A Thing of Beauty Explanation

A thing of beauty is a joy foreverIts 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.
Bower: A shady place under the tree
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: aabbc (forever, never, keep, sleep, breathing)
Metaphor: bower Quiet (calmness of the bower is compared to the calming effect
of a beautiful thing)

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
,Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in
series (Sleep-Sweet)
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.

Morrow: The following day

Wreathing: surround, encircle

Despondence: depressed

Gloomy: sad

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)

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

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.

Literary devices:
Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in
series (‘s’ in Sprouting Shady, Simple sheep, ‘c’ in cooling covert)
Imagery: Trees giving shade (sprouting shady boon), growing process of daffodils
(daffodils with the green world they live in), Clean river streams (Clear rills)
Antithesis: opposite words placed together (old and young)

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 heaven’s brink
Grandeur: high rank or socially important

Mighty: enormous

Immortal: never dying

Brink: edge

The poet further carries on with the description of the more beautiful things
present on earth. such as the beautiful musk roses which have such a nice
fragrance. Then he describes the tales of the mighty warriors who laid their lives
for their countries or for humanity. He says that these beautiful things are the
gifts from god for all of us. They are like a nectar given by god to us and these are
those beauties which are immortal and give us a reason to live on this earth
despite having so many sorrows in our life.

Literary devices:

Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in
series (‘h’ in have heard)

Metaphor: Immortal drinks ( beautiful objects of nature are forever like a

neverending portion of a drink)

Rhyme: Rhyme scheme is used in every stanza of the poem (forever; never, keep;
sleep, dead; read etc.)
Imagery: Bushes full of musk roses (sprinkling of fair musk rose blooms), books
describing valor of fighters (grandeur-..mighty dead), god providing us with best
things (pouring from the heaven’s brink)

New words

Bower- a pleasant shady place under trees or climbing plants.

Morrow the following day
Wreathing covering or to encircle.
Spite – desire to offend or annoy someone.
Despondence disheartened, hopeless.
Noble of superior quality, having high moral principles
Pall a cloud, here, a dark cloud of gloom and sadness.
Spirits the soul where lie our emotions and character.
Sprouting to develop suddenly in large numbers.
Shady boon a shade which is helpful to someone.
Rills streams of running water.
Covert not openly known or displayed.
Grandeur so as to impress.
Dooms last day of existence.
Immortal living forever.
Heaven’s brink the door of God’s home.
List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.

The Sun
The Moon
Shady trees
Beautiful daffodil flowers
Streams of water
Dense green bushes of forest ferns where fragrant musk roses grow
Tales of heroic men who sacrifice their lives
List the things that cause suffering and pain.

Desire to offend others

Hopelessness
Lack of noble men
Bad health
Unhappiness
Gloom
Darkness

A Thing of Beauty Question Answers

Q. 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.
Q. 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 inspite of life’s troubles and sufferings.
Q. Why is œgrandeur associated with the -œmighty 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.
Q. 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.
Q. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
A. The beautiful bounty of the earth is described by -œendless 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.
There is beauty in all the things we see around us. It brings us happiness when we
see something beautiful. Its attractive beauty always increases, and it can never end.
Even as it ages the beauty increases, and it can never stop - it is permanent and keeps
growing. Beauty is eternal; it does not away.
 

There is an ever-increasing beauty in everything around us!

 
The poet lists several beautiful objects around him. A bower refers to a pleasant shade
under the trees. The beauty around us provides a calm, lovely shade for us to relax,
have a peaceful sleep filled with happy dreams; thereby leading us to have good
health and soft rhythmic breathing. Beauty can be a healing therapy, which gives us
a healthy body, mind and soul.
 

Relax in a bower, enjoy the beauty!

  
Beauty enables us to cover ourselves in a band made of flowers, (a wreathe) to help
us form a bond with the earth, every day. Our relationship with this earth can
be wrapped like flowers in a wreathe if we enjoy the beauty around us.
 
 A flower wreath!
 
Our earth is filled with evils/obstructions like:

 sorrow, hopelessness,
 cruelty,
 absence of good-natured righteous people,
 sad and dark days,
 harmful and depressed system of life.

Note that the word "spite" can be understood in two different ways:

1. Spite - instead of "in spite" (poetically)

2. Spite - intention to deliberately hurt someone

Our earth is filled with despondence, inhuman nature, gloomy days and unhealthy ways
of life!
  
But the poet says, we have to keep searching for beauty, which can make our
life brighter despite all the evils around us. Some form of beauty can remove the
(pall)cloth covering from all these problems. A pall can also refer to a dark cloud of
smoke and dust. The poet compares our problems to this dark cloud, which can be
removed by the beauty around us.
 
 Problems engulf us like a dark cloud of some and dust!
  
The poet says, the beauty around us comes in some form, to lift us from our darkness.
Only beauty can save our spirit and soul, from the evils of life. Despite all the miseries of
our life, beauty comes in the form of everyday things like:

 Sun
 Moon
 Old trees or new plants - which extends its shade to us, as a blessing
 Simple animals like sheep - the reference can also mean fellow men on this Earth. It is
believed that Jesus was the shepherd who led men (also known as sheep)
 Daffodils - beautiful flowers which grow in spring - they symbolize new beginnings
 Clear streams of water that gives coolness even during hot summers
 Thick, dense bushes in the middle of forests
 Abundant growth of musk-rose blooms
The sun, moon, trees, fellow men, daffodils, clear rills, thick bushes, musk-roses - the
various shapes of beauty!
  
The poet appreciates the beauty in all the above. He says nature has provided us with
such beautiful to lift our spirits and souls from the depressing and gloomy events around
us. Not only the above, but he also finds similar beauty in the inspirational stories of
the great men/kings who have done many noble deeds and left behind their legacies.
He finds such stories beautiful and splendid as nature.
 

There is beauty in inspirational tales of the mighty noblemen!

  
Finally, the poet says nature provides us with abundant beauty that it looks like
a never-ending fountain of a drink, which falls on us and lets us live forever. It is like
a shower of blessings. The beauty of nature is like a nectar that flows straight from the
edge of heaven. If we take inspiration from the beauty around us, we can live forever
happily and healthily.
 
An endless fountain of immortal drink, from the heaven!
A Thing of Beauty (Poem and 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.
Bower: A shady place under the tree
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: aabbc (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)
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.

Morrow: The following day

Wreathing: surround, encircle
Despondence: depressed
Gloomy: sad

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)
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
‘Giants the hot season; the mid forest brake
Boon: blessing
Rills: a small stream
Brake: a process to slow down
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.

Literary devices:
Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in
series (‘s’ in
Sprouting Shady, Simple sheep, ‘c’ in cooling covert)
Imagery: Trees giving shade (sprouting shady boon), growing process of daffodils
(daffodils
with the green world they live in), and clean river streams (Clear rills)
Antithesis: opposite words placed together (old and young)
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 heaven’s brink
Grandeur: high rank or socially important
Mighty: enormous
Immortal: never dying
Brink: edge
The poet further carries on with the description of the more beautiful things
present on earth.
such as the beautiful musk roses which have such a nice fragrance. Then he
describes the
tales of the mighty warriors who laid their lives for their countries or for
humanity. He says
that these beautiful things are the gifts from god for all of us. They are like nectar
given by
god to us and these are those beauties which are immortal and give us a reason
to live on this
earth despite having so many sorrows in our life.
Literary devices:
Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in
series (‘h’ in
have heard)
Metaphor: Immortal drinks (beautiful objects of nature are forever like a never
ending portion
of a drink)
Rhyme: Rhyme scheme is used in every stanza of the poem (forever; never, keep;
sleep,
dead; read etc.)
Imagery: Bushes full of musk roses (sprinkling of fair musk rose blooms), books
describing
valour of fighters (grandeur-..Mighty dead), god providing us with best things
(pouring from
the heaven’s brink)

Line By Line Simple Explination for the poem,

"A Thing of Beauty"
Line
Poem Lines Explination
Nos.
A thing of beauty
is a joy forever
Its loveliness
The poet says that beauty stays forever. It never fades away.
1-3 increases, it will
Rather, it increases with the passing time.
never
Pass into
nothingness;
but will keep
A bower quiet for
us, and a sleep Beauty is like a beautiful shady tree under whose shade all the
3-5
Full of sweet creatures can sleep peacefully and enjoy good health.
dreams, and health,
and quiet breathing
Therefore, on
every morrow, are
we wreathing Everyday, it is the beauty which fills us with the spirit to live. The
6&7
A flowery band to beauty builds the desire in us to live and bind us to the earth.
bind us to the
earth,
Some shape of
beauty moves
The beauty which is created by God, helps us to remove the
8 & 9 away the pall
sadness from our hearts.
From our dark
spirits.
Such the sun, the
moon,
The beautiful things such as the sun, the moon, old and young
Trees old, and
9-11 trees are like a blessing bestowed on all the creatures by the earth.
young, sprouting a
They provide us with shade and coolness. They are a boon to us.
shady boon
For simple sheep;
11- and such are Daffodils are also beautiful with their green world. The clear
14 daffodils stream cools the long hot summer.
With the green
world they live in :
and clear rills
That for
themselves a
cooling covert
make
Giants the hot
 season;
the mid forest
brake,
Rich with a
sprinkling of fair The poet further carries on with the description of the more
musk – rose beautiful things present on the earth such as the beautiful musk
14- blooms; roses with a nice fragrance. These things are the gifts from God for
17 An endless all of us. They are like nectar given by God to us. These are the
fountain of beauties which are immortal and give us a reason to live on this
immortal drink; earth despite having so many sorrows in our life.
Pouring unto us
from the heavens
brink