CLASS: XII

A THING OF BEAUTY
JOHN KEATS

INTRODUCTION
A Thing of Beauty is a poem written by the famous romantic poet, John Keats. The poem tells
about how nature and its wonder mesmerize us and take away all the sorrow that surrounds us
from time to time. He says that a beautiful thing is a source of endless joy. It has eternal beauty
which never fades away.
Nature as an Eternal Antidote to Human Miseries:-
Through this verse, the poet has advocated that the various elements of nature like the sun, the
moon, the beautiful flowers, the clear streams of water, the fair-musk roses etc. serve as an
antidote to the miseries of human beings. It is through these elements of nature that human
beings become empowered enough to not be adversely affected by the complexities of their
lives.
The Grandeur of the Mighty Dead:-
The poet also glorifies the sacrifices of the mighty dead and advocates that their tales of bravery
serve as a source of inspiration for everyone. Human beings, therefore, consider the mighty dead
as the benchmark of courage and they seek both ecstasy as well as inspiration by listening or
reading to their stories of bravery.
Answer the Following Questions:
Q1. What does the line, “Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth suggest
to you?
A. 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.
Q2. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
A. The eternal beauty of various things gives us happiness and relaxation. It makes us love life in
spite of life’s troubles and sufferings.
Q3. Why is grandeur associated with the -mighty dead?
A. 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.
Q4. Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting
impression on us?
A. 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.
Q5. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
A. The beautiful bounty of the earth is described by endless 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.
Q6. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Ans. The poet creates the image of ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink’ that pours joys on to
us from the edge of heaven. These are the beautiful things in nature or man-made objects that he
calls ‘immortal drink’.
Q7. What is the cause of our ‘gloomy days’ and ‘dark spirits’?
Ans. Our own acts of unkindness, cruelty and malice towards others, make our days sad and
gloomy. We also get disappointed due to the lack of human values and nobility around us.
Q8. How does a thing of beauty provide us shelter and comfort?
Ans. Nature bestows us with things of rare beauty. It has created the shade of trees to make us
feel comfortable and peaceful in it so that we are able to enjoy sound sleep, sweet dreams and
good health. Similarly, beautiful things like the sun and moon have the power to lift our spirits.
Q9. What spreads the pall of despondency over our dark spirits? How is it removed?
Ans. Man makes his life miserable and full of suffering because of his own actions. The pall of
despondency is the sadness that is a result of what he does. A thing of beauty works wonders by
removing the cover of gloom that engulfs man.
POETIC DEVICES
1. Metaphor:
‘bower quiet’-refers to a quiet shady part in the garden
‘sweet dreams’-happy dreams
‘wreathing a flowery band’-connecting to nature
‘endless fountain of immortal drink’- refers to the deeds of great men and women that have
made them a source of inspiration for people of all times
The list of beautiful things is metaphors and symbols of nature.
 2. Alliteration:
`noble natures’
‘cooling covert’
‘band to bind’
3. Imagery:
‘flowery bands’
‘shady boon’
‘clear rills’
‘daffodils in green world’
‘grandeur of dooms’
‘cooling covert’
‘endless fountain of eternal drink’
4. ‘Transferred epithet:
‘gloomy days’
‘unhealthy and o’er darkened ways’
5. Oxymoron
‘ mighty dead’