A THING OF BEAUTY

The P o e t

John Keats
 John Keats(1795-1821)

 Keats was a British Romantic poet.

 His poetry characterised emotions through an

emphasis on natural imagery.

 Some of the most acclaimed works of Keats are

"Ode to a Nightingale", "Sleep and Poetry", and the
famous sonnet "On First Looking into Chapman’s
H
omer".
 PREFACE

The poem is based on Greek mythology

about a shepherd named Endymion, his quest for
his love Diana and how in his quest, he fell in love
with an earthly maiden, who turns out to be Diana
herself.
 A THING OF BEAUTY

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.

Very simple, yet poetic, Keats describes

a thing of beauty as emanating joy
forever. Its beauty only increases with
the passage of time. Neither its impact
fades away nor it passes into
nothingness.
The benefits proffered by a thing of
beauty are listed as giving sound rest
 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:

Man and nature are inseparable. It is the beauty of nature that keeps us
attached to this earth. The earth devoid of beautiful things is a morose
and despiteful place which is insensitive towards human beings. We
lack humanely qualities and gentleness in our behaviour. Disease,
disappointments and misfortunes give us mental and physical
suffering. Hence, the poet says that each day we, humans should create
an ornate band, made of all the lovely things we see in nature . This
band keeps us bound to the earth, as without it we would otherwise be
despondent.
 yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.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,
Rich with a sparkling of fair musk-rose blooms;

However, in spite of all, a thing of beauty helps remove

the dark cloud that burdens our souls. The poet tells us
that simple beautiful things of nature have the power to
provide solace to humans. After all, beauty lies in the
eyes of the beholder. Everyone can see something
beautiful in the sun and the moon. Mother Nature in
her own way sprouts a shady abode of relief and
consolation. The ‘simple sheep’ are symbolic of
innocence, purity and divine grace. The daffodil flowers
encased in green leaves, the streams that flow through a
shady passage enveloped with plants, and the bushes
 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.

The poet also sees beauty in the death of martyrs and

legends. ‘The mighty dead’ are those martyrs who have
died bravely for the greater good of humanity. If one
looks around, there are innumerable beautiful things to
notice – they seem to flow as a fountain, from the gods
above to help the pitiable human beings to cope with the
harshness of life. The poet feels that nothing can surpass
the beauty of nature. They are an elixir of life.
Things of Beauty in Nature
Things that cause suffering and pain
Po e t i c Devices:
Euphony
a style in which combination of words pleasant
to the ear predominate. Its opposite is cacophony.
e.g. : A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;
Imagery
‘endless fountain of immortal drink’, all images of
beauty like the sun, the moon, flowers etc. A
flowery band to bind us
Contrast
‘cooling covert’ and ‘hot season’
Alliteration
noble natures; cooling covert; band to bind
 P o e t i c Devices:

Metaphor
bower quiet(calmness of the bower is compared to the
calming effect of a beautiful thing)

wreathing a flowery band (the beautiful things of our life

bind us to the earth)

Immortal drink ( beautiful objects of nature are forever like

a never ending portion of a drink)
 P o e t i c Devices:

Inversion
normal order of words is reversed
e.g.: Are we wreathing a flowery
band
Allusion/Symbolism
simple sheep

Oxymoron
mighty dead