ode on a grayson perry urn Flashcards
How is the title significant?
The poem is an intertexual reference to John Keat’s ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’, where the narrator imagines the lives of people depicted on a Greek vase. Turnbull uses the same structure, but places the scene in the context of modern Britain
‘A kitschy vase…
…some Shirley Temple manque has knocked out’
What is the AO2? ‘a kitschy vase some Shirley Temple manque has knocked out’
The urn is initially seen as tacky and lacking skill or serious meaning
‘kids in cars…
…on crap estates, the Burberry clad louts’
What is the AO2? ‘kids in cars on crap estates, the Burberry clad louts’
The speaker views these people with disdain, shown through the use of tabloid-esque language and alliteration
‘creating bedlam…
…on the Queens highway’
What is the AO2? ‘creating bedlam on the Queen’s highway’
The use of a formal, traditional tone separates the speaker from young people
‘can, somehow, conjure…
…the scene without inducing fright, we would a Daily Express exposé’
What is the AO2? ‘can, somehow, conjure the scene without inducing fright, we would a Daily Express exposé’
Simile suggests how the speaker sees the urn as, in a way, magical - it vividly captures the complexity of modern Britain
What examples of onomatopoeia are used?
‘throaty turbo roar’,’ ‘screech of tyres’, ‘nervous squeals’ - used to capture the noise and energy of youth
‘too young to…
…quite appreciate the peril they are in’
What is the AO2? ‘too young to quite appreciate the peril they are in’
The lives of the teenagers are characterised by risk and danger, emphasised by ‘games of chlamydia roulette’
What is the effect of the enjambment?
To reiterate how their youthful confidence/freedom will be eternal
‘pumped on…
…youth and ecstasy, on alloy, bass and arrogance’
What is the AO2? ‘pumped on youth and ecstasy, on alloy, bass and arrogance’
The listing communicates the fullness and intensity of their lives
‘the bleached tarmac…
…of dead suburban streets’
What is the AO2? ‘the bleached tarmac of dead suburban streets’
Contrasts the vitality and vibrancy of the young people
‘who knew the truth…
…was all negotiable and beauty in the gift of the beholder’
What is the AO2? ‘who knew the truth was all negotiable and beauty in the gift of the beholder’
The speaker imagined future generations seeing the urn as a representation of a time that was simpler and more free
What is the AO2? ‘never to be deflated’
The teenagers’ youth seems immortal
