A THING OF BEAUTY BY JOHN KEATS
Born: October 31, 1795
London, England
Died: February 23, 1821
Rome, Italy A Romantic poet
The
last to be born and the first to die of the Five Great
Romantic Poets :
William
Wordsworth, S.T. Coleridge, P.B. Shelly, Lord Byron, John Keats
A
Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy For Ever
An
extract from his longer poem ‘Endymion’
‘A thing of beauty is a
joy for ever
Its loveliness increases,
it will never
Pass into
nothingness, but will keep
A
bower quiet for us…’
The poet begins the poem
with a beautiful line that has become a quotable quote:
‘A
thing of beauty is a joy forever’
John Keats was a lover
of beauty. He wrote all of his poetry in search of a permanent beauty that
always keeps on soothing a suffering human heart, that keeps on increasing the
joyful experience of us for a prolonged period of time.
• According
to the poet, a beautiful object is always a source of joy to us.
• It is a
permanent joy for all.
• Its
loveliness increases with every view of it. The more we watch it, the more
beautiful it becomes for us.
• With the
help of our imagination we keep on adding something new and more beautiful
to it every time we watch it.
• It will
never prove useless to us as other material things lose their attraction very
soon. We become fed up with watching those material things.
• But we
never feel bored watching the thing that is really beautiful for us
“ A bower quiet for us,
and a sleep…
Full
of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing....”
• Nature
is a treasure of beautiful objects. It always keeps something new for us to
offer.
• For
example, in the scorching heat of the sun, people need some shade to relax.
• Nature
always keeps a bower (group of shady trees) ready to offer shade and shelter to
us from the scorching heat of the sun
• If someone,
who needs rest, may sleep under such a bower and enjoy a sound and peaceful
sleep in which he could enjoy sweet dreams and feel relaxed, more energetic,
and healthier with quiet breathing. It gives him peace of mind and shade from
the heat of the sun.
• In the same
way, a thing of beauty makes us peaceful, quiet, and healthy.
• When we are
tired of the worries and tensions of life, we can remember any beautiful object
of nature and forget about any bitter reality.
• The
beautiful object makes us feel comfortable and we may have a sound sleep.
• In this way
it also makes us healthy.
“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…”
Word-meanings: wreathing:
surrounding, band: some rope type
the thing to tie
something; Spite: in spite of, despondence: state of
hopelessness,
inhuman: Here it means terrible, dearth: lack,
deficiency,
gloomy: full of sadness, over darkened: mysterious
• Our life is
not smooth. At one time, a person is happy, at another time he or she may be
full of hopelessness and sadness.
• There is a
terrible shortage of good nature.
• We do not
know at what time a tragic event may take place.
• Mysterious
are the ways of God!
• We have to
bear all the bitter realities of life.
• In spite of
the worries and tensions of life, we have to begin our life anew every
morning with full energy and power.
• This is
possible if we keep ourselves bound to this beautiful planet,
i.e. the Earth by the beauties of nature.
• Therefore, we
create a chain of attachments to the beautiful objects of nature.
• It
seems to be like that of a beautiful cover or garland worn around our necks.
• It keeps us
bound to the world that is full of all types of oddities enough to make our
life miserable!
“. .. 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…”
Word-meanings: dark
spirits: the hearts full of sadness, sprouting: growing, shady boon: providing
shade that becomes helpful, pall: a cover that is spread on a dead person, here
it symbolises the cover of sadness.
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;
Word-meanings: 1.
sprouting: producing, coming out 2. rich with full
of but here it
means looking beautiful 3. boon: a blessing, 4.
daffodils: flowers,
5. rills: small streams, brooks or streams 7.
covert: hidden
areas in the jungle such as bushes, 8. brake:
hindrances like
marshy land in a jungle 9. sprinkling: less
number,10. fair
musk-rose: a kind of white rose, 11. blooms: flowers
• The poet
further says that in spite of all the bitter realities of the world, the beauty
of Nature removes the pall (cover) of sadness from human hearts.
• Then he gives
examples of such beautiful objects that help human beings to come out of their
state of depression and sadness.
• These are
the sun, the moon, the trees old as well as the young that provide shade to
various animals of the jungle in the hot summer.
• These
provide shelter to animals like sheep and also to so many other animals of the
jungle under their green shade.
• There are
beautiful springs (rills) full of clear water, which make a shadow of bushes
and many small trees and plants over themselves to keep their water cool for
the creatures to drink.
• They do so
to save themselves from the scorching heat of the sun in this way.
• There is
undergrowth or bushes that protect many flowers like beautiful musk roses from
the heat of the sun.
• Usually
such bushes are found in the marshy land of a jungle.
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.
Word-meanings: doom:
God’s final judgment on human beings, mighty: powerful; immortal drink: a drink
called nectar (‘Amrit’ drunk by gods); heaven’s brink: the edge of heaven
• Sometimes
we pray to God for great rewards to be given to the souls of the
great men who are dead now. We feel immense happiness while praying to God for
them.
• Then the
poet says that there are tales of the old times that we have heard or read
These also make us happy.
• The poet
calls them the fountain… the very source of immortal drink that pours from
heaven.
• Immortal
drink is said to be the favourite drink of gods in Hindu mythology. It is
a source of permanent life and joy.
• Here it
signifies that God creates all beautiful objects for all the creatures
including human beings on the earth.
• It is a
source of permanent joy to the distressed souls on the earth.
Thanks!!!
