On Seeing The Elgin Marbles Meaning

Imagery symbolism and themes imagery and symbolism in on seeing the elgin marbles mortal immortal.

On seeing the elgin marbles meaning. Now the sculptures are in fragments and in london no longer a living part of religion but exhibits in a museum. The parthenon marbles greek. John keats on seeing the elgin marbles posted on september 20 2011 by impracticalcriticism this sonnet attempts to convey the poet s complex attitude towards death couched in a reflection on the british museum s greek statues. On seeing the elgin marbles.

γλυπτά του παρθενώνα also known as the elgin marbles ˈ ɛ l ɡ ɪ n are a collection of classical greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of the architect and sculptor phidias and his assistants. They were originally part of the temple of the parthenon and other buildings on the acropolis of athens. Although he died at the age of twenty five keats had perhaps the most remarkable career of any english poet. Upon seeing the elgin marbles keats is overcome by a sense of his own mortality.

Through both love and pain depicted in the poem on seeing the elgin marbles john keats is able to demonstrate how he uncovers the enigma of beauty in our world. The marbles symbolise the wonders of human creativity and their ability to outlive their creators. However this symbolism is complex. The marbles have immense beauty and grandeur but they used to be part of the frieze on the parthenon in athens.

Poets like keats harness this beauty whether it is seen as beautiful or not and twist it to have an underlying meaning. Beauty lies throughout every corner of the universe.