ST.

FRANCIS SCHOOL, INDIRAPURAM

Worksheet- Class- XII
A Thing of Beauty
– John Keats
Complete the summary given below:

A Thing of Beauty is a poem written by the famous romantic poet, John

___________.
Keats The poem tells about
how _________
nature and its wonder mesmerise us and take away all the sorrow that surrounds us from time to
time.
passage of time and its
A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its attractiveness grows with the ________
impact never ____________
fades away. It is as pleasant as a cool quiet ___________
bower or sound sleep with
sweet dreams; or robust health and _________
mental peace. It provides the beholder with a shelter of tranquility
and solace.

attached
It is the beauty of nature that keeps us ___________ to this earth. Every morning we collect fresh lovely
garlands The fascination for flowers is our bonding with the earth. It helps us
flowers and prepare __________.
disappointments. We forget all our despair, of acute shortage of
steer clear of hopelessness and __________________.
noble souls, of misfortunes that overtake us to test our forbearance. Life is full of ______
trials and tribulations
and we often find ________________
ourselves in the midst of gloom. It is at such depressing moments that a sight
full of beauty dispels the pall of sadness from our _________
spirits making room for hope and optimism.

The objects of beauty are countless. These include heavenly _________

bodies like the sun and the moon, the
shelter to sleep, the daffodil flowers covered in green leaves, the
old and young trees that provide cool ________
__________
streams that flow through a shady passage which they make themselves with plants, and the bushes
flowers
that bear fragrant ___________. These simple and even commonplace things lift the human spirit filling it
with joy and delight. In addition to these objects of nature, there are wonderful tales of our legendary
heroes
________________, who lived and died heroically, which inspire us with their matchless beauty. These
endless
beautiful things are metaphorically an ____________ source of nectar that pours down to us from heaven
bringing eternal joy for the soul’s grandeur. They are like an elixir of life, a never diminishing source of
fountain
pleasure and delight, an endless _________________of joy that seems to be a precious gift from Heaven.

Reference to Context

1. 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 heaven’s brink

(a) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?

Things of beauty mentioned in the above lines are the heroic and inspiring
tales of the might emperors or other awe-inspiring tales of people and their
noble deeds.
 (b) What image does the poet use in these lines?
The poet uses the image of ‘an endless fountain’ being
showered from the heaven. He calls it an immortal drink.
(c) What is the effect of this ‘immortal drink’ on us?
That immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours into our hearts
is an eternal source of immense joy for us.
(d) Who are the ‘mighty dead’? How do we know about them?
Our ancestors, who were great in their own ways and the dead emperors
have been referred to as the mighty dead. We come to know about them by
reading or hearing the tales, which speak of their innumerable sacrifices.
(e) Write the words from the extract which mean
(i) stories tales (c) Human natures have such a clear lack of
(ii) magnificence grandeur grandeur that being inhuman is practically
expected.
2. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
Reflection on our own mortality and the fleeting
A flowery band to bind us to the Earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
nature of human pleasure exacerbates sadness.
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, Man's hubris and inability to rise above pettiness
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways are inhuman in life. In the world, there aren't
Made for our searching: yes in spite of all, enough noblemen.
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall Only a small percentage of people have noble
From our dark spirits. characteristics; the vast majority are self-centered
and strive to damage others.
(a) Why are we despondent?
We possess the evil qualities of malice and disappointment. We suffer
from the lack of noble qualities. That is why we feel despondent.
(b) What removes “the pall from our dark spirits”?
Some beautiful shapes or a thing of beauty removes the pall of
sadness from our hearts or spirits.
(c) Explain, “the inhuman dearth of noble natures.”

(d) Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?

We suffer from selfishness and self-centredness due to
which there is dearth of noble souls on earth.
(e) What are the circumstances that contribute towards making humans unhappy and
disillusioned with life?
Man becomes unhappy and disillusioned because he suffers from pain and
hopelessness at various junctures in life. Also the lack of nobility in human beings
make him unhappy.
(g) How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
Whenever we look at a beautiful object, we are filled with comfort and joy. When we are burdened with grief, a
thing of beauty comes as a ray of hope, and makes us forget our sorrow and suffering at least for some time.
(h) Explain; “Some shape of beauty.”
Beauty is an abstract idea and has no specific shape. The poet
here means beauty in some form or some beautiful object which
pleases us.
 (i) Why are our spirits referred to as ‘dark’?
Our spirits are dejected due to extreme sadness and disappointment which
may be the result of our evil actions. So, the poet refers to them as dark.
(j) What are the flowery bands that bind us to the Earth?
Here beautiful and pleasant things have been referred to as flowery bands. It is only those things
which have beauty of some or the other kind that bind us to this Earth, or in a way, keep us
going. The memory of our beautiful experiences helps us strengthen our bond with the Earth.
3. 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

(a) How does a thing of beauty remain a joy forever?

A thing of beauty gives us eternal and everlasting joy. The joy it
gives us keeps on increasing with time.
(b) Mention any two sources of joy which a thing, of beauty provides to us.
A thing of beauty gives us a quiet bower to rest peacefully
and blissful sleep full of pleasant dreams.
(c) Explain, “never pass into nothingness.”
The joy that a thing of beauty gives us is eternal. It never loses its importance,
but it only increases with time. This is meant by ‘never pass into nothingness.’
(d) What is meant by ‘bower’?
A ‘bower’ refers to a quiet, peaceful place under the shade of trees.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. How do beautiful things help us to live a happy life?
We derive comfort and happiness when we look at objects of beauty, and the lasting
impression they leave on our minds is a source of permanent joy. They provide us relief from
our every day trials and tribulations and help us live a happy life.
2. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink and why does he call its
drink immortal?
Keats considers nature’s beauty as an endless fountain of immortal drink. He calls its
drink immortal as the pleasure and delight given by it never diminishes. It only increases
with time. Beauty is like an elixir of life.
3. According to Keats, what spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it
removed?
Keats says that pain and suffering are a part of life which spread the pall of despondence
over our dark spirits. But still, we can find hope. The hope and motivation comes from
nature and it removes this covering of despondence.
4. How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?
A thing of beauty provides shelter and comfort in many ways. It is like a
bower, a place under the shade of a tree where we can rest. It gives us a
sleep full of sweet dreams in the hot weather, the small streams of cool and
clear water and the green forests around making a shady place for us.
5. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Human beings love life inspite of all the troubles and sufferings they face
because of all the things of beauty which surround them. These things remove
our despondent state and allow us to enjoy the beauty of nature.
6. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the mighty dead?
The poet finds beauty even in death. ‘Mighty dead’ refers to our glorious forefathers,
who were great in their own ways. Grandeur is associated with them because our
past is full of stories of their glory. They will always be remembered for their
achievements.
7. What is the message of the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
The message that the poem conveys is that a thing of beauty gives us endless
joy. It helps us to come out of sadness and hopelessness. The memory of such
a thing is a source of everlasting happiness.

Pick out the literary devices in the following lines :

1. bower quiet metaphor

________________________
2. sweet dreams metaphor
________________________
3. are we wreathing ________________________
inversion
4. wreathing a flowery band ________________________
metaphor
5. moves away the pall ________________________
alliteration
6. endless fountain ________________________
7. immortal drink ________________________
metaphor
8. heaven’s brink imagery
________________________
9. noble natures ________________________
alliteration
10. cooling covert ________________________
imagery
11. band to bind alliteration
________________________
12. shady boon imagery
________________________
13. daffodils in green world imagery
________________________
14. clear rills ________________________
imagery
15. simple sheep ________________________
symbolism
16. gloomy days ________________________
transferred epithet
17. unhealthy and o’er darkened ways ________________________
transferred epithet
18. Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways ________________________