NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Poetry 4: A Thing of Beauty

The poet refers to objects of nature as well as creation of literary works as things of beauty. The sun, the moon, the shady bushes, the daffodils and the dark passages that streams make to keep themselves cool in summer. Then there are plays and stories for our entertainment.

Life is a tale of tears, still we love life against death. Each one of us complains of failures, the failings of human nature, the hardships and the diseases. We have to pass through them in the course of life, yet life has its charms too.

When we pluck fresh flowers to make a garland, it shows our love for life, for nature and for beauty. The flowers attract us and make us love nature.

Life, in spite of all its failings and drawbacks, is still worth living and worth loving. Troubles and sufferings don’t break our hearts. They cannot drive us towards suicide. These are more than offset by the beauties of nature and literature.

Great men have great fall. The exploits of mighty rulers and generals fill us with awe and wonder. We admire and even worship our heroes. We remember them gratefully because they lived a glorious life.

Sweet memories of places, persons and tales are an unending source of joy in all one’s life. We feel thrilled not for a while but for years on end. They tickle us, thrill us and entertain us till our last breath.

The earth undergoes the phases of construction and destruction of life and death every year. Come winter, and the fields look barren, the trees shed leaves and no new plants grow. It appears that all is lost, the game is over for the earth. But with the onset of spring the same earth wakes up from sleep, and looks cheerful with new plants, flowers and fruits. Likewise we must not lose heart and hope. There is a bright tomorrow after every dark night.

Keats considers nature’s beauty as an endless fountain of immortal drink. He calls its drink immortal as the pleasure and delight given by it never diminishes. It only increases with time. Beauty is like an elixir of life.

Four things of beauty that add joy to our life are clear streams, daffodils and the greenery surrounding them, old and young trees and the forests.

Things which cause pain and suffering are sadness, hopelessness, a lack of noble qualities and an unhealthy and wicked style of living.

The objects of nature mentioned by Keats are clear streams, musk-rose and daffodil flowers, the greenery surrounding them, old and young trees, the forests, the Sun and the Moon.

A thing of beauty adds endless joy to our life and helps us to overcome our sadness and hopelessness. The memory of such a thing gives us everlasting happiness.

Human beings love life inspite of all the troubles and sufferings they face because of all the things of beauty which surround them. These things remove our despondent state and allow us to enjoy the beauty of nature.

We derive comfort and happiness when we look at objects of beauty, and the lasting impression they leave on our minds is a source of permanent joy. They provide us relief from our every day trials and tribulations and help us live a happy life.

Keats says that pain and suffering are a part of life which spread the pall of despondence over our dark spirits. But still, we can find hope. The hope and motivation comes from nature and it removes this covering of despondence.

A thing of beauty provides shelter and comfort in many ways. It is like a bower, a place under the shade of a tree where we can rest. It gives us a sleep full of sweet dreams in the hot weather, the small streams of cool and clear water and the green forests around making a shady place for us.

This line suggests that every day we appear to weave a wreath of flowers because it is beautiful and keeps us attached to the beauties of the earth.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever because it is an eternal source of pleasure and motivation. The happiness given by it never fades away, but keeps on increasing.

The poet finds beauty even in death. ‘Mighty dead’ refers to our glorious forefathers, who were great in their own ways. Grandeur is associated with them because our past is full of stories of their glory. They will always be remembered for their achievements.

The message that the poem conveys is that a thing of beauty gives us endless joy. It helps us to come out of sadness and hopelessness. The memory of such a thing is a source of everlasting happiness.

‘Endless fountain’ refers to the beauty of nature. It is a boon from heaven itself. Our life is full of miseries but the infinite delight that we get from beautiful things of nature gives us motivation to continue our journey.

The poet uses the image of nature as an ‘endless fountain’ pouring onto us from heaven. Nature is a
source of endless joy. The sun, the moon, the daffodils, the clear streams, the forests etc, are a few beautiful images that make a deep impact on us.

A beautiful thing gives us everlasting joy and pleasure. Beautiful things are worth treasuring because their memory soothes our nerves and inspires us to overcome the depressing elements in life.

Beauty is a tonic, a heavenly drink. It is an endless fountain of amrita or nectar. It dispels the dark sadness or depression from your mind at one stroke. This beauty comes in different forms a poem/play, a lovely object of nature or the heavenly bodies. Life in its raw form is full of struggles, failures, pain and despair. But the sun and the moon, the trees and flowers and streams, and finally the rise and fall of mighty heroes distract our mind and brighten up our mood.

A beautiful thing gives us pleasure today and all times to come. They are as soothing as the cooling shade of a bower or sound health and mental peace. That’s why the beautiful things are worth-treasuring. They are eternal source of joy. With the passing of time the sweet memories become all the more lovely.

(a) It means that a thing of beauty has long-lasting impact. We even think of them in our dream.
(b) A beautiful thing passes into nothingness as it has long standing impression.
(c) It means a shady place for one to sit and ponder there.

The poem is an excerpt from John Keats’ first epic poem ‘Endymion’, which was published in 1818. The title of this poem is taken from the very first lines of Endymion. According to Greek mythology, Endymion was a handsome young shepherd who lived on Mount Latmos of Asia Minor. He was in love with the moon goddess Selene, who was also known as Cynthia.

The enchanted shepherd resolved to seek her in his admiration. This poem echoes the pleasure of the shepherd as he wanders through the forests and finds pleasure in beholding the beautiful sights of nature. That beauty can create joy in the soul that will last forever, is what is conveyed in the poem. The nature with its beauty, the sun, the moon and daffodils gives to life a new meaning and significance.

This line is taken from John Keats’ poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’. That beauty is everlasting, as it creates an eternal joy in the beholder. It is an endless fountain of joy that is immortal as a drink pouring down on us, as a water of joy from the edge of heaven’s cliff. The eternal joy is like a bliss of heaven on Earth.

The poet here says these words in order to explain the nature of the pleasure and joy that is created when a beautiful object is seen by a beholder. The poet here affirms the truth that beauty is not ephemeral, but eternal. The pleasure we receive in perceiving a beautiful object is a gift that is worth treasuring, as the joy soothes the gloom in our minds.

It is the first line of John Keats’ first epic poem, ‘Endymion: A Poetic Romance’ and of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty.’ This line is dramatically very significant because it is multi-layered in its meaning. It explains the effect of beauty on the soul. Beauty heals the negative impulses of our life.

It relieves us from being weighed down by worldly worries. Keats, as a romantic poet, brings out the belief in the power of nature to heal and give happiness. A beautiful thing is an object of joy because it gives us mental peace and makes us happy. Its value lies in its effect on us and it never breeds a sense of nothingness. It will not diminish with the passage of time.

The poem is rich in images and the use of various poetic devices. There is alliteration in ‘simple sheep’ which actually refers to mankind. Metaphor has been employed in ‘moves the pall’ where our souls steeped in sadness and hopelessness are compared to dead bodies covered with a shroud.

In the metaphor, ‘immortal drink’, a feeling of immense joy has been compared to a drink that flows down from heaven’s brink, like an endless fountain. There is use of alliteration in ‘noble natures’, ‘simple sheep’ and ‘cooling covert’,. The poem abounds in the use of imagery, as in ‘flowery bands’, ‘daffodils with the green world they live in’, ‘clear rills’, and ‘endless fountain.’

1. A thing of beauty gives us eternal and everlasting joy. The joy it gives us keeps on increasing with time.
2. A thing of beauty gives us a quiet bower to rest peacefully and blissful sleep full of pleasant dreams.
3. The joy that a thing of beauty gives is eternal. It never ends; instead it only increases with time.
4. ‘Bower’ refers to a peaceful place under the shade of trees.

1. Flowery bands refer to beautiful and pleasant things. The memory of these things remains in our minds and helps us strengthen our bond with Earth.
2. The above lines convey that life is full of hopelessness and sadness. There is lack of noble feelings amongst men. In spite of all this, some beautiful things help us to shed our sad and grim thoughts.
3. Spite here refers to malice. It means that in spite of despair and gloom, a beautiful thing or a flowery band can make us happy.
4. We suffer from disappointments, lack of noble ways and noble qualities.

1. The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
2. Human life is full of trials and tribulations. We add to our troubles and make our lives more difficult by following evil ways. We hurt others as well as ourselves. This makes us despondent.
3. The various objects of beauty around us remove the pall from our dark spirits. Beautiful things have the power to make us happy.
4. The poet here means that the world lacks men of noble nature or qualities. There are few people who are noble in character; most of the people are self-centered and pursue evil ways.

Or

1. The memory of beautiful things remains in our minds and strengthens our bond with Earth every day. The poet says that every day we prepare flowery wreaths to make our life beautiful and to remain connected with nature.
2. We suffer from hopelessness and sadness and our style of living makes us grim.
3. Hopelessness, sadness and lack of noble ways are a part of human life. We do ourselves harm by following unhealthy and wicked paths. These circumstances contribute towards making humans unhappy and disillusioned with life.
4. Any beautiful object or a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness from our hearts or spirits.

1. Whenever we look at a beautiful object, we are filled with comfort and joy. When we are burdened with grief, a thing of beauty comes as a ray of hope, and makes us forget our sorrow and suffering, at least for some time.
2. Beauty is an abstract idea and has no specific shape. The poet here means beauty in some form or some beautiful object which pleases us.
3. The given lines present an example of metaphor. Our souls are steeped in sadness and disappointment which are compared to a pall or shroud covering the dead.
4. Our spirits are dejected due to extreme sadness and disappointment, which may be the result of our own evil actions. So, the poet refers to them as dark, because of the hopelessness we feel.

1. The various objects of nature, like the sun, the moon, old and young trees in forests, daffodils and clear water streams give us joy. Clear water streams, green surroundings and the shade of trees in forests gives us respite from the heat.
2. The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
3. Daffodils bloom in green surroundings. Clear rills are small streams which make a cooling shelter for us.

1. The poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’ and the poet is John Keats.
2. The thing of beauty mentioned in these lines is the lovely stories celebrating the glory of our powerful ancestors, which we have read or heard about.

3. The poet uses the image of an ‘endless fountain’ coming down to us from heaven. According to him, nature and other beautiful things around us are like a gift from God, which give us infinite delight and joy.

4. The immortal drink gives us immense joy, a joy that is everlasting and one that will never come to an end.

Or

1. Our forefathers, who were great in their own ways, have been referred to as the ‘mighty dead’. We come to know about them by reading and learning about the tales of their glory.
2. An endless fountain of joy is the image that has been used to convey that beauty is everlasting. A thing of beauty makes a deep impression on our mind. It gives us infinite pleasure.
3. The immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours into our hearts is a source of immense joy and pleasure to us.

4. 1. tales

   2. grandeur

A thing of beauty gives us permanent happiness. When we look at objects of beauty, we feel happy, and the lasting impression that such objects leave on our mind continues to give us pleasure even when they are no longer in our sight. In the present times of acute stress and violence, the objects of beauty attain even greater significance. When our mind is anxious and troubled, the very sight of beautiful things often comes as a relief and provides us comfort and happiness for the moment.

Appreciating beautiful things is like appreciating God, who has bestowed them upon mankind as a gift so that we can derive happiness and solace from them. Proximity to beautiful things brings us closer to the creator, in whom lies the ultimate power to grant us relief from all anxieties and troubles. Therefore, it is sure to bring everlasting happiness at all times.

(i) A thing of beauty can be an idea, a story/poem or a sweet memory.
(ii) A lovely thing gives us heavenly joy for all time to come. We can bring to mind the dancing daffodils and share their joy. The sweetness of beauty gets sweeter with the passing of time.
(iii) A thing of beauty and its sweet memory is as soothing as a cool shade, sweet dreams, sound health and inner peace.
(iv) Quiet breathing means relaxed mood and mental peace.

(i) Man and nature are inseparable. Every morning fresh flowers refresh our eyes and celebrate the day with making a garland.
(ii) The ingratitude or wickedness of man, the misfortunes, the diseases cause us mental and physical suffering.
(iii) Some object of beauty, some noble deed, some powerful narrative remove our tension and sadness.
(iv) Sorrow, grief and physical pain are there to test man’s stamina.

(i) Keats looks to the brighter side of every situation. Come what may, life must go on. Life is more a blessing than a curse.
(ii) The objects of beauty are both natural and man-made. The sun and the moon, the trees and flowers, the streams and forests—are some of the gifts of God and nature.
(iii) The streams make a cool covered passage for themselves with the help of plants that grow on either bank.

(i) Keats’ reference is to the great tragic plays written by great playwrights. We find the exploits of great heroes very exciting. Even their fall is no less glorious.
(ii) All great stories and plays are like fountains of Amrita or heavenly drink. They keep entertaining the readers for centuries.
(iii) The great works of Shakespeare are the fountains of heavenly joy (An example of metaphor).