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A Thing of beauty summary, ABOUT THE POET, John Keats (1795-1821), was one of the most prominent Romantic poets. His poetic works contain an extensive range of poetic forms from sonnet to Spenserian romance to Miltonic epic., John Keats was born in London in the year 1795 and died in Rome in 1821 at the young age of 25 due to illness. He is a romantic poet and his poetry is characterized by sensual imagery in his most popular work which is a series of odes, (a lyrical poem which is meant for a particular subject). Today, his poems are one of the most sought after creations in English literature. The above given poetry is an excerpt from his poem, -Endymion : A poetic Romance-(1818), considered to be an epic poem., Poem Theme, ‘A Thing of Beauty’ is an excerpt from John Keat’s poem ‘Endymion: A Poetic Romance', which is based on a Greek legend. Being a romantic poet, John Keats talks about love, beauty and youth in this poem. In fact, the poem reflects his attitude towards beauty. The poet believes that beauty is intransient and gives us the same pleasure again and again. It provides us with eternal joy and never fades away. Beauty plays a very important role in our life and helps us to remain happy and joyful in this sad, mundane world., Background of the poem, Based on Greek mythology about a shepherd named Endymion, his quest for his love Diana and how in his quest, he falls in love with an Earthly maiden, who later turns out to be Diana herself., Poem Summary, John Keats says that beautiful things make an everlasting impression on our minds. These things give us peace of mind and pleasure. Beautiful things act as a shade under which we can sleep soundly and have sweet dreams. These have the power to bind us to the earth. In spite of a life which is full of disappointments, despondence, sad happenings and tribulations, beautiful things make our life worth living by providing us with hope and enthusiasm., The poet gives some examples of such beautiful things which give us eternal joy. These are simple things like the sun, the moon, different kinds of trees, etc. According to him, even common things like flock of sheep, daffodils, springs of water, musk roses growing in wild forest are beautiful things, which give us joy and delight. Even the legends of the ‘mighty’ dead are counted as beautiful things, because they have the same effect on the human spirit., Conclusion : The poet concludes by saying that in spite of these beautiful things, beauty of nature remains incomparable. The beauty of nature is like an endless fountain pouring on us from Heaven. These are the never-diminishing and endless source of pleasure and delight and a precious gift from Heaven., OR, ‘A Thing of Beauty– is a poem taken from the poem titled – “Endymion – a poetic romance’ written by the famous poet John Keats. The poet says that a beautiful thing is a source of endless joy. It has eternal beauty which never fades away. A beautiful thing is like a shady shelter which gives us a sleep full of sweet dreams, good health and relaxation., Our attachments to the Earthly things are like a flowery wreath. They are traps which bind us to the materialistic things and keeps us away from eternal happiness. The Earth is full of hatred, greed and negativity. According to the poet, the gloom and sadness caused by this negativity fades away with the positive vibes of the beautiful things that surround us., The poet lists out some of the beautiful things that surround us. As the saying goes –“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. He says that the numerous creations of God like the Sun which gives us energy, the moon‘s beauty, the trees which give us shade are the natural beauties around us. The various animals like the sheep that surround us make our world lively. The pretty flowers like daffodils make the world green and lively. The flowing streams of water cool and refresh us in the hot summer season. The forests which are full of the pretty musk rose flowers are a beautiful sight to the eye. All these are the things of beauty. Also, the stories of the brave soldiers who laid their lives to protect their people are beautiful and inspiring. These beautiful things are like a fountain of immortality bestowed upon us by God. They inspire us to live on and maintain our faith in goodness., Poem Explanation, A thing of beauty is a joy forever, Its loveliness increases, it will never, Pass into nothingness, but will keep, A bower quiet for us, and a sleep, Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing., Word meanings, Bower: A shady place under the tree, Explanation, The poet says that beauty stays forever. It never fades away. Rather, it increases with the passing time. The perception of the poet regarding beauty is that it never goes off with the passing time, rather it beautifies more and more. For the poet, beauty is like a beautiful shady tree under whose shade all the creatures can sleep peacefully and enjoy good health., Literary devices:, Rhyme scheme: aabbc (forever, never, keep, sleep, breathing), Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in series (Sleep-Sweet), Metaphor: bower Quiet (calmness of the bower is compared to the calming effect of a beautiful thing), Questions, (a)Name the poem and the poet of these lines., (b)How is a thing of beauty a joy for ever ?, ©What do you understand by a ‘bower’?, (d)What kind of sleep does it provide?, Answers:, (а)The poem is A Thing of Beauty. The poet is John Keats., (b)A thing of beauty is the source of constant joy. Its beauty goes on increasing. It will never pass into nothingness., ©A bower is a pleasant place in the shade under a tree. It protects persons/animals from the hot rays of the sun., (d)It provides us a sound sleep, full of sweet dreams, health and peaceful breathing., Questions, (a) Whose loveliness will keep on increasing ?, (b) Identify the phrase which says that ‘it is immortal’., (c) Why do we need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives ?, Answers, (a) The loveliness of things of beauty will keep on increasing., (b) The phrase that says it is immortal is ‘never passes into nothingness’., (c) We need all these things so that we can enjoy the things of beauty., 2. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing, A flowery band to bind us to the earth,, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth, Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,, Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways, Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall, From our dark spirits., Word meanings, Morrow: The following day, Wreathing: surround, encircle, Despondence: depressed, Gloomy: sad, Explanation, The poet says that every day, it is the beauty which fills us with the spirit to live. It is the beauty which builds the desire in us to live though there are sad moments and cruel people around us. So here the poet wants to say that without beauty the earth will be full of cruel people, sad and gloomy moments. It is the beauty which is created by god which helps us to remove the sadness from our hearts., Literary devices:, Anaphora: Use of same word in two consecutive lines (of noble natures- Of all the unhealthy), Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in series (‘b’ in Band Bind, ‘n’ in Noble nature, ‘s’ in some shape)., Metaphor: wreathing a flowery band (the beautiful things of our life bind us to the earth), Imagery: creating a sensory effect of beautiful things lined up in a string ( A flowery band to bind us), Inversion: normal order of words is reversed ( Are we wreathing a flowery band), Questions, (a)Name the poem and the poet., (b)Why are we despondent?, ©What removes the pall from our dark spirits?, (d) What are we doing every day?, Answers:, (а)The poet is John Keats. The poem is A Thing of Beauty., (b)We possess the evil qualities of malice and disappointment. We suffer from the lack of noble qualities. That is why we feel despondent., © Some beautiful shapes or a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness from our hearts or spirits., (d) We are weaving a flowery wreath to bind us to the beauties of the earth., Questions, (a) What is the flowery band that binds us to the earth ?, (b) What does the poet mean by ‘spite of despondence’ ?, (c) What message is conveyed through these lines ?, Answers, (a) The flowery band here means things of beauty. It is only because of the things of beauty that we can continue to live on this earth., (b)It means a lot of disappointment and sadness on the Earth., (c) The message conveyed through these lines is that it is only because of things of beauty that we are able to live on this earth. Otherwise there is so much grief on this earth that it would have become impossible without things of beauty., 3.Such the sun, the moon,, Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon, For simple sheep; and such are daffodils, With the green world they live in; and clear rills, That for themselves a cooling covert make, ‘Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake, Word meanings, Boon: blessing, Rills: a small stream, Brake: a process to slow down, Explanation, Here the poet describes the beautiful things which are present on earth. These are the sun, moon, trees, flowers (daffodils) and the rivers. Poet says that all these things are like a blessing bestowed on all the creatures by earth. He further describes that the trees provide us with their shade, flowers with their beauty and rivers with their coolness during the hot summers. All of these are the beauties of nature which are like a boon for us., Literary devices:, Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in series (‘s’ in Sprouting Shady, Simple sheep, ‘c’ in cooling covert), Imagery: Trees giving shade (sprouting shady boon), growing process of daffodils (daffodils with the green world they live in), Clean river streams (Clear rills), Antithesis: opposite words placed together (old and young), Questions, (а) What sprouts a shady boon for sheep and how?, (b) How do ‘daffodils’ and ‘rills’ enrich the environment?, (c) What makes the mid-forest brake rich?, Answers, Old and young trees sprout to make a green covering. It proves a blessing for simple sheep as it serves them as a shelter., Daffodils bloom among the green surroundings. The rills or small streams of clear water make a cooling shelter for themselves against the hot season., The mid forest brake is made rich by the blooming of beautiful musk-roses., Questions, (a) What is meant by ‘o’er darkened ways’ ?, (b) What does some shape of beauty do ?, (c) What idea is conveyed by these lines ?, Answers, (a) The o’er darkened ways’ means the mysterious things that human beings fail to understand., (b) It removes the shroud of sadness from our spirit., (c) The poet means to say that only the things of beauty make our life possible on this earth, 4.Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;, And such too is the grandeur of the dooms, We have imagined for the mighty dead;, All lovely tales that we have heard or read;, An endless fountain of immortal drink,, Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink, Word meanings, Grandeur: high rank or socially important, Mighty: enormous, Immortal: never dying, Brink: edge, Explanation, The poet further carries on with the description of the more beautiful things present on earth. Such as the beautiful musk roses which have such a nice fragrance. Then he describes the tales of the mighty warriors who laid their lives for their countries or for humanity. He says that these beautiful things are the gifts from god for all of us. They are like a nectar given by god to us and these are those beauties which are immortal and give us a reason to live on this earth despite having so many sorrows in our life., Literary devices:, Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in series (‘h’ in have heard), Metaphor: Immortal drinks ( beautiful objects of nature are forever like a neverending portion of a drink), Rhyme: Rhyme scheme is used in every stanza of the poem (forever; never, keep; sleep, dead; read etc.), Imagery: Bushes full of musk roses (sprinkling of fair musk rose blooms), books describing valor of fighters (grandeur-..mighty dead), god providing us with best things (pouring from the heaven’s brink), Questions, (a)Explain: ‘the grandeur of the dooms’., (b) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines‘?, © What image does the poet use in these lines?, Answers:, (a)The magnificence that we imagine for our mighty dead forefathers on the dooms day., (b) The lovely tales of mighty men are mentioned in these lines., (c)The poet uses the image of ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink' to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth. The earth has bestowed us with sun, moon, flowers, rivers, greenery etc., Questions, (a) What have we imagined for the mighty dead ?, (b) Who are these mighty dead ?, © What lovely tales does the poet talk of ?, Answers, (a) We have imagined that mighty dead would get due reward of their deeds on the day of judgement., (b) These mighty deads are those persons who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of mankind., (c) The poet talks of the tales of the bravery of the mighty dead., Question Answers, Q1. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem., Ans: - The Sun, The Moon, Shady trees, Beautiful daffodil flowers, Streams of water, Dense green bushes of forest ferns where fragrant musk roses grow, Tales of heroic men who sacrifice their lives., Q2. List the things that cause suffering and pain, Ans:- Desire to offend others, Hopelessness, Lack of noble men, Bad health, Unhappiness, Gloom, Darkness, Q3.What does the line, “Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth suggest to you?, Ans:-It means that we get attached to the beautiful things around us and weave a pretty band which binds us with our life, it becomes the reason for us to live., Q4. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?, Ans:-The eternal beauty of various things gives us happiness and relaxation. It makes us love life inspite of life’s troubles and sufferings., Q5.Why is grandeur associated with the -œmighty dead?, Ans:-The noble deeds of the brave men who sacrificed their lives are an inspiration for us forever. The beautiful legacy of their bravery is the grandeur which is associated with the mighty dead., Q6.Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us?, Ans:-According to the poet, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Even if we see it for a few moments, it has a lasting impression on us and its beautiful memory stays with us forever. It inspires us to live, despite the ruthlessness of life., Q7What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?, Ans:-The beautiful bounty of the earth is described by -œendless fountain of immortal drink- which signifies that God bestows us with all his beautiful creations which help us live despite the sad, gloomy aspects of life., EXTRA QUESTIONS, SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS, Q1. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?, Ans: According to John Keats a thing of beauty is a joy of forever. It is a constant source of happiness and pleasure. Its loveliness increases every moment. It will never pass into nothingness. In other words, a thing of beauty is never devalued., Q2. How does a thing of beauts provide us shelter and comfort?, Ans: John Keats is a great Romantic poet. He is rich in sensuous imagery. Nature provides us things of rare beauty. It keeps a bower quiet for us.A bower is a pleasant place in the shade under a tree. A thing of beauty also provides us peace and security. We enjoy a sound sleep which is full of sweet dreams, health and peaceful breathing., Q3. How do us bind our self to the earth every morning?, Ans: All the Romantic poets stress upon the relationship between man and nature. Keats believes that there is an unbreakable bond which binds man with nature and the earth. The beauties of the earth fascinate man. Every object of nature is a source of beauty and happiness. Everyday we are weaving a wreath of flowers. This flowery band binds us to the beauties of this earth., Q4. What are the things that cause miseries, sorrows and sufferings to man ?, Ans: Man himself is the root cause of all his sufferings. We suffer from malice and distress because we lack human qualities that makes us inhuman. Our life becomes gloomy. We cultivate unhealthy and evil ways. All such things bring miseries, sorrows and sufferings to man., Q5. What spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it removed?, Ans: Man is the creator of his woes. His own nature and actions make his life miserable. He faces miseries and pains. A pall of despondence covers his dark spirits. A thing of beauty provides a ray of hope to man. Some shape of beauty works wonders amid these sorrows and sufferings. It is a thing of beauty that removes the pall of despondence over our dark spirits., Q6. Name the beauties of nature that are constant source of joy and happiness to man., Ans: Nature is a store house of beauty. The beauties of nature are endless. The sun, the moon, old and young trees, beautiful daffodil flowers and green surroundings are some of such beautiful things. Small streams with clear water, thick mass of ferns, thickets of forest and musk-rose are some other things of beauty. All such things of beauty are a constant source of joy and happiness to man, Q7. Why and how is ‘grandeur associated with the ‘mighty dead’?, Ans: The dooms day is considered the day of judgement, when the dead will receive what is due to them. Our mighty dead forefathers earned name and fame with their noble deeds. It is hoped that they will be rewarded with rare magnificence and grandeur., Q8. How is a thing of beauty lovelier than all the lovely tales we have heard and read?, Ans: All beautiful things of nature are a boon for humanity. The magnificence and beauty of objects of nature surpasses the grandeur of dooms that we have imagined for our mighty dead forefathers. It is lovelier than all the lovely tales that we have heard or read., Q9. What is the source of the ‘endless fountain’ and what is its effect?, Ans: A fountain of eternal joy‘and immortality pours into the heart and soul of man. It flows right from the heavens brink and pours into the human heart.It is like an immortal nectar. The immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours into our hearts is a source of immense joy for us., Q10. What is the message for the theme) of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’?, Ans: The very first line contains the message that John Keats, the great Romantic poet, wants to convey. Keats was a worshipper of beauty. For him beauty was truth and truth, beauty. Hence, for him a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Beauty never fades. Nor is it ever devalued. It never passes into nothingness. When we are full of sorrows and sufferings, some form of beauty comes to our rescue. It removes the pall of sadness and sorrows and gives us joy and pleasure. Thus, beauty is a boon for human beings., Long Answer Questions, Question 1.Write in brief the summary of this poem., Answer:The poet says that it is some thing of beauty that provides joy forever. Then poet lists some things that are source of beauty. He says the sun, the moon, beautiful flowers, young trees and simple sheep are all things of beauty. The poet says that there is so much grief on this earth that the life would become impossible without any thing of beauty. It is something or the other thing of beauty that binds us to the earth., Then the poet describes about the mighty dead of this earth. These people have laid down their lives for the sake of mankind. The poet says that they will get their due reward on the day of judgement. The poet compares the things of beauty with a fountain pouring out immortal drink from the brink of heaven., Question 2.Write in brief the central idea of the poem., Answer: In this poem, the poet says that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. He compares a thing of beauty with a bower, where we can enjoy sweet sleep. Then the poet mentions many things of beauty. He says that there is so much grief and sadness on this earth that we can sustain our life only because of the things of beauty., He compares the things of beauty with ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink‘. In this way the poet underlines the fact that we should preserve and take care of the things of beauty. They are joy not for ourselves but also for our coming generations., Question 3. How does Keats show his unhappiness with his fellow human beings?, Answer: Keats shows his unhappiness by saying that there are only few people, who are noble in character and who rise above pretty differences by being magnanimous and generous. There is a dearth of such noble souls on our earth; as man is selfish and self-centred.Trials and tribulations of life spread the pall of despondence over our dark spirits. We can remove it by making life worthwhile by enjoying the beautiful things of life bestowed upon us by nature, but we are keen on destroying them.