Ode On A Grayson Perry Urn - Tim Turnbull

Question 1

What is Ode On A Grayson Perry Urn about? (2 points)

Answer 1

It is an intertextual analogy to John Keats’ Romantic poem Ode on a Grecian Urn which explores the way that the urn depicts lives from the classical world that are ‘frozen’ in time

Turnbull, however, makes a modern, satirical version of the classic poem by creating his own ode about a contemporary work by Grayson Perry that represents modern society and youth

Question 2

What is the structure of Ode On A Grayson Perry Urn? (4 points)

Answer 2

This poem is structured in a similar way to Keats’ ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ - both having five stanzas and ten lines per stanza

Both also have complex rhyme schemes; Turnbull’s pattern for all five stanzas is ABABCDEDCE

The metrical rhythm is iambic pentameter - used by Keats and Shakespeare, it usually creates a sense of elegance and solemnity but is humorous and satirical hee

Frequent use of enjambment between lines and between stanzas creates a rapid, free flow of humorous, somewhat cynical narrative

Question 3

What is the language and imagery of Ode On A Grayson Perry Urn? (4 points)

Answer 3

The voice is that of a third person narrator; whose personal sympathies are subtly conveyed

It sets an informal tone so that the reader is drawn in and can identify with the comments

Much of the language relates to modern urban culture e.g. the reference to housing estates and modern music genres and styles of underwear

Other language is more linked to an older generation — for example, ‘kitschy’, ‘manque’, and ‘louts’