Synaesthesia in Ode on A Grecian Urn

We have discussed before my use of synaesthetic imagery.

What is it?

A literary term for an image that combines two or more of the senses or physical sensations normally considered as seperate (ie. sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, temperature, weight, pressure, hunger, thirst, sexuality, and movement), that in other words attributes the traits of one sense to another.

Believe it or not, it is also a condition that around 1 in 2000 people have!

Synaesthesia in Ode on a Grecian Urn

"Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:"

The urn here is described in terms of its visual qualities ("flowery"), its ability to metaphorically speak to its audience and thus be heard ("express", "tale"), and how this appeals to taste ("sweetly").





Effects

Of course, it's no good just identifying my images. You must also explain what effects, or what functions they have in the poetry. It is your explanations of this that will truly show your understanding of my literature.

Firstly, and most obviously, this combining of sensations allows my poems to have a truly sensual flavour, appealing to the whole range of human sensations.


Secondly, consider the tenets of the Romantic movement, and how this may demonstrate them - the emphasis on unity, of a harmony involved in human experience and our perception of the world. Consider how my practice of synaesthesia may allow me to suggest this oneness of experience, the immediacy and completeness of our experiences with the world around us.
TASK

• Can you find another synaesthetic image in my poem, 
• quote it,
• explainwhat senses it refers to,
  and provide an explanation ofeffects? (Use what you have read above to help...)
• Upload it to your blog under the heading "Synaesthesia in Ode on a Grecian Urn" (including a suitable picture if you have time...