More Than Just a Memory

In class yesterday, we talked about many different Romantic poets. One of the poets we talked about was John Keats. We read a poem written by him called "Ode to a Grecian Urn," that was about a stone Grecian vase. The urn that he was believed to be describing in the poem used to be on display in the British Museum, but it is no longer there. After class today, Abbie and I went back to the British Museum to try to find another vase that we could look at to get an idea of what he was writing about. When we got to the museum, it was absolutely packed with people. There were children running around everywhere, which made the experience more overwhelming than just the museum is in itself. It was a bit unpleasant at first trying to figure out where we needed to go to find what we were looking for, but along the way I saw some really interesting things that I had not seen the first time we went to the museum last week. As I saw these things, such as the Rosetta Stone and parts of the actual Parthenon, I realized how awesome of an opportunity it was to be able to see such a famous museum, especially for free! In the poem, Keats describes the vase as having two lovers about to kiss, a tree that will never have to shed its leaves, people chasing each other, people playing, and several other different scenes. He describes these particular scenes because he is trying to show how they are frozen in time. The two lovers are about to kiss and they will always be frozen in this perfect moment, always having the same feelings about each other as they do in that moment. They will never die and they will never experience highs or lows in their relationship. The vase that I found in the British Museum has a wedding scene on it. These people will always be frozen on such a happy moment in their life and will never have to experience the struggles and obstacles of their marriage. This vase, like the one Keats describes in his poem, tell stories. They are like a memory and they always stand outside of time and you can take them with you. They show many truths, like many pieces of art do. I think this concept of the vases serving as a memory you can hold onto forever relates to my time here in London. I will have lived in London for 3 weeks by the end of this trip. Since I have been learning things in class, as well as experiencing and learning things in person, I feel like this trip will be more than just a memory. Because I have been able to see many of the things we have been reading about and talking about, I feel like it will be a trip and an experience that I can always hold onto and learn from for the rest of my life.