Class 12 Flamingo

1. A THING OF
BEAUTY IS A JOY
FOREVER– JOHN
KEATS
-Shivani Singh
PGT English, APS - Delhi Cantt

4. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

5. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
INTRODUCTION:
• Extract
• ENDYMION: A POETIC ROMANCE
• THEME: -LOVE, BEAUTY AND
YOUTH

6. • Beauty as a source of perennial joy and pleasure
• Any thing which appeals to the senses gives
everlasting and ever- increasing joy
• Beautiful things make pain and sufferings tolerable.
• They are a source of inspiration to all earthlings.

7. Message:
A beautiful object is treasured in our minds because it
provides eternal and everlasting joy.
This happiness never fades away into oblivion but quite on
the contrary multiplies manifold whenever we are reminded
of it.

8. 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.
Words:
Loveliness- beauty, charm
bower- a pleasant place in the shade under trees
quiet breathing – peaceful moments
pass into nothingness- die, be forgotten

9. POETIC DEVICE EXTRACT MEANING
METAPHOR bower quiet A secluded and a peaceful place where
man can relax and forget all his
troubles
sweet dreams Sound and pleasant sleep required for
mental peace

10. What are pleasures that beautiful sights/ objects give us, the humans?
 A beautiful object is a constant/ perennial source of joy. Its beauty increases every
time an onlooker sees it.
 Since beauty is eternal, it never fades away or dies/ forgotten and is immortal.
 Its charms grow even more enchanting with the passage of time.
 It gives us everlasting joy and dispels all sadness and grief from our lives, thereby
enabling us to live comfortably and blissfully.
 The poet compares the joy with the pleasure we get from:
a. ‘Quiet bower’-the cool shade is comforting
b. ‘sleep full of sweet dreams’- mush needed for good health and mental peace.
 It provides us a shelter (quiet bower) which is peaceful and a comfortable sleep
that is full of sweet dreams.
 It also gives us good health and a life which is free of tensions. ( ‘quiet breathing’).

11. Answer these:
1. What kind of joy does a beautiful thing provide?
2. Explain: “ its loveliness increases”.
3. What does the poet mean by saying: ‘it will never pass into nothingness’?
4. Explain: ‘ quiet breathing’.
5. What is a bower? Which figure of speech has been used in ‘bower quiet’?
6. Explain: ‘ sleep full of sweet dreams’.
7. Why do we need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives?
8. According to Keats, what treasures does a beautiful thing store for us?

12. 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 spirits …
Words:
Morrow- the next day: tomorrow
Wreathing- flowers or leaves twisted or woven together into a circle together worn on the
head as a crown.
spite –short for ‘in spite’
despondence- disappointment
Spite of despondence- inspite of the disappointment due to lack of noble men and manners
Dearth- scarcity, lack of
Gloomy- sad: pall –a thick, dark cloud of something
Unhealthy and over- darkened ways- lack of human value and evil practices

13. POETIC DEVICE EXTRACT MEANING
METAPHOR 1. Flowery band
2. Unhealthy and over-
darkened ways
Link with nature
Hardships and troubles in life/ being alive
in this world
TRANSFERRED
EPITHET
1. Unhealthy and over-
darkened ways
2. Gloomy days
Those who follow the wrong paths
The people that are gloomy not the days
ALLITERATION Noble natures
Band to bind
PERSONIFICATION Inhuman dearth of noble
natures
Scarcity of noble men -
ARCHAISM morrow Old English
IMAGERY Flowery wreaths Vivid descriptions suggesting various
images

14. It saves us from negativity!
 The poet draws a conclusion that since a beautiful thing gives us
eternal happiness, every morning we renew our link with nature by
weaving a band of flowers and leaves.
 This is metaphorical in nature in order to signify man’s connection to
mother Earth.
 This band keeps our connection with nature eternal.
 This close connection with nature saves us for all the negativity
pervasive in this world.
 The negativity arises out of dejection, disappointment and
uncertainty. Bit despite all this, beautiful objects uplift our dull
spirits.
 Man is dejected, disappointed and uncertain because of lack of
human values and evil practices.

15. Answer these:
1. What, according to the poet, does beauty inspire us to do every morning?
2. What are the flowery bands that bind us to the Earth?
3. Explain: ‘wreathing a flowery band to bind us to the earth.’
4. What does the expression, ‘spite of despondence’ imply?
5. Why there is ‘inhuman dearth of noble nature’?
6. What makes our days gloomy?
7. Explain:’ unhealthy and o’er- darkened ways’.

16. ….yes ,inspite 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
For simple sheep: and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in:
Words:
Pall- dark clods of sadness
Sprouting- to appear: to develop something
Boon- blessing

17. POETIC DEVICE EXTRACT MEANING
METAPHOR The pall
Dark spirits
The shroud of happiness
unhappiness
TRANSFERRED EPITHET Gloomy days The people are gloomy and not
the days
PERSONIFICATION Shape of beauty
daffodils
Beauty has been personified by
giving it a shape
METONYMY Green world Used for forest
IMAGERY Shady boon
Green world

18. Where do we find these beautiful sights and objects?
 Inspite of all the pessimistic and negative thoughts that obstruct our way to
happiness (and inspite of all the sadness that overshadow and darken our ways), we
are able to find happiness in the beautiful objects of nature.
 Beauty in any form helps in dispelling sadness and driving away despondency.
 Some objects found in nature which are beautiful are: the sun, the moon, old and
young trees.
 Keats describes these trees as providing shade which acts like a blessing to all the
people on this earth.
 Trees are symbolic of protection. Nature, through the trees, showers on us the
blessing of shade, protecting us from heat and rain.

19.  ‘for simple sheep’- here is a Biblical reference. Lamb and sheep are
envisioned as the embodiments of innocent and trusting followers of
Jesus Christ.. He is viewed as a shepherd surrounded by his flock of
sheep- the followers. the reference is to the sheep as symbols of
common people who have faith in the bounties of nature.
 Daffodil flowers in the green forests too are pleasing to behold.
 ‘With the green world they live in’
Green world means the forests and nature is at its best in these lish green
forests. While mentioning some beautiful objects in nature, Keats
emphasizes the fact that man can find comfort and true khappiness only
in the lap of nature as characterised by the trees, streams , musk- roses
and daffodils.

20. Answer these:
1. What does in spite of all refer to?
2. What according to the poet, drives away the sadness from our life?
Or
What moves away the pall from our lives?
3. What images of beauty has the poet referred to here?
4. How does the poet celebrate the beauty of a ‘tree’?
5. What does the reference , ‘simple sheep’ symbolize?
6. Explain : ‘with the green world they live in’.

21. ….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:
Words:
Rills- small streams
Covert- an area of thick low bushes and trees where animals can hide
Brake- a thick mass of ferns
Hot season- summer time
Musk- rose blooms- flowers

22. POETIC DEVICE EXTRACT MEANING
ALLITERATION Cooling covert
PERSONIFICATION Rills
METONYMY (
change of name)
Hot season summer
IMAGERY Clear rills
Cooling covert
Mid- forest brake

23. • The poet draws our attention to the small rivers with clear water that cool the
bushy thickets in the hot season.
•
• He reminds us of the resplendent beauty of the thick ferns found in forests
which have fragrant flowers spread in them.
• These ordinary things too have the potential to lift the human spirit and fill it
with joy.

24. Answer these:
1. What does ‘clear rills’ refer to?
2. How are they beneficial to mankind?
3. Explain: ‘mid- forest brake’.

25. 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.
Words:
Grandeur- splendour
Dooms- sacrifices made by the brave men
Mighty dead- martyrs
Immortal- that which cannot die
Brink- edge

26. POETIC DEVICE EXTRACT MEANING
METAPHOR endless fountain of
immortal drink
A thing of beauty is
like an elixir of life
just like the nectar
was for the gods.
OXYMORON The mighty dead The martyrs are
living in the
memories of
people because of
the sacrifices they
made. These were
beautiful and
inspiring to all.
IMAGERY Endless fountain of
eternal drink

27. • The poet speaks about the ‘ mighty dead’ who are ancient, powerful and brave
men who had done noble deeds in the past but are now dead.
• He refers to the beautiful stories of these great men which we have heard or
read.
• ‘Grandeur of the dooms’- there is greatness in the sacrifices made by the brave
men.
• These stories are beautiful as they create an indelible impression on us. They
inspire and make us happy.

28. • In the last two lines, Keats wants to establish the idea that beautiful objects are a
source of endless happiness. He uses the metaphor of the immortal drink of the
gods:
According to him, just as the nectar pours from the edge of the heaven and
makes the gods immortal, similarly, beautiful things provide us with endless joy
and inspiration. They make life comfortable and worth living.
In other words, Beauty, in all respects, is an endless fountain of immortal drink.
It is so because Beauty is a perennial source of motivation in whose glory men
on earth derive eternal joy and inspiration.

29. Thankyou!