A Thing of Beauty

by John Keats

About the poet:

John Keats was a romantic poet. He was influenced by Greek art and
literature. In his poetry, we find love of nature, sensuousness,
supernaturalism, Medievalism, Hellenism and love of beauty.

ENDYMION (1818) is the first ambitious word of Keats. It is a long narrative

poem and tells the story of Endymion, a Shepherd. The poem is based on
a Greek legend, in which Endymion, a beautiful young shepherd and poet
who 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.

INTRODUCTION:
In the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’, the poet expresses the fact that
pleasure is received through beautiful things and these are worth
treasuring. He speaks about the permanent nature of beautiful things,
which have the ability of giving the same pleasure again and again and
take away all the sorrows that abound us.

A thing of beauty can be anything beautiful that you have seen; it may not
necessarily be a thing of nature, it can be a smiling face of a child, a
mother’s love, a flower, a sweet gesture of a friend, a painting or anything
that is captured in your mind and heart and you have the power to relive
that moment and bring a freshness and purpose once more.
It is an allegorical poem that talks of how the human soul is in search of
perennial beauty.

ALLEGORY: A POEM/STORY/PICTURE THAT can be interpreted to

reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

EXPLANATION:
A thing……. nothingness

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The poet says that a thing of beauty is an eternal source of happiness.
When we behold a thing of beauty it fills our heart with joy. Beauty is
timeless and everlasting, it never fades away. On the contrary its beauty
enhances/increases with the passage of time.

But will………breathing
Beauty acts like the soothing, relaxing shade of the trees.: METAPHOR.
Nature provides us objects of rare beauty. Its shady bower is a pleasant
quiet place. Mother nature in its own way develops a shady abode of relief
and consolation. Keats stresses the indestructible connection of man with
nature and the Earth. The loveliness of Earth captivates a man. The
pleasure that one gets is an escape from the reality of life which is full of
sorrow and sadness. A thing of beauty also provides peace and security
and we enjoy a sound sleep, full of pleasant dreams, good health and
peaceful breathing.

Therefore…….earth
The objects of beauty are like wreaths of beautiful flowers.(METAPHOR)
This flowery band that we weave each morning/everyday keeps us
attached to the beauties of nature. hip with nature.A true romantic poet,
Keats feels that man has a strong relations Man is intertwined to this
Earth, despite the gloom and misery. The band that ties man with nature
is not of iron chains but it is a delicate, fragile ‘flowery’ band. Thus beauty
keeps us happy and cheerful despite our ‘dark spirits’. It is eternal and
stays with a person to get him through hard times.

Spite of despondence…………our dark spirits

Despondence: hopelessness
Inhuman dearth: lack of human values
Unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways: selfish and evil ways
Moves away the pall: removes the covering of sadness

The poet says that despite the sense of hopelessness that surrounds us,
we continue to love life because beauty lifts our spirit and removes all the
darkness and sorrow. In spite of the moral degradation and shortage of

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good people, in spite of the dark and evil ways that cause us unhappiness,
some form of beauty moves in our midst and lifts our spirits. Beauty renews
our faith, rejuvenates us and takes away the darkness (moves away the
pall) from our spirits.(metaphor) The pall is a metaphor for any
negativity that exists in a person’s life.

Made for our searching : means due to our doings. SEARCHING refers
to DOINGS -- OUR DOINGS, our darkened and unhealthy ways come
in front of us.
Life is full of trials and tribulations; loss of faith,
hopelessness(despondency) and disappointments, some of this, may be a
result of our own making, and it is only beautiful things that sometimes
make life worthwhile, they lift the veil of gloom, making a room for hope and
optimism.

Such the sun………blooms

The poet draws the images of the glory and uplifting beauty of
nature(IMAGERY). The sun, the moon, the young and old trees that are a
blessing to the timid and harmless sheep as they seek shelter in the shady
groves, the daffodils that grow in the lush and dense greenery; the crystal
clear streams (rills) that find a secret and hidden (covert) nook to cool
themselves in the hot sun; the thick bushes of forest fern where beautiful
fragrant musk roses bloom -- these are facets of nature that are beautiful.

The action of musk rose that makes it beautiful: the musk rose grows and
blooms along the palm leaf. The humility of the great musk rose to grow
with the dull leaf makes it beautiful. It spreads its scent far away and makes
nature more beautiful and sweet.

In the above lines the romantic poet, John Keats feels that nature is the
highest form of beauty, nature is an enduring symbol of beauty, which
constantly gives us solace and comfort.

And such…………mighty dead

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According to the poet, there is beauty in noble men and women who
have lived since time immemorial. The greatness with which great people
die is the ‘grandeur of the dooms of the mighty dead’. The mighty dead
are the great people who have given their lives for the cause of humanity.
They are mighty for the reason that it is more difficult to die for others than
living for oneself. They are in the same way beautiful as the daffodils and
trees, they provided happiness to others like the clear rills and they burnt
for others like the sun.
The beauty of their grand lives immortalizes them. Even in their death, they
are remembered and are not doomed to oblivion. Their greatness inspires
us and fills our heart with an overwhelming joy, elation and pleasure.

All lovely………...heaven’s brink

In the above lines the poet says that there are numerous beautiful things
to notice and enjoy. The poet refers to the truly beautiful stories that we
have either heard or read. These tales are beautiful since they can leave
an unforgettable happiness in us and each time we recall these stories, we
feel our problems lifted, mind refreshed and life moving smoothly in spite of
all disturbances.
A fountain of immortal drink provides us immortality. Similarly reading and
attending to really beautiful stories fill our minds with joy. They seem to flow
immortally like a fountain, from the Gods above to help pitiable human
beings to deal with the harsh realities of life.(METAPHOR)
Thus like an endless fountain that flows from the heavens above,
these gifts of beauty enrich and adorn our lives.