This famous Grecian urn is full of life and music and action—and yet, it's a solid, unmoving object. With such a great central paradox, this poem was a favorite of New Critics everywhere.
As you move through the poem, we suggest you watch for how the paradox of "frozen action" works. Does it change over the different sections? What is "frozen action," exactly?
One of the purposes of art could be to teach us what we need to know in life—to help us best understand the human condition. Given that both the urn and the poem are forms of art, what do you think Keats's poem is saying about the relation between art and real life?
Are they in tension in the piece, or do they interact?