Poem: A Thing of Beauty

Poet: John Keats

John Keats was one of the main figures of the second generation of Romantic poets,
along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His work included Endymion, Isabella,
Lamia, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems. He died at a very early age of
twenty-five of tuberculosis after leaving an indelible mark on English poetry.

Theme
A thing of beauty is a source of constant joy. Beauty can be found everywhere. It is
something that has the ability to transform lives. It also highlights the fact that beauty
has a therapeutic quality, i.e. the ability to remove negativity. It can be any object,
nature, tales or even noble deeds of our ancestors.

Source
‘A Thing of Beauty’ is an excerpt from his poem, `Endymion: A Poetic Romance’ which
was first published in 1818. It begins with the line “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”.
Endymion is written in rhyming couplets also known as heroic couplets. The theme of
Endymion is love, beauty and youth and it reflects the poet’s attitude towards beauty.

Message

The poem conveys the message that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. It transcends
time. It will never fade away. Beauty has the power to remove darkness and negativity
and helps us survive when there is a ‘dearth of noble nature’ or when one is surrounded
by evil. It has a positive impact on one’s health. It helps one get sound sleep. Moreover,
it highlights the fact that beauty is not only physical but also spiritual and seems to flow
down from heaven as an ‘immortal drink’ made for man.

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:

Pass into nothingness; but will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and

quiet breathing.
a) Whose loveliness will keep increasing?

Answer : The loveliness of beautiful things will keep on increasing.

b) Identify the phrase which says that ‘it’ is immortal.

Answer : The phrase ‘it will never pass into nothingness’ says that it is immortal.

c) What is a ‘bower’?

Answer : A ‘bower” is a pleasant shady place.

d) Why do we need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives?

Answer : We need all these for a sound sleep, as it results in a healthy body and mind,
providing us tranquility and mental peace

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

a) Name the poem.

Answer : The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.

b) Who are the ‘mighty dead’ referred to here?

Answer : The ‘mighty dead’ referred to here are our ancestors, the great people of the
world who are worthy of respect.

c) What is the endless fountain of immortal drink?

Answer : The endless fountain of immortal drink are all the things of beauty that sustain
mankind.

d) What does the word, ‘brink’ mean?

Answer : The word ‘brink’ means ‘an edge at the top/the point of onset’.

Answer the following questions:

Question 1 : How can ‘mighty dead’ be things of beauty?

Answer : The ‘mighty dead’ refers to our forefathers. The glorious tales of our
forefathers fill us with a sense of pride and are also things of beauty as they fill us with
pleasure and motivation.

Question 2 : Which rich bounty has heaven given us?

Answer : Heaven has given us many bounties. Nature, with its virgin landscape and
innocent creatures, imparts an indelible impression of joyful experiences. The world of
art and literature provides perennial inspiration in the form of stories of the valiant, which
provide succor to us.

Question 3 : Mention any four things of beauty that add joy to our life.

Answer : The four things that add joy to our life are the sun, the moon, the clear streams
and old and young trees.

Question 4 : Mention any two things that cause pain and suffering.

Answer : The things which cause pain and suffering are sadness, hopelessness, lack of
noble qualities and an unhealthy and wicked style of living.

Question 5 : Which objects of nature does Keats mention as sources of joy in his poem,
‘A Thing of Beauty’?

Answer : The objects of nature mentioned by Keats as sources of joy in his poem ‘A
Thing of Beauty’ are the sun, the moon, old and young trees, clear water streams,
musk-roses and daffodil flowers.