A THING OF BEAUTY BY JOHN KEATS LINE BY LINE EXPLANATION AND NCERT QUESTIONS

POEM : A THING OF BEAUTY BY JOHN KEATS

   Romantic – It is used to describe literature ,music or art especially of the 19th century that is concerned with strong feelings, imagination ,and return to nature, rather than reason ,order and intellectual ideas.

Keats belonged to the 2nd generation of Romantic Poets. He was a worshipper of beauty. Beauty for him was the moving spirit of his life and art. The present poem is a statement of Keats’ conviction that beauty is a heavenly thing.

A THING OF BEAUTY LINE BY LI NE EXPLANATION

1.      A thing of beauty is a joy for ever

A beautiful thing is a source of never ending joy , perennial satisfaction and happiness. It leaves an indelible mark on our minds and we relive the joyful experience whenever we think about it

2.      Its loveliness increases

It becomes more enchanting with the passage of time. Whenever we think of a BEAUTIFUL THING , OUR JOY MULTIPLIES.

3.      it will never Pass into nothingness;

It is never forgotten and its loveliness never fades away. So the joy provided by a beautiful thing is eternal.

4.      but  will keep A bower quiet for us,

A beautiful thing is like a bower or a shady place , as it is a good source of peace and tranquillity. When we are tensed or tired , a beautiful thing or its memory heals the sorrow and gives relaxation to mind.

5.      and a sleep Full of sweet dreams,

Memories of beautiful objects come in form of sweet dreams when the person sleeps. So, a lovely object gives us sleep full of sweet dreams.

OR

Joy a person gets by visualizing a beautiful thing is similar to the joy of sound sleep with sweet dreams.

6.      and health, and quiet breathing.

It is also the source of peace and health .Beautiful sights act like nutrition for a mind and thus relax and refresh us. We experience a sense of peace and serenity on seeing a beautiful thing and thinking about it. It drives away aggression and restlessness.

7.      Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth,

A natural object in the form of flower is used which strengthens our attachment to the earth. Flowers are nature’s best morning gifts.

8.      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

Despair ,dejection and pessimism prevails around the world. There is also a cruel shortage of good and generous people. (Gloomy days : sad ,dismal and troublesome days.

Unhealthy and over darkened ways: difficult, dangerous and unknown paths or roads on which the person treads)

In his journey of life human being encounters trials , tribulations and adversities. But he tries to escape the darkness (troubles and ignorance). He searches the path out of darkness towards light , optimism and knowledge.

9.      yes, in spite of all, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits.

In spite of experiencing sadness and remorse ,man is able to find his happiness in some form of beauty which drives away sadness from dark or gloomy life. Beautiful object removes cloud or curtain of darkness. (pall: thick dark cloud or shroud)

10.  Such the sun, the moon, Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon For simple sheep;

The poet lists the objects of beauty. Some are heavenly bodies such as sun and moon.  Trees whether old or young provide shelter to the sheep. (Shady boon : Nature in the form of trees bless the sheep with pleasant shade) Sheep are called simple as lambs and sheep are envisioned as the embodiment of innocent and serene beauty. Jesus Christ , as an apostle of peace , was a shepherd and was seen surrounded by his flock of sheep.  So the sheep is shown as a symbol of divine beauty.

11.  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 daffodils are encased in the green leaves. True joy and happiness can be enjoyed by looking at daffodils in lush green meadows and pastures. Rills or streams flow through the shady passage which they make to protect themselves from heat.

12.  the mid-forest brake, Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:

In the thick forests , thickets or bushes are covered with scented flowers. It seemed that the flowers have been sprinkled on the bushes.

13.  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:

The blossoming of beauty is to be experienced in the grandeur of the death of those mighty and powerful kings and knights who fought bravely and died noble deaths. So , the beauty is visible in tragedies as we admire the tragic end of such mighty souls.

14.  An endless fountain of immortal drink, Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

Beautiful objects are like a perennial fountain falling from the edge of heaven , from which we receive the elixir of life. Beautiful objects are the gift of God  which has been showered from heaven.

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.

Questions :

a.       How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?

                      - It never passes into nothingness.

- Its loveliness and beauty goes on increasing.

b. How does the poet attribute beauty for sound physical and mental health?

c.  What kind of a sleep does it provide?

Comprehension Questions	Answers
1. What is being said by John Keats to be ‘a joy forever’?	1. The poet says that a thing of beauty is a joy forever.
2. What is peculiar about a beautiful thing?	2. A beautiful thing is a source of joy forever. Its loveliness goes on enhancing.
3. What can a beautiful thing do for the human beings?	3. A beautiful thing gives us a sleep full of sweet dreams, health and a peaceful breathing.
4. In what way does beauty keep a bower quiet for us?	4. When we tired, tensed, the thing of beauty heals our sorrows and restores happiness for us again. Provides peace and relaxation

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:

Questions:

a. What are we doing every day

b. Is the poet happy with the human beings? Why?

c. What does ‘inhuman dearth of noble nature’ lead to?

e. Explain: “o’ er darkened ways”

Comprehension Questions	Answers
1. Why are we weaving a flowery band?	1. We are weaving a flowery band that keeps us bound to the earth.
2. What dearth does the poet talk of?	2. It is the dearth of noble natures among the human beings.
3. What are the evil things that one possess?	3. We possess malice of disappointment, lack of noble qualities and unhealthier ways.

3. ..................................... yes, in spite of all,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall

From our dark spirits. 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;

Questions :

a.       What does the word ‘all’ in line 1 stand for?

b.       What sprouts a shady boon for sheep and how?

c.        Mention some of the things from the world of Nature that move away the pall from our dark spirits.

d.      What do streams do?

e.        How do ‘daffodils’ and ‘rills’ enrich the environment?

1. What removes away the pall from our evil spirits?	1. Some shape of beauty removes away the pall from our evil spirits
2. Who do germinate a shady boon and for whom?	2.  The trees, both old and young, and the nature germinate a shady boon for sheep and the human beings.
3. What is the common thing that the poet points out?	3. The poet points out that nature has endless things of beauty. It gives us happiness.

4. .................................... the mid forest brake,

Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose bloom;

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 into us from the heaven’s brink

Questions :

a.What makes the mid forest brake rich?

b. What is the beautiful scene that one sees in the middle of the forest?

c. Whom does the word ‘mighty dead’ refer to?

d. How are ‘lovely tales’ a thing of beauty?

e. To what does the poet compare the lovely tales?

f. Explain ‘the grandeur of the doom’.

g. What is the source of the ‘endless fountain of immortal drink’?