Rhyme Scheme: It is written in rhyming couplets. The rhyme scheme is aa bb.

Context

This poem is based on a Greek legend about Endymion, a young shepherd, and Selene, the moon
goddess. Endymion used to see Selene in his dreams and then he decided to look out for her. On his
journey, he saw numerous things including mountains, seas, forests, etc, and he found everything he
saw to be beautiful.

Stanza 1

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.

Explanation

Throughout the stanza, the poet tells us about the importance of beautiful things. He says a beautiful
thing brings joy till eternity. Its beauty keeps amplifying instead of decreasing. Beauty also provides
us with a shaded sleep full of beautiful dreams, good health, and peace. It creates overall a relaxing
and rejuvenating atmosphere around us.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter s in sleep-sweet.

ii. Enjambment - The sentence is being continued to the next line without break. It has been used
throughout the stanza.

Stanza 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 oer-darkened ways

Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall

From our dark spirits.

Explanation

In this stanza, the poet talks about the everyday struggle of a persons life. He says that every day we
have to face various problems, failures, sorrows, and depressions, etc. but it is the thing of beauty
that works to remove all gloomy dark clouds away from our lives. He also mentions that the plenty of
beautiful things that we see around us works as a garland to bind us and bring us closer to the Earth.

Poetic Devices

i. Anaphora - It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines -

(Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,

Of all the unhealthy and oer-darkened ways)

ii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter:

B in "band to bind"

N in "noble natures"

S in "some shape."

iii. Metaphor - The poet has used the phrase wreathing a flowery band to show how beautiful things
bind humans to Earth.

iv. Inversion - The format of the sentence has been changed throughout the stanza.

v. Imagery - The poet has used words that create sensory effect about how beautiful things are
arranged - A flowery band to bind us to the earth.
vi. Enjambment - The sentence is being continued to the next line without break. It has been used
throughout the stanza.

Stanza 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

Explanation

In this stanza, the poet is mentioning the simple common things that we can easily observe around
us. He is mentioning the celestial bodies, the components of nature, and even the sheep, which was
the animal that Endymion used to see every day as a shepherd. He wants the readers to understand
that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder'. If we want we can see everything around us to be
beautiful no matter how common or small the thing is. In the last few lines, he talks about how
powerful nature is. It has the power to nourish and foster the growth of hundreds of trees which
when fully grown provides us with shelter and a lot of other things.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter:
S in "Sprouting Shady, Simple sheep."

C in "cooling covert."

ii. Imagery - The poet has given the visual description of a lot of things in this stanza - (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).

iii. Antitheses - The poet has used two words opposite in meaning - Trees old, and young.

iv. Enjambment - The sentence is being continued to the next line without break. It has been used
throughout the stanza.

Stanza 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 heavens brink

Explanation

The forest becomes remarkably pleasing to the eyes when it is flooded with musk roses. He says that
the legendary tales of mighty warriors that we read or listen to are also just another form of beauty
as beauty doesn't have any definite form. Again, in the last stanza the poet says, there are going to
be difficulties and problems in everyone's life as life is incomplete without sufferings but if we keep
focusing on the nectar of beauty that the god pours from above, we can lead a happy life.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter - h in have heard.

ii. Metaphor - The poet has compared the components of nature with immortal drinks.

iii. Imagery - The poet has given the visual description of a lot of things in this stanza - Rich with a
sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms.

iv. Enjambment - The sentence is being continued to the next line without break. It has been used
throughout the stanza.