Please refer to A Thing of Beauty summary Class 12 English and questions with solutions below. These revision notes and important examination questions have been prepared based on the latest English books for Class 12. You can go through the questions and solutions below which will help you to get better marks in your examinations. You can refer to more Class 12 English summary of all chapters pdf here
Class 12 English A Thing of Beauty Summary and Questions
ABOUT THE POET
English romantic poet John Keats was born on October 31, 1795 in London. His first volume of poems was published in 1817. His poems, dealing with mythical and legendary themes of ancient, medieval and Renaissance times, are rich in imagery and phrasing. He died at a young age of twenty five in 1821.
SUMMARY
In this poem, the poet tells about how nature and its wonders mesmerise us and how they take away all the sorrow that surrounds us from time to time. A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its attractiveness grows with a passage of time and its impact never fades away. It is as cool and pleasant as a quiet lover or like one sleeps a sound sleep with sweet dreams. It ensures good health and tranquility. It provides the one who possess, an ever existing peace and solace. The earth minus the beautiful things is despondent, spiteful place thriving in callous insensitive dearth and is rough towards humans. Each day in life one encounters sadness along with unhealthy spite and darkness.
In spite of this, a thing of beauty may eradicate these gloomy clouds which burden our soul. Hence, the poet says that we, human beings, create an ornate bond every day made up of all lovely things we see. This bond keeps us bound to the despondent earth, otherwise we would have lost all hope. Then the poet reiterates few beautiful things that we see on earth. As beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder-everyone of us can find something beautiful in anything. The example given by the poet are of the sun, the moon, trees, flowers, stream, musk-rose blooms, architectural tombs, even fairytales or stories of heroic legends. The ‘simple sheep’ are human beings – the poet sympathises with the human beings and their innocence. Keats sees the beauty in innocent human looking out for solace in nature and mother nature in its own way develops a shady abode of relief and consolation.
The clause, ‘Lily of the Valley’ is quite well known and incites image of a subtle unique white flower holding up its head amongst a setting of thorns and tips and everything contrary in nature to delicateness, are daffodils cited as an example by the poet. The poet also sees beauty in death of martyrs and legends. ‘The mighty dead’ are the warriors who died for a cause. In order to honour them magnificent and tall sepulchers are erected. One may see beauty in that as well. When we look around there are numerous beautiful things which are immortal and are created by gods above for pitiable human beings so that they are able to cope up with the harshness of life.
CBSE Class 12 English A Thing of Beauty Important Questions and Answers
Question 1. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink and why does he call its drink immortal?
Answer
It is nature’s beauty, which Keats considers an endless fountain of immortal drink. According to him, the drink is immortal because of the joy and delight it provides, it never passes into nothingness; the joy is forever and its loveliness ever-increasing.
Question 2. How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?
Answer
A thing of beauty is present in the nature and brings us eternal joy whenever we need it. It keeps a quiet bower for us to take shelter in and comforts us so as to provide us a sound sleep full of sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing. A thing of beauty present in the nature comforts us also by removing the gloom and misery from our lives.
Question 3. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever ?
Answer
A thing of beauty is a joy forever because its loveliness increases and lasts long. It never passes into nothingness and moves away the pall from our dark spirits.
Question 4. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Answer
In spite of troubles and sufferings, human beings love life because one is able to derive pleasure from the nature as well as one’s surroundings. The ‘things of beauty’, which nature provides take away all the gloom and fills one with hope.
Question 5. Describe any three things of beauty mentioned in the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
Answer
Everything in nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. Some of them are the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodil flowers, small streams with clear water, etc.
Question 6. Why and how is grandeur associated with the mighty dead?
Answer
The mighty dead were powerful persons during their own times. The tales of their achievements have been read and heard. Their lives and deeds look extraordinary and inspirational. Thus, grandeur of the mighty dead is a thing of beauty.
Question 7. What is the message of the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Answer
The poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ gives the message that the things of beauty, which nature provides, never lose their charm. They never move into nothingness. They make a long lasting impression. The things of beauty present in the nature relieve us of worldly worries, thus bringing us eternal joy.
Question 8. What image does Keats use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth ?
Answer
The earth is beautiful in terms of lovely scenes and sights. It produces lovely green trees, delicate daffodils and streams. These come as a healing balm to a person in pain or distress. The poet compares them to a fountain of immortal drink from heaven.
Question 9. What makes human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face?
Answer
Human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face because they are surrounded by the things of beauty in nature. They remove the gloomy pall from our dark spirits. Nature makes us rise above the spite of our despondence and allows us to become attuned to the beauty of nature.
Question 10. In the hot season, how do man and beast get comfort?
Answer
In the hot season, man and beast get comfort by taking shelter under the shade of the trees, or being one with absorbing nature and the coolness it provides. The things of beauty, which nature offers are simple. However, they have a calming effect on every living being.
Question 11. What does a thing of beauty do for us ?
Answer
A thing of beauty uplifts one’s mood and provides eternal joy. It makes life worth living in spite of despondence, gloomy days, etc. because its loveliness keeps on increasing and never fades away.
Question 12. What makes human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face?
Answer
Human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face because they are surrounded by the things of beauty in nature. They remove the gloomy pall from our dark spirits. Nature makes us rise above the spite of our despondence and allows us to become attuned to the beauty of nature.
Question 13. Mention any four things of beauty that add joy to our life.
Answer
The sun, clear rills, the mid forest brake and the grandeur of the doom are four of the innumerable things of beauty that add joy to our life.
Question 14. Mention any two things which cause pain and suffering.
Answer
Despondence and lack of noble nature are two of the many things, which cause pain and suffering.
Question 15. Which objects of nature does Keats mention as sources of joy in his poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Answer
The objects of nature, which are a sources of joy are the sun, the moon, trees-young and old, daffodils, sheep, forests, clear rills, the mid forest brake, musk rose, etc.
Question 16. Life is full of sorrows. What brings joy in it?
Answer
Life is full of sorrows. However, the beautiful things given by God give us immense joy. They bring peace and calmness to the mind. One can remove one’s sorrows by admiring sights of nature.
Question 17. How do we get joy from life which is otherwise full of sorrows ?
Answer
Life is full of sorrows. However, the beautiful things given by God give us immense joy. They bring peace and calmness to the mind. One can remove one’s sorrows by admiring sights of nature.
Question 18. ‘It’s 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.
(a) Whose loveliness will keep on increasing?
(b) Identify the phrase which says that ‘it’ is immortal.
(c) What is a ‘bower’?
(d) Why do we need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives?
Answer
(a) The loveliness of a thing of beauty will keep on increasing.
(b) ‘Never pass into nothingness.’
(c) A pleasant, shady place under a tree is called bower.
(d) We need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives to bear the problems of life, to remove the gloom and to uplift the mood.
Question 19. 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
… … …
(a) Who are the ‘mighty dead’?
(b) What have we done for them?
(c) What metaphor has been used for ‘lovely tales’ ?
(d) How is the grandeur of the dooms related to the theme of the poem?
Answer
(a) The ‘mighty dead’ are all the great men.
(b) We have heard and read lovely heroic tales about their grandeur.
(c) The metaphor used for ‘Lovely tales’ is an endless fountain of immortal drink.
(d) The grandeur of the dooms is everlasting beauty; one can find beauty even in death.
Question 20. 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.
(a) Name the poem.
(b) Who are the ‘mighty dead’ referred to here?
(c) What is the endless fountain of immortal drink ?
(d) What does the word, ‘brink’ mean ?
Answer
(a) The name of the poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
(b) Here, the ‘mighty dead’ refers to the great people of the world, the people we respect and/or our ancestors as well.
(c) The endless fountain of immortal drink is all the wonderful tales told to us when we were children and all the great books read by us.
(d) The word ‘brink’ means the extreme edge at the top.
Question 21. Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of nobel natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and Q’er darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.
(a) Name the poem.
(b) Give one cause of human suffering.
(c) What moves away the pall from our lives.
(d) What does the word ‘gloomy’ mean?
Answer
(a) The name of the poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
(b) One of the many causes of human sufferings is lack of noble nature.
(c) Anything, which we consider beautiful moves away the pall from our lives.
(d) The word gloomy means depressed or sad.
Question 22. All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink.
Pouring onto us from the heaven’s brink.
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?
(c) What image does the poet use in these lines?
Answer
(a) The given lines are from the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ by John Keats.
(b) The things of beauty mentioned in the given lines are the lovely tales heard or read.
(c) In these lines, the poet uses the image of ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink’ to describe the beautiful bounty of the Earth.
Question 23. 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 dark spirits.
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) Why are we ‘despondent’?
(c) What removes ‘the pall from our dark spirits’?
Answer
(a) The lines have been taken from the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ by John Keats.
(b) We are despondent because of the unhealthy and over-darkened ways of humans and that the world lacks noble people.
(c) According to the poet, even if the world is not worth living because of the innumerable reasons that ultimately result in gloom and depression, the zeal to live a happy and content life can be derived from the sight of the beautiful bounties of nature around us. These beautiful things remove the pall from our dark spirits.
Question 24. Some shape of beauty moves away the pall from our dark spirits.
(a) How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
(b) Explain : “Some shape of beauty”.
(c) Identify the figure of speech used in the above lines.
Answer
(a) Beauty or a thing of beauty removes all sad thoughts, has a soothing effect on our senses and lifts our spirits.
(b) ‘Some shape of beauty’ means anything that is beautiful in the world.
(c) Personification and metaphor.
Question 25. 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 :
(a) What are we doing every day?
(b) Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?
(c) What are the circumstances that contribute towards making humans unhappy and disillusioned with life?
Answer
(a) Every day we renew our bond with nature and it is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth.
(b) We suffer from lack of goodness in human nature and possess unhealthy and our darkened methods of being human.
(c) The trials and tribulations of life that test our bearance make us despondent in life.
Question 26. 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 :
(a) What are the flowery bands that bind us to the earth ?
(b) What message do the above lines, convey?
Answer
(a) The flowery band that binds us to the earth are new memories we make and hopes we form every morning when we wake up. These too are few of the many beautiful things, which keeps us grounded and make us happy during our time of grief.
(b) The above lines convey that even if the world is full of gloomy days, despondency and lacks people of noble nature, the things of beauty that we are surrounded with bring us hope and joy.
We hope the above A Thing of Beauty Class 12 English are useful for you. If you have any questions then post them in the comments section below. Our teachers will provide you an answer. Also refer to MCQ Questions for Class 12 English
