Poem 4 A Thing of Beauty
Poem 4 A Thing of Beauty
GSEB Class 12 English Keeping Quiet Additional Important Questions and Answers
A Thing of Beauty Summary in English
A Thing of Beauty Introduction:
John Keats (31 October 1795-23 February 1821) was an English Romantic poet. He was one of the main figures of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, despite his works having been in publication for only four years before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 25.
Although his poems were not generally well-received by critics during his lifetime, his reputation grew after his death, and by the end of the 19th century, he had become one of the most beloved of all English poets. He had a significant influence on a diverse range of poets and writers. Jorge Luis Borges stated that his first encounter with Keats’ work was the most significant literary experience of his life.
A Thing of Beauty Summary:
‘A Thing of Beauty is a poem taken from the poem titled – ‘Endymion – a poetic romance’ written by the famous poet John Keats. The poet says that a beautiful thing is a source of endless joy. It has eternal beauty which never fades a why. A beautiful thing is like a shady shelter which gives us a sleep Full of sweet dreams, good health and relaxation. Our attachments to the Earthly things are like a flowery wreath.
They are traps which bind us to the materialistic things and keeps us away from eternal happiness. The Earth is full of hatred, greed and negativity. According to the poet, the gloom and sadness caused by this negativity fades away with the positive vibes of the beautiful things that surround us. The poet lists out some of the beautiful things that surround us. As the saying goes – ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.
He says that the numerous creations of God like the Sun which gives us energy, the moon’s beauty, the trees which give us shade are the natural beauties around us. The various animals like the sheep that surround us make our world lively. The pretty flowers like daffodils make the world green and lively. The flowing streams of water cool and refresh us in – the hot summer season. The forests which are full of the pretty musk rose flowers are a beautiful sight to the eye.
All these are the things of beauty. Also, the stories of the brave soldiers who laid their lives to protect their people are beautiful and inspiring. These beautiful things are like a fountain of immortality bestowed upon us by God. They inspire us to live on and maintain our faith in goodness.
Answer the following question in three to four sentences:
1.How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?
Answer:
According to John Keats, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. It is a constant source of happiness and pleasure. Its loveliness increases every moment. It will never pass into nothingness. In other words, a thing of beauty is never devalued.
2.How does a thing of beauty provide us shelter and comfort?
Answer:
John Keats’ is a great Romantic poet. He is rich in sensuous imagery. Nature provides us things of rare beauty. It keeps a bower quiet for us. A bower is a pleasant place in the shade under a tree. A thing of beauty also provides us peace and security. We enjoy a sound sleep which is full of sweet dreams, health and peaceful breathing.
3.How do we bind ourselves to the earth every morning?
Answer:
All the Romantic poets stress upon the relationship between man and nature. Keats believes that there is an unbreakable bond which binds man with nature and the earth. The beauties of the earth fascinate man. Every object of nature is a source of beauty and happiness. Every day we are weaving a wreath of flowers. This flowery band binds us to the beauties of the earth.
4.What are the things that cause miseries, sorrows and sufferings to man?
Answer:
Man himself is the root cause of all his sufferings. We suffer from malice and distress because we lack human qualities that make us inhuman. Our life becomes gloomy. We cultivate unhealthy and evil ways. All such things bring miseries, sorrows and sufferings to man.
5.What spreads the ‘pall of despondence’ over our dark spirits? How is it removed?
Answer:
Man is the creator of his woes. His own nature and actions make his life miserable. He faces miseries and pains. A pall of despondence covers his dark spirits. A thing of beauty provides a ray of hope to man. Some shape of beauty works wonders amid these sorrows and sufferings. It is a thing of beauty that removes the pall of despondence over our dark spirits.
6.Name the beauties of nature that are constant source of joy and happiness to man.
Answer:
Nature is a storehouse of beauty. The beauties of nature are endless. The sun, the moon, old and young trees, beautiful daffodil flowers and green surroundings are some of such beautiful things. Small streams with clear water, thick mass of ferns, thickets of forest and musk- rose are some other things of beauty. All such things of beauty are a constant source of joy and happiness to man.
7.How is a thing of beauty lovelier than all the lovely tales we have heard and read?
Answer:
All beautiful things of nature are a boon for humanity. The magnificence and beauty of objects of nature surpass the grandeur of dooms that we have imagined for our mighty dead forefathers. It is lovelier than all the lovely tales that we have heard or read.
8.What is the source of the ‘endless fountain’ and what is its effect?
Answer:
A fountain of eternal joy and immortality pours into the heart and soul of man. It flows right from the heaven’s brink and pours into the human heart. It is like an immortal nectar. The immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours into our hearts is a source of immense joy for us.
9.What is the message of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty?
Answer:
The very first line contains the message that John Keats, the great Romantic poet, wants to convey. Keats was a worshipper of beauty. For him, beauty was truth and truth, beauty. Hence, for him, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Beauty never fades. Nor is it ever devalued. It never passes into nothingness. When we are full of sorrows and sufferings, some form of beauty comes to our rescue. It removes the pall of sadness and sorrows and gives us joy and pleasure. Thus, beauty is a boon for human beings.
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