A Thing of
Beauty John
Keats
What does beauty mean to you?
Why?
• What will you describe as
a)beautiful?
A baby’s smile b) Deep sleep
c) Mother’s love d) Nature
• Where can you find beauty?
a) In nature b) In your heart
c) In everyone d) Everywhere
• Beauty is:
a) Skin deep b) Heartfelt
c) In the soul d) In the eyes
• Beauty gives us:
a) Momentary Joy b) Imminent
pleasure
c) Transient happiness d) Permanent Joy
John
Keats
John Keats (October 31, 1795) was an English
Romantic poet. He lost his father when he was eight.
He lost his mother to tuberculosis, six years later.
Keats was a licensed apothecary, but he gave up that
profession to write poetry.
His younger brother, Tom, suffered from tuberculosis and died
within a year.
Keats fell in love with Fanny Brawne, and wrote some of his finest
poetry during this period.
But he couldn't marry her because of his irregular income and
his failing health.
He died of tuberculosis at the very young age of 25.
Lines 1-
2
A thing of beauty is a joy
forever Its loveliness
increases
Beauty gets deeply embedded in our psyche after being
physically removed from our line of vision. It becomes more
powerful because imagination is more potent and can attain
much higher levels. We add a new dimension to the object of
beauty, every time we recall it, and it becomes more beautiful
in our imagination.
Lines 2-
3
it will never
Pass into
nothingness;
Recollec As long as we live and our memories are intact, a
t thing of beauty, that brought us joy, will stay with
Recreat us.
e Its intensity and effect will neither diminish
intensif nor be destroyed as intensity recollection.
y (is directly proportional to)
Lines 3-
6
But will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a
sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and
health, and quiet breathing
A shady grove of trees gives us a sense of calm and peace, besides
shade. It is a thing of beauty and, hence, a source of joy.
Similarly, a deep sleep full of sweet dreams, good health and a
sense of well being, are all beautiful and, thus, sources of joy.
Lines 7-
8
Therefore, on every morrow, are we
wreathing
A flowery band to bind to the earth,
METAPHOR: FLOWERY A STRING OF FOND
BAND LIF MEMEORIES
EARTH E
We have complicated our lives, unnecessarily and created
stress for ourselves. At times, even living another day seems
too cumbersome. But the human spirit never gives up. So,
every morning, we give ourselves a reason to bind us to the
earth, to live, (earth is a symbol of life), by stringing together
beautiful memories that bring a smile to our lips and joy in our
hearts.
Lines 9-
12
Spite of despondence, of the
inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of
the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’re-
darkened ways
Made for our searching:
We are dejected and despondent. There
is a massive lack of nobility in human
nature that has resulted in selfish
pursuits which have made our days
gloomy and sad.
We have adopted evil ways and chosen
unethical paths to achieve our selfish
Lines 12-
13
yes in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away
the pall From our dark spirits. Such
the sun, the moon
Despite our despondence, gloom and dejection there is some
object of beauty in nature that has the power to remove the TRANSFERRED EPITHET:
shroud that covers our evil spirits. DARK SPIRITS EVIL
MINDS
Simple manifestations of nature like the glorious,
glowing sun and the shining, silver moon, which we
take for granted, are gifts of nature that can uplift
our spirits and our souls by removing the shroud
that covers our evil spirits and announces our
spiritual death.
Stanza 1. Lines 15-
16
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady
boon
For simple sheep
Similarly, old and young trees that provide shade to all those who
care to stand beneath them, despite being the most common of
all God’s creations, are a thing of beauty as they have the power
to save us from spiritual doom and shower us with God’s
blessings
BIBLICAL ALLUSION: SIMPLE SIMPLE, GODFEARING, RIGHTEOUS
SHEEP PEOPLE
Lines 16-
19
and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in;
and the
clear rills
That for themselves a cooling
covert make
’Gainst the hot season,
The poet further enumerates the innumerable creations of God that are
sources of immense joy and happiness by their pristine and unaffected
beauty.
He talks about the breathtakingly beautiful yellow daffodils and the
greenery in the midst of which they are found.
He glorifies the small streams that sparkle with the clear water, sourced from
Lines 19-
22
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
The poet finds beauty in the simple ferns and fronds,
sprinkled with beautiful, fragrant musk roses and other
flowers.
He also finds beauty in death. Death,
not of ordinary mortals, but of those
Lines 23-
25
All lovely tales that we have heard
or read An endless fountain of
immortal drink, Pouring unto us
from the heaven’s brink.
He compares all these objects
of beauty to an endless
fountain of ambrosia, nectar of
The poet talks about the Gods, which is pouring on to us
immortality of literary works. in copious amounts from the
He believes they are things of edge of heavens. There is no
beauty as they bring immense dearth of beauty in nature. We
joy to the readers and they only need to find time to
have transcended time. These behold this beauty and enjoy it!
lovely tales are as profound METAPHOR: AN ENDLESS
today as they were when they FOUNTAIN OF IMMORTAL
