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The Keats Question

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39b56a12bd15a0676c0d451339eb06e4

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“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

Really? Is that true? What do you think?

Discuss.

April 10th, 2014
1358289762_119117_av-8bit_black_mage

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I think Keats himself wavers on this even given his similar statements in the letters.

The Grecian Urn speaks the lines imo for reading the poem. I agree with the gist of what Keats is getting at with this statement though:

that, in our daily lives, we often are distracted by extraneous details and only somethings (beauty) are worthwhile (true).

April 11th, 2014
61f70ff83dc8499558f1539c19341e04

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AFAIK critics have been arguing about this for centuries– which speaks to the power of the line. Now let us all reflect on this abomination and look to prevent it from ever happening again:

April 12th, 2014
39b56a12bd15a0676c0d451339eb06e4

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@stephen_j_p I got you beat on this one. I once typed the line into google and got this: “anal and vaginal bleaching, don’t be fooled by cheap imitators.”

April 13th, 2014
Wkxyblsbtg229dunszd5

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@stupidpoet – Clearly that’s what the urn SHOULD have said.

April 13th, 2014
61f70ff83dc8499558f1539c19341e04

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@stupidpoet Haha! The arbitrariness of our most powerful search engines. Not forgetting this:

[When the commandant shows the Simpsons a classroom]

Cadet: Truth is beauty, beauty truth, sir!

Lisa: They’re discussing poetry! Oh, they never do that at my school.

Teacher: But the truth can be harsh and disturbing! How can that be considered beautiful?

Marge: Well, they sure sucked the fun out of that poem.

April 15th, 2014
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