A Thing of Beauty

Given below is the Question Bank which has been divided into 3 sections. Answering the highlighted questions of
Sections A and B is compulsory. You may attempt to answer the challenging questions Section C too. Write the
answers in your note book.

Section A

1. How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?

2. Describe any two things mentioned by Keats in “A Thing of Beauty” which cause suffering and pain.
3. What proves a blessing for the sheep?
4. Where do daffodils bloom?
5. What prove to be pleasant shelters in summer?
6. Explain the expression “A bower quiet for us”.
7. What, according to the poet must we do every morning?
8. What removes the pall from our dark spirits?
9. What sprouts a shady boon for sheep and how?
10. What does the poet mean by the first line of the poem?
11. What is the source of the ‘endless fountain’ and what is its effect?
12. What is endearing about the simple sheep?
13. Why are the feats and legends of heroes a thing of beauty?
14. What does ‘pall’ refer to? How can we remove this from our lives?
15. How do clear rills make our life worth living?
16. What can bring us joy in the middle of a forest?
17. What makes us love life in spite of sufferings? Where can we find solace and comfort?

Section B

18. What is the special virtue of a beautiful thing? How does it bless us?
19. What do you mean by ‘the grandeur of the dooms’?
20. Why does the poet say ‘mighty dead’?
21. Why do we wreathe a flowery band?
22. What is the message of the poem?
23. Explain: ‘Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing.’
24. Explain: ‘Spite of despondence.’
25. How can we say there is inhuman dearth of noble natures’?
26. Explain: ‘unhealthy and o’er darkened ways.’
27. What does in ‘spite of all’ refer to?
28. What image does Keats use to describe the bounty of the earth?
29. Explain: ‘Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.’
30. What are the pains and sufferings that humans have to endure? What makes them love life in spite of this?
31. Make a Mind Map with the following Master Points of the poem:
A beautiful thing is a source of everlasting joy. • It lifts man’s spirits. • It has a soothing effect on the soul of man. • It promotes
health and happiness. • That is why we must keep memories (garlands) of beautiful things every day to help us in our times of
need. • The world is full of sorrows and sadness. This is caused by i) disappointments. ii) Ill health. iii) Gloom iv) Scarcity of good
people on the earth (inhuman dearth of noble natures) 7 • In spite of this we can find comfort and solace in beauty. • This can
be found in two aspects i) Nature- such as the sun, the moon, trees, clear streams, daffodils and the musk rose. ii) Legends of
heroes- stories we may have heard or read speak of the splendour and glory of legendary heroes. The lovely tales are also a
thing of beauty. • A thing of beauty is not only a source of continuous joy, but it is like a blessing from heaven.

Section C

1. The poems of Keats renews in every readers a pure love for life. Explain the line with reference to the
romantic strain of his writing.