Main theme: A Thing Of Beauty

The summary of the poem A thing of beauty is based on a Greek

legend where a young shepherd named Endymion had a vision of the
moon goddess, Cynthia. He made a commitment to go after her and
seek her. In his quest, he wanders into the woods and under the sea.

Here, the poet tells us that beautiful things bring pleasure and
happiness and give us an abundance of good reasons to feel happy
and energetic. Beauty is like a tonic and an endless fountain of nectar,
resulting in everlasting joy. It also takes away our sadness and gives us
many happy reasons to enjoy.
About the poet: A Thing Of Beauty
John Keats was a romantic poet and his poetry is characterized by
sensual imagery in his most popular work which is a series of odes. His
poems are one of the most beautiful creations in English literature.
The above-given poetry is an extract from his poem, -Endymion: A
poetic Romance-(1818), considered to be an epic poem.
Background
The poem is based on a Greek legend in which Endymion a handsome young
shepherd and poet that lived on Mount Latmos, had a vision of Cynthia, the moon
goddess. The enchanted youth resolved to seek her out and so wandered away
through the forest and down under the sea.

Central Idea
Beauty is a heavenly tonic/drink – an endless fountain of nectar. This beauty
comes in different forms– a tale, a poem, a play, a lovely object of nature or the
heavenly bodies. It soothes our spirits and gives us good health, sound sleep and
mental peace. It removes sadness from our lives and gives an everlasting joy.
A Thing of Beauty Summary In English
A thing of beauty is a constant source of joy. Its beauty keeps on
increasing. It never fades. It will never pass into nothingness. It provides us
a pleasant shelter—a quiet bower for us. It gives us peace and a sleep full
of sweet dreams. We are bound to the beauties of the earth.

We suffer from malice and disappointment. We lack good human qualities

and noble natures. We have some sad days also. All these things make our
life gloomy. We also develop unhealthy and evil ways that cause us
suffering and pain.

In spite of all these sufferings, some beautiful things remove the cover of
sad feelings from our hearts. All beautiful things of nature are a boon for
humanity. The sun, the moon, and old and young trees are sources of
happiness. They provide a shady shelter, which is a boon for simple sheep.
Daffodil flowers are blooming among the green surroundings. Small
streams with transparent water make a cooling shelter of thickets to
protect themselves from the hot season. Bushes are growing in the middle
of the forest. They have been made more beautiful and grand by a
sprinkling of blooming musk roses. This magnificence and beauty
surpasses grandeur of the dooms that we have imagined for our mighty
dead forefathers.

These beauties of nature are lovelier than all lovely tales that we have
heard or read. Nature is an endless fountain. It pours into our hearts an
immortal drink from the heaven’s brink.
A thing of beauty 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 Meaning : Bower: A shady place under the tree

Explanation of the poem passage above: 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: (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
POEM : 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 Meaning :
Morrow: The following day
Wreathing: surround, encircle
Despondence: depressed

Explanation of the poem passage above: 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

POEM : 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 Meaning :
Boon: blessing
Rills: a small stream
Brake: a process to slow down

Explanation of the poem passage above: 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.