautiful exterior when his PTSD permits him to do so. Although I like these ideas, I am not sure how I can connect them to my essay and still address everything that needs to be addressed from the novel and the prompt. That is what has me the most confused about this essay. I feel like I have a decent understanding of the text and many good ideas, but I am not sure how I should organize them and address everything.
I agree with what Jack has to say about the relation of Septimus and the Grecian Urn. This was a point I made in my final essay. I think that Septimus, like the Urn, contained memories and darker times of war. Although on the outside Septimus seemed slightly more composed than he was feeling. The Urn was like Jack said "beautiful and ornate on the outside". This also coincides with Septimus' views of the world. On the outside the world seems beautiful although this is only the artificial world. Septimus believes that the truth of the world gets rid of all the beauty although this is underneath the surface and many people do not discover the truth.
The statement “beauty is truth, truth beauty” heralded by Keats in his poem “Ode On a Grecian Urn” is a certainty that applies to all matters intrinsic to nature and humanity. Virginia Wolfe utilizes this famed article of prose and the epithet of Keats to further develop her characterization of Septimus. By chronicling Septimus’s observations of ordinary incidences within Regents Park and equating him to Keats, Woolf establishes the premise that Septimus himself is as great of a visionary as the distinguished poet, for he is able to extract instances of truth and beauty from the seemingly trivial occurrences that surround him. His intense thoughtfulness may approach insanity, however it enables him to perceive the inherent truth of a moment, and thus appreciate its existence at a heightened level.
In “Ode On a Grecian Urn”, Keats employs the urn to embody a history of eternal moments, fixed for generations by the illustrations that enshroud it. While Keats derives a great sense of beauty from these depictions, he also laments that they are forever destined to exist in their current states. The lover who lusts after a maiden “never canst…kiss [her]” as he is preserved in paint, yet there is a shade of beauty to this truth, for “she cannot fade” from the urn’s surface and he remains “for ever panting, for ever young” and perpetually in love. Similarly, a “fair youth, beneath the trees…canst not leave” and “thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare” for both the melody of the individual and the leaves on the branches overhead are fated to endure through infinite generations. It is the duality of a moment that makes all instances of life and time irrevocably beautiful.
The Grecian urn has a couple elements that directly represents the perspective of Septimus in the novel. One element is the idea of eternity; the separation from time. That's easily seen in Septimus's moment in Regent's park. When he is in the park, looking at the "true beauty" of nature, he feels an "exquisite joy." It is evident that time is not the driving force in this moment. If anything, it is just another pattern in the beauty of nature. Time is nothing more than "the rising and falling" of the trees and wind. In this moment, Septimus has escaped from time and society and felt the beauty one sees on the outside of the Grecian urn. According to Keats, eternal beauty is the most important as the music that is never heard is the most beautiful. That is also why Septimus gets upset when Rezia interrupts his moment and says "it's time." Time interrupts this eternal beauty.
When I first read the poem “Ode of a Grecian Urn” I thought that the main idea was that things are more beautiful when they don’t change. For example in the line, “Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare”, the narrator is stating that the trees never die, and neither does “fair youth’s” love. However, towards the end of the poem when Keats states, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” I was confused. Though I think that Keats wanted to allude that the urn and nature (beauty) told the truths of human experience. This relates to Septimus’ appreciation of beauty. This is what I ended up talking about in my essay, how nature (beauty) is the only truthful thing in the world.
I interpreted the line "beauty is truth, truth beauty" as an equilibrium between the real and the ideal. In the poem, Keats is able to accept the beauty of the urn as a spectacle of an ideal world. Still, he is able to maintain the fact that this ideal world is ultimately unattainable and corrupted by the harshness of the real world. Septimus struggles to achieve this balance between beauty and truth which leads to his extreme emotional distraughtness. The tension between truth and beauty consistently overlap and interchange which form the highs and lows of his character. He is able to view simple beauties with extreme feeling and emotion. For example, he sees the clouds formed by the plane as wondrously beautiful. Throughout the novel he appreciates beauties such as this one which represent an “ideal” world. However, the next moment Septimus will bash humanity and confess that it would be better to just kill himself. This is where he shifts back to the “real” world or the evil nature of humanity.
The set of paradoxes in the Urn connect well to Septimus. One is the vibrant scene of "happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed" the speaker sees despite the urn's static nature, especially as a receptacle for the dead. This relates to Septimus's overloaded and sometimes disjointed interpretation of his experiences, especially Evans's death. Septimus struggles to fully deal with his intensity of reaction to it and continues to see life where there is death in an attempt to do so, keeping with his prior independent outlook. The other key aspect is the longevity of the Urn. The speaker notes that, "Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe." This relates to the eternal nature of art and of Septimus's spirit, which continues past his trauma *and past his death for Clarissa).
The set of paradoxes in the Urn connect well to Septimus. One is the vibrant scene of "happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed" the speaker sees despite the urn's static nature, especially as a receptacle for the dead. This relates to Septimus's overloaded and sometimes disjointed interpretation of his experiences, especially Evans's death. Septimus struggles to fully deal with his intensity of reaction to it and continues to see life where there is death in an attempt to do so, keeping with his prior independent outlook. The other key aspect is the longevity of the Urn. The speaker notes that, "Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe." This relates to the eternal nature of art and of Septimus's spirit, which continues past his trauma *and past his death for Clarissa).
The main reason Rezia compares Septimus to John Keats ("Was he not like Keats?") is that Septimus and John Keats have similar outlooks on life. In "Ode to a Grecian Urn," Keats is able to find the beauty within an object usually correlated with death. Similarly, Septimus sees the beauty within death. He symbolizes, in part, the phrase "fear no more the heat o' the sun, nor the furious winter rages." As a war veteran, Septimus has experience death so much that he no longer has a fear of it. Furthermore, he envisions Evans "singing behind the screen." He imagines Evans happier in the afterlife, and therefore is not afraid of committing suicide. While Septimus is able to see the beauty in life, he also sees that death is an important part of life as well.
The truth seems to represent the way individuals experience the same kind of moments. The truth and beauty of our own experiences in life is the special way we experience like moments. The lines “beauty is truth, truth beauty” emphasize the idea that the truth is specific to our own selves. Truth is subjective to each person and it can be vastly different, yet it is still the truth. I think the idea that we can all experience different truths is beautiful, like the diversity of human beings. Septimus realizes the truth as what he experiences himself, and what his mind is thinking. Unfortunately, Septimus can not communicate the truths of his mind to the outside world. Septimus is trapped inside his own truths and mind and can no longer express himself to the outside world, causing an inner and outer conflict within the character.
The truth seems to represent the way individuals experience the same kind of moments. The truth and beauty of our own experiences in life is the special way we experience like moments. The lines “beauty is truth, truth beauty” emphasize the idea that the truth is specific to our own selves. Truth is subjective to each person and it can be vastly different, yet it is still the truth. I think the idea that we can all experience different truths is beautiful, like the diversity of human beings. Septimus realizes the truth as what he experiences himself, and what his mind is thinking. Unfortunately, Septimus can not communicate the truths of his mind to the outside world. Septimus is trapped inside his own truths and mind and can no longer express himself to the outside world, causing an inner and outer conflict within the character.
I think that the line "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" means that both beauty and truth are alike in that they are "in the eye of the beholder". Everyone has their own version of the truth, and that is what is true to them. Septimus, when he sees Evans, truly does see Evans because that is what he believes he is seeing. Just like beauty, some people see beauty where others do not. I am planning to discuss what Septimus's truth is, and how he parallels Clarissa in seeing different versions of truth than everyone around them.
I think that the line "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" means that both beauty and truth are alike in that they are "in the eye of the beholder". Everyone has their own version of the truth, and that is what is true to them. Septimus, when he sees Evans, truly does see Evans because that is what he believes he is seeing. Just like beauty, some people see beauty where others do not. I am planning to discuss what Septimus's truth is, and how he parallels Clarissa in seeing different versions of truth than everyone around them.
I feel like truth is beauty and beauty is truth means that although Septimus is capable of seeing beauty in the world that he knows the truths behind it all. Like Septimus, Keats knows that the images that are on the urn are beautiful but he also knows that even if they are frozen and time that they will not last forever. Because Septimus is so disconnected from the world he his ability to see beauty in the world is so overwhelming and he is in fact able to zoom out and acknowledge beauty through a different lens than most people. This overwhelming feeling does not allow Septimus to resolve the idea of not seeing beauty.
Truth is beauty and beauty is truth, to me, means that although there is no clear, exact definition to what true beauty is, glimpses of it can be found in any aspect of life. True beauty may not be something attainable in society but rather existent in one's individual surroundings and spirit. Septimus was able to recognize the truths to his life and society as separate things and thus was able to appreciate the slight glimpses of beauty that were produced for him. Though he terminates his life his knowledge of true beauty even on an individual scale reiterates Keats' sentiments of beauty as well (existent but not eternal).
Truth is beauty and beauty is truth, to me, means that although there is no clear, exact definition to what true beauty is, glimpses of it can be found in any aspect of life. True beauty may not be something attainable in society but rather existent in one's individual surroundings and spirit. Septimus was able to recognize the truths to his life and society as separate things and thus was able to appreciate the slight glimpses of beauty that were produced for him. Though he terminates his life his knowledge of true beauty even on an individual scale reiterates Keats' sentiments of beauty as well (existent but not eternal).
To me the meaning to this line lies in the idea about perspective and how the world I know is different from everyone else's. And the beauty I choose to believe is dependent upon my own perspective. Centering around the idea of individuality an idea that Woolf constantly addresses. After the war because of his experiences Septimus has seen things no one else has ever seen or can even be told about because of this he is able to see a beauty that no one else is able to leading him to see a different perhaps better but also worse world. As he gained access to information about society but also about destruction of humanity. All of this leads him to become an individual.
This is my very first draft of my intro for the essay, can anyone validate that I'm on the right path/let me know if they agree or disagree with any of my ideas? thanks
ReplyDeleteBeauty is complex and undefinable. For most, it is difficult to express one’s idea of beauty, or one’s truth of beauty. In John Keats “Ode to a Grecian Urn”, the narrator questions the purpose of art and its beauty. The penultimate line of the poem “Beauty is truth, truth beauty--that it all” references the relativity of the truth of beauty. Each person has his or her own interpretation of beauty, and thus his or her own truth of the world. For Septimus Warren Smith in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, the exposure to the horrors of human nature in World War I has caused “the flesh (to be) melted off the world” (68) so he now sees a new truth to the world that he once saw as beautiful. Woolf uses a allusion to Keats' poem to emphasize the affect that the war had on Septimus as it has caused him to see a new, much harsher truth to the world.
Okay I really love the idea that your going for with Septimus loosing the ability to see the beauty because of his trauma. I think you need to make this purpose a bit clearer in your begging sentences. I would keep in mind (not bluntly use) the cliche "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Tailor some of your beginning statements to fit this idea before you say that what Septimus once found beautiful is now tainted and reshaped by the truths he has learned from his experiences in war. My paper has a somewhat similar thesis so let me know if you need to flush out any ideas!
Delete**beginning sentences
DeleteHey guys- so I understand how the text and the poem relate, but I'm struggling to find a way to format the essay, I'm not sure if I should talk about specific events (for example to plane or the car backfiring) or if I should focus more on big ideas? Does anyone have any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling the same way. I have been writing and rewriting my paper for a while now. I'm struggling with trying to figure out my main points for my body paragraph. I think it's important to focus on the idea of the urn and how it's stuck in a moment in time, but I'm in the same boat as you.
DeleteI'm also kind of confused about how to actually put my ideas into words. I think I'm going to focus on some of the specific events as examples, but try to relate them to the bigger ideas. I'm not totally sure, though, I keep getting stuck trying to write some of this.
DeleteI think because the paper is mainly going to revolve around Septimus that it would be best to use specific examples from the text, and then relate them back to the main idea of the poem. By doing this I think it might be easier for the paper to flow because then all of the examples would touch upon the same purpose. In my paper I found it very difficult to keep one common theme throughout.
DeleteI'm also a bit stuck on how to write the paper. But in case anyone needs a website to help support their interpretation this might help:
Deletehttp://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/urn.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of confused on how to organize my essay. I was going to have two body paragraphs, one about the car backfiring and one about the plane in the sky. But then I don't know where I should tie in the poem because I feel like it should be addressed in both paragraphs, but if I do that my essay feels really repetitive and my paragraphs become way too long to even be coherent. I feel like I am on the right track with my ideas, but I don't know how to organize what I'm saying so that its understandable. I was wondering how all of you are formatting your essay?
ReplyDeleteTry to not focus on the number of paragraphs- that always helps me. Write out your ideas first and then go back and re-order, organize etc. If you have more than the "typical" 4 paragraph essay, I don't think it is a bad thing. You need as many paragraphs as need to get your point across. Some paragraphs may have similar ideas because you need that to support your thesis.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am organizing mine chronologically through all of the major scenes regarding Septimus. I want to use the park, the doctors' diagnosis, and his death as well as Clarissa's reaction to his death. As of now, the "beauty is truth" quote/explanation is precedes my thesis. I am also using the articles to help support my arguments (I am focussing on his mental illness and how it effects his experiences through the world). Also, I am using quotes from the poem in this way as well. Hopefully this helps with your organization part :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this poem, what jumped out at me more than anything else was the Grecian Urn. I think the Grecian Urn connects to Septimus in many ways that I want to explore in my essay. For example, Urns contain memories and they keep everything stored away and separate from the outside world. Septimus is similarly distanced from the outside world and has many suppressed memories from his time in the war and his PTSD. In addition, Urns are beautiful and ornate on the outside, but the inside contents are hidden from this beauty and kept in darkness. This connects to how Septimus has a great understanding and respect for life’s beauty, but this beauty is at times hidden from him by his PTSD. He is metaphorically trapped inside the Grecian Urn and he is only able to see the beautiful exterior when his PTSD permits him to do so. Although I like these ideas, I am not sure how I can connect them to my essay and still address everything that needs to be addressed from the novel and the prompt. That is what has me the most confused about this essay. I feel like I have a decent understanding of the text and many good ideas, but I am not sure how I should organize them and address everything.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this poem, what jumped out at me more than anything else was the Grecian Urn. I think the Grecian Urn connects to Septimus in many ways that I want to explore in my essay. For example, Urns contain memories and they keep everything stored away and separate from the outside world. Septimus is similarly distanced from the outside world and has many suppressed memories from his time in the war and his PTSD. In addition, Urns are beautiful and ornate on the outside, but the inside contents are hidden from this beauty and kept in darkness. This connects to how Septimus has a great understanding and respect for life’s beauty, but this beauty is at times hidden from him by his PTSD. He is metaphorically trapped inside the Grecian Urn and he is only able to see the beautiful exterior when his PTSD permits him to do so. Although I like these ideas, I am not sure how I can connect them to my essay and still address everything that needs to be addressed from the novel and the prompt. That is what has me the most confused about this essay. I feel like I have a decent understanding of the text and many good ideas, but I am not sure how I should organize them and address everything.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this poem, what jumped out at me more than anything else was the Grecian Urn. I think the Grecian Urn connects to Septimus in many ways that I want to explore in my essay. For example, Urns contain memories and they keep everything stored away and separate from the outside world. Septimus is similarly distanced from the outside world and has many suppressed memories from his time in the war and his PTSD. In addition, Urns are beautiful and ornate on the outside, but the inside contents are hidden from this beauty and kept in darkness. This connects to how Septimus has a great understanding and respect for life’s beauty, but this beauty is at times hidden from him by his PTSD. He is metaphorically trapped inside the Grecian Urn and he is only able to see the beautiful exterior when his PTSD permits him to do so. Although I like these ideas, I am not sure how I can connect them to my essay and still address everything that needs to be addressed from the novel and the prompt. That is what has me the most confused about this essay. I feel like I have a decent understanding of the text and many good ideas, but I am not sure how I should organize them and address everything.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jack has to say about the relation of Septimus and the Grecian Urn. This was a point I made in my final essay. I think that Septimus, like the Urn, contained memories and darker times of war. Although on the outside Septimus seemed slightly more composed than he was feeling. The Urn was like Jack said "beautiful and ornate on the outside". This also coincides with Septimus' views of the world. On the outside the world seems beautiful although this is only the artificial world. Septimus believes that the truth of the world gets rid of all the beauty although this is underneath the surface and many people do not discover the truth.
DeleteThe statement “beauty is truth, truth beauty” heralded by Keats in his poem “Ode On a Grecian Urn” is a certainty that applies to all matters intrinsic to nature and humanity. Virginia Wolfe utilizes this famed article of prose and the epithet of Keats to further develop her characterization of Septimus. By chronicling Septimus’s observations of ordinary incidences within Regents Park and equating him to Keats, Woolf establishes the premise that Septimus himself is as great of a visionary as the distinguished poet, for he is able to extract instances of truth and beauty from the seemingly trivial occurrences that surround him. His intense thoughtfulness may approach insanity, however it enables him to perceive the inherent truth of a moment, and thus appreciate its existence at a heightened level.
ReplyDeleteIn “Ode On a Grecian Urn”, Keats employs the urn to embody a history of eternal moments, fixed for generations by the illustrations that enshroud it. While Keats derives a great sense of beauty from these depictions, he also laments that they are forever destined to exist in their current states. The lover who lusts after a maiden “never canst…kiss [her]” as he is preserved in paint, yet there is a shade of beauty to this truth, for “she cannot fade” from the urn’s surface and he remains “for ever panting, for ever young” and perpetually in love. Similarly, a “fair youth, beneath the trees…canst not leave” and “thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare” for both the melody of the individual and the leaves on the branches overhead are fated to endure through infinite generations. It is the duality of a moment that makes all instances of life and time irrevocably beautiful.
The Grecian urn has a couple elements that directly represents the perspective of Septimus in the novel. One element is the idea of eternity; the separation from time. That's easily seen in Septimus's moment in Regent's park. When he is in the park, looking at the "true beauty" of nature, he feels an "exquisite joy." It is evident that time is not the driving force in this moment. If anything, it is just another pattern in the beauty of nature. Time is nothing more than "the rising and falling" of the trees and wind. In this moment, Septimus has escaped from time and society and felt the beauty one sees on the outside of the Grecian urn. According to Keats, eternal beauty is the most important as the music that is never heard is the most beautiful. That is also why Septimus gets upset when Rezia interrupts his moment and says "it's time." Time interrupts this eternal beauty.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the poem “Ode of a Grecian Urn” I thought that the main idea was that things are more beautiful when they don’t change. For example in the line, “Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare”, the narrator is stating that the trees never die, and neither does “fair youth’s” love. However, towards the end of the poem when Keats states, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” I was confused. Though I think that Keats wanted to allude that the urn and nature (beauty) told the truths of human experience. This relates to Septimus’ appreciation of beauty. This is what I ended up talking about in my essay, how nature (beauty) is the only truthful thing in the world.
ReplyDeleteI interpreted the line "beauty is truth, truth beauty" as an equilibrium between the real and the ideal. In the poem, Keats is able to accept the beauty of the urn as a spectacle of an ideal world. Still, he is able to maintain the fact that this ideal world is ultimately unattainable and corrupted by the harshness of the real world. Septimus struggles to achieve this balance between beauty and truth which leads to his extreme emotional distraughtness. The tension between truth and beauty consistently overlap and interchange which form the highs and lows of his character. He is able to view simple beauties with extreme feeling and emotion. For example, he sees the clouds formed by the plane as wondrously beautiful. Throughout the novel he appreciates beauties such as this one which represent an “ideal” world. However, the next moment Septimus will bash humanity and confess that it would be better to just kill himself. This is where he shifts back to the “real” world or the evil nature of humanity.
ReplyDeleteThe set of paradoxes in the Urn connect well to Septimus. One is the vibrant scene of "happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed" the speaker sees despite the urn's static nature, especially as a receptacle for the dead. This relates to Septimus's overloaded and sometimes disjointed interpretation of his experiences, especially Evans's death. Septimus struggles to fully deal with his intensity of reaction to it and continues to see life where there is death in an attempt to do so, keeping with his prior independent outlook. The other key aspect is the longevity of the Urn. The speaker notes that, "Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe." This relates to the eternal nature of art and of Septimus's spirit, which continues past his trauma *and past his death for Clarissa).
ReplyDeleteThe set of paradoxes in the Urn connect well to Septimus. One is the vibrant scene of "happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed" the speaker sees despite the urn's static nature, especially as a receptacle for the dead. This relates to Septimus's overloaded and sometimes disjointed interpretation of his experiences, especially Evans's death. Septimus struggles to fully deal with his intensity of reaction to it and continues to see life where there is death in an attempt to do so, keeping with his prior independent outlook. The other key aspect is the longevity of the Urn. The speaker notes that, "Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe." This relates to the eternal nature of art and of Septimus's spirit, which continues past his trauma *and past his death for Clarissa).
ReplyDeleteThe main reason Rezia compares Septimus to John Keats ("Was he not like Keats?") is that Septimus and John Keats have similar outlooks on life. In "Ode to a Grecian Urn," Keats is able to find the beauty within an object usually correlated with death. Similarly, Septimus sees the beauty within death. He symbolizes, in part, the phrase "fear no more the heat o' the sun, nor the furious winter rages." As a war veteran, Septimus has experience death so much that he no longer has a fear of it. Furthermore, he envisions Evans "singing behind the screen." He imagines Evans happier in the afterlife, and therefore is not afraid of committing suicide. While Septimus is able to see the beauty in life, he also sees that death is an important part of life as well.
ReplyDeleteThe truth seems to represent the way individuals experience the same kind of moments. The truth and beauty of our own experiences in life is the special way we experience like moments. The lines “beauty is truth, truth beauty” emphasize the idea that the truth is specific to our own selves. Truth is subjective to each person and it can be vastly different, yet it is still the truth. I think the idea that we can all experience different truths is beautiful, like the diversity of human beings. Septimus realizes the truth as what he experiences himself, and what his mind is thinking. Unfortunately, Septimus can not communicate the truths of his mind to the outside world. Septimus is trapped inside his own truths and mind and can no longer express himself to the outside world, causing an inner and outer conflict within the character.
ReplyDeleteThe truth seems to represent the way individuals experience the same kind of moments. The truth and beauty of our own experiences in life is the special way we experience like moments. The lines “beauty is truth, truth beauty” emphasize the idea that the truth is specific to our own selves. Truth is subjective to each person and it can be vastly different, yet it is still the truth. I think the idea that we can all experience different truths is beautiful, like the diversity of human beings. Septimus realizes the truth as what he experiences himself, and what his mind is thinking. Unfortunately, Septimus can not communicate the truths of his mind to the outside world. Septimus is trapped inside his own truths and mind and can no longer express himself to the outside world, causing an inner and outer conflict within the character.
ReplyDeleteI think that the line "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" means that both beauty and truth are alike in that they are "in the eye of the beholder". Everyone has their own version of the truth, and that is what is true to them. Septimus, when he sees Evans, truly does see Evans because that is what he believes he is seeing. Just like beauty, some people see beauty where others do not. I am planning to discuss what Septimus's truth is, and how he parallels Clarissa in seeing different versions of truth than everyone around them.
ReplyDeleteI think that the line "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" means that both beauty and truth are alike in that they are "in the eye of the beholder". Everyone has their own version of the truth, and that is what is true to them. Septimus, when he sees Evans, truly does see Evans because that is what he believes he is seeing. Just like beauty, some people see beauty where others do not. I am planning to discuss what Septimus's truth is, and how he parallels Clarissa in seeing different versions of truth than everyone around them.
ReplyDeleteI feel like truth is beauty and beauty is truth means that although Septimus is capable of seeing beauty in the world that he knows the truths behind it all. Like Septimus, Keats knows that the images that are on the urn are beautiful but he also knows that even if they are frozen and time that they will not last forever. Because Septimus is so disconnected from the world he his ability to see beauty in the world is so overwhelming and he is in fact able to zoom out and acknowledge beauty through a different lens than most people. This overwhelming feeling does not allow Septimus to resolve the idea of not seeing beauty.
ReplyDeleteTruth is beauty and beauty is truth, to me, means that although there is no clear, exact definition to what true beauty is, glimpses of it can be found in any aspect of life. True beauty may not be something attainable in society but rather existent in one's individual surroundings and spirit. Septimus was able to recognize the truths to his life and society as separate things and thus was able to appreciate the slight glimpses of beauty that were produced for him. Though he terminates his life his knowledge of true beauty even on an individual scale reiterates Keats' sentiments of beauty as well (existent but not eternal).
ReplyDeleteTruth is beauty and beauty is truth, to me, means that although there is no clear, exact definition to what true beauty is, glimpses of it can be found in any aspect of life. True beauty may not be something attainable in society but rather existent in one's individual surroundings and spirit. Septimus was able to recognize the truths to his life and society as separate things and thus was able to appreciate the slight glimpses of beauty that were produced for him. Though he terminates his life his knowledge of true beauty even on an individual scale reiterates Keats' sentiments of beauty as well (existent but not eternal).
ReplyDeleteTo me the meaning to this line lies in the idea about perspective and how the world I know is different from everyone else's. And the beauty I choose to believe is dependent upon my own perspective. Centering around the idea of individuality an idea that Woolf constantly addresses. After the war because of his experiences Septimus has seen things no one else has ever seen or can even be told about because of this he is able to see a beauty that no one else is able to leading him to see a different perhaps better but also worse world. As he gained access to information about society but also about destruction of humanity. All of this leads him to become an individual.
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