A THING OF BEAUTY

By John Keats

A Thing of Beauty is a poem written by the famous romantic poet, John Keats. The
poem tells about how nature and its wonder mesmerize us and take away all the
sorrow that surrounds us from time to time. The following explanation might aid you
in understanding this exceptional piece of work in poetry.

Line by Line translation

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 simply put, yet poetic, Keats describes a thing of beauty as emanating joy
forever. Its beauty only increases and it will never cease. The benefits proffered by a
thing of beauty are listed as giving sound rest with good dreams and well-being.

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 earth minus the beautiful things is a despondent, spiteful place thriving in callous
insensitive dearth and is harsh toward human beings. Every day human beings face
gloomy days packed with unhealthy spite and darkness. However, in spite of all, any
thing of beauty helps remove the dark cloud that burdens our souls. Hence, the poet
says that we – human beings – each day create an ornate band, made of all the
lovely things we see. This band keeps us bound to the despondent earth – as we
would otherwise be hopeless.

… 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;

The poet names some of the things whose beauty is eternal- the Sun, moon,
greenery like trees whose shade is a boon for creatures like the sheep to rest under
it, various flowers like daffodil, rivers full of clear waters which cool everyone in the
summers, the thick bushes of forest fern where beautiful, fragrant musk roses bloom.

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.

Other than these things of nature, the poet says that the stories of brave men who
sacrificed their lives are also beautiful. All these beautiful things are like nectar for
us, God’s gift to us which help us to live further on this Earth.

This closing paragraph simply tells us some of the beautiful things on Earth. After all,
beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder – Everyone can highlight something beautiful
in anything. The examples cited by the poet are as such: the sun, the moon, trees,
flowers, streams, musk-rose blooms, architectural sepulchres, even fairy tales or
heroic legends. The ‘simple sheep’ are human beings – the poet sympathizes with
the innocence of human beings. Keats sees the beauty in innocent humans seeking
solace in nature, and Mother Nature in its own way sprouts a shady abode of relief
and consolation. The expression ‘Lily of the valley’ is quite well known and rouses
images of a delicate lone white flower holding up its head

amidst a setting of thorns and barbs and everything contrary in nature to

The poet also sees beauty in the death of martyrs and legends. ‘The mighty
dead’ are those martyrs who have died bravely for a cause. We honour them by
erecting magnificent, grand sepulchres in which beauty is seen. If one looks around,
there are innumerable beautiful things to notice – they seem to flow immortally as a
fountain, from the gods above to help the pitiable human beings to cope with the
harshness of life.

Explanation

A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its attractiveness grows with the passage
of time and its impact never fades away. It is as pleasant as a cool quiet bower or
sound sleep with sweet dreams; or robust health and mental peace. It provides the
beholder with a haven of tranquillity and solace.

It is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth. Every morning we
collect fresh lovely flowers and prepare garlands. The fascination for flowers is our
bonding with the earth. It helps us steer clear of despondency and disappointments.
We forget all our despair, of acute shortage of noble souls, of misfortunes that
overtake us to test our forbearance. Life is full of trials and tribulations and we often
find ourselves in the midst of gloom. It is at such depressing moments that a sight full
of beauty dispels the pall of sadness from our spirits making room for hope and
optimism.

The objects of beauty are countless. These include heavenly bodies like the sun and
the moon, the old and young trees that provide cool shelter to sleep, the daffodil
flowers encased in green leaves, the streams that flow through a shady passage
which they make themselves with plants, and the bushes that bear fragrant flowers.
 These simple and even commonplace things lift the human spirit filling it with joy and
delight. In addition to these objects of nature, there are wonderful tales of our
legendary heroes, who lived and died heroically, which inspire us with their
matchless beauty. These beautiful things are metaphorically an endless source of
nectar that pours down to us from heaven bringing eternal joy for the soul’s
grandeur. They are like an elixir of life, a never diminishing source of pleasure and
delight, an endless fountain of joy that seems to be a precious gift from Heaven.

WORD MEANINGS

 Bower- a pleasant shady place under trees or climbing plants.

 Morrow – the following day

 Wreathing – covering or to encircle.

 Spite - desire to offend or annoy someone.

 Despondence – disheartened, hopeless.

 Noble – of superior quality, having high moral principles

 Pall – a cloud, here, a dark cloud of gloom and sadness.

 Spirits – the soul where lie our emotions and character.

 Sprouting – to develop suddenly in large numbers.

 Shady boon – a shade which is helpful to someone.

 Rills – streams of running water.

 Covert – not openly known or displayed.

 Grandeur – so as to impress.

 Dooms – last day of existence.

 Immortal – living forever.

 Heaven’s brink – the door of God’s home.

1. What image does the poet uses to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
2. How does a thing of beauty provide us shelter and comfort?
3. What spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is
it removed?
4. What is the message of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
5. How do the ‘daffodils’ and ‘clear rills’ enrich our environment?
6. What is the ‘grandeur of the dooms’ and ‘endless fountain of immortal drink’?
7. What makes human beings love life in spite of all troubles and sufferings?