Literature, like philosophy and art, follows a continuous wave; at every peak of a new era there is a trough of the previous era. When a new era of style and ideals emerges, the ideas are often directly contrary to those of the previous period. The Romantic period was an era of emotions, it was no longer a question of logic or precision as it was during the period of the Enlightenment. Both artists and poets of the Romantic period, such as John Keats, focused on the expression of feelings and demonstrated an affinity with nature. In "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats, Keats brings to life the images displayed on an ancient urn. The images that appear in our minds are of beauty, love and happiness, all of which have been preserved over the years despite the rise and fall of civilizations and kingdoms. This creation parallels the seemingly ideal and eternal world depicted on the urn, with the world in which Keats was born to live. The truth extracted from this poem provides both answers and mysteries which, as TS Elliot explains, can be seen as a “faulty” factor or something truly profound. If it were not for the education Keats received, his work would not have captured the same mastery that is now seen in his manipulation of sound and use of rhetorical devices. Keats endured many hardships during his short life, as if the death of his father alone wasn't enough, he also lost his mother and brother to tuberculosis (Marshall). Given the absence of his family, Keats looked for something to fill that void, that something was Fanny Brawne. Once engaged to her, Keats was unable to continue the marriage; reason why, was that he didn't think he was good enough for her because of his... middle of the card... the life depicted on the urn, the eternal life he desires, he begins to recover his initial thought about eternity : "You will love forever, and she will be beautiful!" Soon after, in stanza three, Keats begins to exaggerate the happiness a little, almost as if he is trying to convince himself that the beauty he sees in the life of eternity is real: “Happier love! happier, happier love!” Keats's tone depends on what stage he is in, whether he is realizing the reality of it all or whether he is trying to find the truth in what he considers beautiful. Works Cited Hirst, Wolfz. John Keats. Boston: GK Hall Co., 1981. p.128-134. Marshall, Kristine E., ed. "John Keats." Elements of literature. 6th Course. Boston: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1997. Matlak, Richard E. “John Keats.” Critical investigation of poetry. and. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Press, 1982. p.1542-1558.