A Thing of Beauty

A Thing of Beauty

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

Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the earth,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall

From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,

Tree 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 sprinkling of fair musk – rose blooms;

An endless fountain of immortal drink,

Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink

- Jhon Keats

About the Poet:

John Keats (1795 – 1821) was a British Romantic poet. Although trained to be a surgeon, Keats decided to devote himself wholly to poetry. Keats’ secret, his power to sway and delight the readers, lies primarily in his gift for perceiving the world and living his moods and aspirations in terms of language. "A Thing of Beauty' is an excerpt from his poem ‘Endymion: A Poetic Romance’. The poem is based on a Greek legend, in which Endymion, a beautiful young shepherd and poet who lived on Mount Latmos, had a vision of Cynthia, the Moon Goddess. The enchanted youth resolved to seek her out and so wandered away through the forest and down under the sea.

Glossary

bower (n) - shelter under the shade of trees

wreathing (v) - cover, surround, encircle something

pall (n) - covering

rills (n) - clear stream

sprinkling (v) - falling in fine drops

Choose the correct answers

1. According to the poet, a thing of beauty is ____________

a. a joy forever

b. a pain forever

c. a suffering forever

d. neglected