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Ode on a Grecian Urn (1819) by John Keats. Beauty is truth, truth beauty.

Many of us have done our fair share of searching for a definition of “Art”. Some more than others, some with more success than others.

This poem by John Keats is most famous for the following last two lines, generally considered to be linked with the writings of Sir Joshua Reynolds.

This is because the whole technique of allusion, and even short quotation, was fundamental to the neoclassicism in which both Reynolds and his readers had been educated.

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” – that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 8th, 2008 at 4:22 pm and is filed under Artist Philosophies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Ode on a Grecian Urn (1819) by John Keats. Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”

  1. Searching for the Meaning of Art - Truth and Beauty. | Drawing Tutorials, Tips and Techniques says:
    August 8, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    [...] the 1819 ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ by John Keats ( read the entire poem here ), the most discussed two lines in all of Keats’s poetry say: “Beauty is truth, truth [...]

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