What is the criticism between Shakespeares Sonnet 116 and John Keats Ode on a Grecian Urn?
jamie-wheeler Teacher College – Sophomore eNotes Editor For Keats, a good bet is the article by Helen Regueiro Elam, “Remembering to Die.” Here is the abstract. A link to the full article is listed below. Critical tradition has tended to read this Ode as the poet’s triumph over the power of mortality—a power by which he is besieged and to which he responds in his other Odes. This essay suggests that especially in this Ode, where the art object places itself “far above” passion and death, Keats is intensely aware of the indispensible power of mortality as the very source of eros and art. For Sonnet 116, consider looking at one of my favorite critics’ work, Helen Vendler. She has an excellent book titled, “The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” An excerpt is below, but you may want to see if your high school has a copy. You may also want to see if your library subscribes to the literary journal JSTOR for a more exact criticism of this particular sonnet. I have also listed the link to analysi
