Read the passage from "Ode on a Grecian Urn." Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes,
play on; Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd, Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone: Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare; Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair! Based on the word choice, the speaker's overall tone is
angry
.
encouraging.
mournful.
loving.
In this poem, the author is discussing a scene that appears on an urn. In this scene, a man is chasing a woman, and a young man is playing the pipes. The speaker is fascinated with the scene, and the fact that it will last forever. His tone is encouraging, as he tells the young man to continue playing the pipes. He also tells the lover to not be sad, because even though he will never get to kiss the girl (as the scene is trapped in time), the girl will always remain beautiful, and he will always love her. The tone encourages the images to be happy to be trapped in such beautiful, happy scenes.
