A THING OF BEAUTY WORKFILE

A poem by John Keats

Theme:

The poem A Thing of Beauty is an excerpt from Keats poem, “Endymion” – one of his earliest creations, based on a Greek legend. In this poem, the poet says that happiness that beautiful objects provide never fade into nothingness but multiply manifold whenever they return to our mind. The poet stresses on the fact that a thing of beauty is a joy forever, even in the midst of diseases, sufferings and disappointments of life. The poet also emphasises on the fact the one should never give up and should strive harder with a positive attitude, to reach out to the goals that one has set for oneself.

Poetic Devices:

• Alliteration: sleep sweet; band bind; noble nature; some shape; sprouting, shady, simple sheep; cooling covert; have heard

• Metaphor: bower quiet; wreathing a flowery band; endless fountain of immortal drink

• Anaphora: of noble natures, of the gloomy day, of all the unhealthy and o’er darkened ways

• Imagery: flowery band; sprouting shady boon; daffodils with the green world they live in; clear rills; sprinkling of fair musk rose blooms; grandeur of the mighty dead; pouring from the heaven’s brink

• Inversion: are we wreathing a flowering band

• Antithesis: old and young

Read the extract and answer the following questions:

1. A thing of beauty is a joy forever ………………………………………………….. ………………………….. A flowery band to bind us to the earth

2. Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as used in the first line of the extract.

3. I’m as happy as I can be

4. Life is a roller coaster ride

5. Nature is God’s gift to us

6. The dazzling divas enchanted us all

7. What does the phrase ‘a bower quiet’ indicate?

8. Serenity c. superiority

9. Morality d. diversity

10. The benefits of a thing of beauty for humans include…

11. Healthy body (4) better relationships

12. Calm mind (5) hope to carry on

13. Struggle-free life

Choose the most appropriate option.

1. Only (5) c. (1), (3) and (4)

2. (1), (2) and (5) d. (2) and (4)

3. Answer in ONE word:

When the poet says that ‘a thing of beauty’ will never pass into nothingness, he means that it is ___________________

1. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below:

2. We are surrounded by beautiful things

3. Beautiful things provide us joy

4. (1) can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot

5. (2) can be inferred from the extract but (1) cannot

6. Both (1) and (2) can be inferred from the extract

7. (2) is the reason for (1) and can be inferred from the extract

8. Which of the following is an apt title for the extract?

9. Full to the brim with joy

10. Beauty galore

11. Live life king size

12. Hope floats

Answer in brief in about 40-50 words:

1. How does the poem highlight the poet’s immense faith in the Divine?

2. What captivated Keats more – physical beauty or spiritual beauty? Give reasons for your answer.

3. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the ‘mighty dead’?

Answer in detail in about 120-150 words:

1. Natural beauty has a soothing revitalizing effect on human beings. Discuss with a special reference to the poem A Thing of Beauty.