A thing of

Beauty

-John Keats
John Keats:
● A British Romantic
poet
● Died at the age of 25
after publishing 54
remarkable poems
Background of the Poem:

The lines are from Keats poem Endymion in which the

shepherd named Endymion tries to look for the moon
goddess Cynthia and wanders in the forest.
Endymion

A handsome
young shepherd
and poet who
had a vision of
the Cynthia, the
Moon Goddess
Theme:
All the things that are beautiful are an unending source of joy and
peace. When we live enclosed by beautiful people, places and
things, we feel refreshed and positive. This positivity gives us the
energy and motivation to struggle against the negativity of life.
A thing of beauty is a joy
forever
Its loveliness increases,
it will never
Pass into nothingness;

A thing of beauty is an eternal source of joy. It

never fades and never stops being beautiful for us.
Rather it increases with the passage of time.
but will keep
A bower quiet for us,
and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and
health,
and quiet breathing

A thing of beauty is as soothing as a cool shade for us. It gives us

sound sleep, good health and peace.
Bower-
resting
place
Therefore, on every morrow, are
we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the
earth
The things of beauty are like a wreath which binds us to the earth.
These things help us stay connected to the earth and fills us with the
desire to live.
Word Meaning

Every Morrow every day

Wreathing connecting

Flowery band a sweet connection

Metaphor and imagery

wreathing a flowery band (the beautiful things of our life bind us to the earth)

inversion: normal order of words is reversed ( Are we wreathing a flowery

band)
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:
The world is full of disappointing incidents, instances of
inhumanity, lack of nobility and goodness, gloomy experiences,
sickness and negativity.
yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.
In spite of all the negativity, de ection, despair in the world,
there is something beautiful in this world which removes the
darkness of negativity and fills us with energy, motivation and
enthusiasm. These beautiful things inspire us and fill us with
new vigour and est for life and we continue to live our life
without giving up.
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
Clear rills- clean, cool, clear streams in the forest

Clear rills- Streams in the

forest
The poet lists out the beautiful things which are abundantly available in the
nature. For example, the sun, the moon, the flowers and the rivers. He 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.
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;
The poet also says the apart from objects of nature, things of
beauty can also be found in the magnanimous monuments and
the sculptures. These sculptures tell the stories of legendary
heroes and mighty warriors and inspire us to strive for success.
All the lovely tales that we
have heard or read;
An endless fountain of
immortal drink;
Pouring unto us from the
heaven’s brink.
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:

Metaphor:
1. Bower
2. Wreathing flowery band
3. Endless fountain of immortal drink

Alliteration:
1. Noble natures
2. Band to bind
3. Cooling covert

Transferred epithet
1. Gloomy days
2. Unhealthy and over darkened ways