Ode on a Grecian urn
What does "all breathing human passion far above" mean in line 28?
English help needed
This is a good analysis of the poem:
http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/keats/section4.rhtml
He is talking of his love who is frozen in time...never changing on the urn.
who are the two main characters in the story
To understand the meaning of "all breathing human passion far above" in line 28 of "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats, let's break it down and examine the context of the line.
The full stanza containing this line is as follows:
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
In the previous lines, the speaker has been admiring the scenes depicted on the ancient Grecian urn, frozen in time and immortalized in art. The urn represents timeless beauty and perfection, untouched by the transience of life.
The line "all breathing human passion far above" refers to the fact that the passions and emotions of mortal humans are insignificant compared to the enduring beauty captured on the urn. "Breathing human passion" indicates the fleeting and transient nature of human emotions, which come and go with the breath of life. By contrast, the beauty and artistry displayed on the urn remain unchanged, unaffected by the passage of time.
In this context, "far above" suggests a sense of superiority or transcendence. It implies that the immortal beauty represented by the scenes on the urn transcends the limited and temporary nature of human emotions.
So, in summary, the line "all breathing human passion far above" conveys the idea that the enduring beauty depicted on the Grecian urn is superior to and unaffected by the fleeting and temporary emotions experienced by mortal humans.