Read the excerpt. heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; not to the sensual ear, but, more endeared, 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; which statement best summarizes what is happening with the piper in these lines “ode on a grecian urn” by john keats? fall is coming and the piper is close to death. the songs are sweet to the ear, lovely to listen to. the songs the piper is playing are out of tune and jarring to the ear. the piper and his song are frozen in time.