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Ode on a Grecian Urn

(7) Snow Line

The Romantic poets were often accused of sacrificing clarity of meaning for the sake of sound, and this poem makes that trade-off in several places, notably the end. Also, it uses old-fashioned words like "loth" and "timbrels," and makes casual reference to places, like Tempe and Arcadia, that most modern people have never heard of. In all, this is a tough poem, but far from impossible.