y bo A thing of beauty Special class Shipra Mishra Feb 22, 2022Ei TeAbout the Author John Keats (1795-1821) was a British Romantic poet. Although trained to be a surgeon, Keats decided to devote himself wholly to poetry. Keats’ secret, his power to sway and delight the readers, lies primarily in his gift for perceiving the world and living his moods and aspirations in terms of language. The following is an excerpt from his poem ‘Endymion; A Poetic Romance’. 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.Theme of the Poem Any beautiful object is always treasured in our mind because it provides us eternal and everlasting joy. The happiness that a beautiful object provides never fades into nothingness but multiples manifold whenever it returns to our mind. In the poem, the poet says that a thing of beauty is a joy forever a joy even in the midst of disease, sufferings, and disappointments of life. The object of beauty makes a lasting impression on us and gives us joy even when they are not present before our eyes. The joy that they give never fades into nothingness, but increases whenever they flash across our minds.Literary Devices Used Rhyme scheme: aabibc (forever, never, kep, sleep, breathing) Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in series Sleep-Sweet) Metaphor: bower Quiet (calmness of the bower is compared to the calming effect of a beautiful thing) Anaphora: Use of same word in two consecutive lines (of noble natures: Of all the unhealthy) Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in seres (bin Band Bind, in Noble natures in some shape). Metaphor: wreathing a flowery band (the beautiful things of our life bind us to the earth) Imagery: creating a sensory effect of beautiful things ined up ina string A flowery band to bind us) Inversion: normal order of words is reversed ( Are we wreathing a flowery band) 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. 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: yes, in spite of all, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits.The poet says that beauty stays forever. It never fades away. Rather, it increases with the passing time. The perception of the poet regarding beauty is that it never goes off with the passing time, rather it beautifies more and more. For the poet, beauty is like a beautiful shady tree under whose shade all the creatures can sleep peacefully and enjoy good health. The poet says that every day, it is the beauty which fills us with the spirit to live. It is the beauty which builds the desire in us to live though there are sad moments and cruel people around us. So here the poet wants to say that without beauty the earth will be full of cruel people, sad and gloomy moments. It is the beauty which is created by god which helps us to remove the sadness from our hearts. Word Meanings Joy- 2 feeling of great pleasure and happiness Loveliness- the quality of being very beautiful or attractive Bower- a pleasant shady place under trees or climbing plants in a garden or wood Morrow. the following day Wreathing- cover, surround, or encircle Despondence- feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless Dearth. a scarcity or lack of something, Questions Q1) The poet calls a thing of beauty a joy b. Burden c. Headache d.None of the above 2) What is the poet's perception regarding beautiful things?What’s new with Unacademy? w J ey-eet Rae ae ‘RAISE A HAND’ DO SRO ee ed Now Clear your Doubts instantly with an option to have t:1 discussion with your Participate in quizzes, vivas & doubts-solving sessions to take your ff Exam preparation tothe nextlevel Let’s Crack it![eerie Subscription Yeni Q@G@e@+ Unacademy PLUS SubscriptionUnacademy ICONIC Subscription mcr G ot) See eee ede Mee pcre penny verte Hache We are happy to present a 360 Cee cunicd corer eetUnacademy ICONIC SubscriptionAe [1 ae) 3 ae . OnUnacademy Plus & Iconic Subscription A Use Referral Code:Download the Unacademy App Now D> Gcosle Pay || @ App Store UNLOCK ALL OF THESE FEATURES etal Use Code:LET’S CRACK IT!Literary Devices Used Alliteration: Use of consonant sound atthe start of two words which are close in series (s'in Sprouting Shay, Simple sheep, in cooling covert) Imagery: Trees giving shade (sprouting shady boon), growing process of daffodis(daffcis with the green world they live in), Clean river streams (Clear rls) Antithesis: opposite words placed together (old and young) Alliteration: Use of consonant sound at the start of two words which are close in series (hin have hearc) Metaphor: immortal drinks (beautiful objects of nature are forever like a neverending portion of a drink) Rhyme: Rhyme scheme is used in every stanza of the poem (forever; never, keep; sleep, dead: read etc.) Imagery: Bushes full of musk roses (sprinkling of fair musk rose blooms), books describing valor of fighters (grandeur-..mighty dead), god providing us with best things (pouring from the heaven's brink) 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 sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms; ‘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.Here the poet describes the beautiful things which are present on earth. These are the sun, moon, trees, flowers (daffodils) and the rivers, Poet says that all these things are like a blessing bestowed on all the creatures by earth. He further 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. The poet further carries on with the description of the more beautiful things present on earth. such as the beautiful musk roses which have such a nice fragrance. Then he describes the tales of the mighty warriors who laid their lives for their countries or for humanity. 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. Word Meanings ‘Sprouting- appear or develop suddenly and in large numbers Boon- a thing that is helpful or beneficial Rills- a small stream Musk- a relative of the monkey flower, formerly culated for a musky fragrance which has been lost in the development of modern varieties Grandeur- splendour and impressiveness, ‘especially of appearance or style Immortal- ving forever; never dying or decaying Brink. the verge Questions Q1) Which of these did the poet NOT mention in the poem? a. Vampires. b. Daffodils «. Roses d. TreesThe poet says that a beautiful thing is a source of endless joy. It has eternal beauty which never fades away. 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.ye Test Your Understanding! Q1) "Of noble natures..." - Identify the poetic device? a. Metaphor b. Simile .Alliteration d. Repetition Q2)John Keats is a__ poet. a. Mysterious b. Nostalgic c. Complicated d. Romantic Q3) The “immortal fountain’ descends from _. a. Sky b, Heaven Hell d. OceansASSTQHINENT Ques 1; What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings? Ques 2: Mention the 'beautiful things' mentioned by the poet in the poem. Ques 3: Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the ‘mighty dead’? Ques 4: What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth? Ques 5: Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us? kek