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Metaphor in Ode on a Grecian Urn

Metaphor Examples in Ode on a Grecian Urn:

Ode on a Grecian Urn

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"brede..."   (Ode on a Grecian Urn)

The noun "brede" is an interwoven pattern—it comes from the same root as "braid." Although Keats is using it literally to describe the art presented on the urn, notice how it also characterizes the rich weave of thoughts, images, and philosophical questions the poem itself presents.

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"a parching tongue..."   (Ode on a Grecian Urn)

Keats compares the effects of "breathing" or mortal passions with a disease whose symptoms include fever ("a burning forehead"), dehydration ("a parching tongue"), and a broken heart. The word "cloy'd" also suggests that human passion is sappy or overly sweet, where the immortal love on the urn is timeless and refined.

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