A Thing of Beauty Poem Theme

A THING OF BEAUTY

By-John Keats

About The Poet

John Keats (31 October, 1795-23 February, 1821) was an English Romantic poet He was one of the main figures of the second generation of Romantic poets along with Lord Byron and P. B. Shelley, despite his work having been in publication for only four years before his death.

Although his poems were not generally well received by critics during his lifetime, his reputation grew after his death. So by the end of the 19th century, he had become one of the most beloved of all English poets. He had a significant influence on a diverse range of poets and writers.

The poetry of Keats is characterised by sensual imagery, most notably in the series of odes. Today, his poems and letters are some of the most popular and most analysed in English literature. His notable works are: To autumn, Ode to a nightingale; On first looking into Chapman's Homer, Ode on a Grecian urn.

Introduction

A British Romantic poet, John Keats (1795-1821), published his first epic poem, Endymion in 1818. It is a narrative about the relationship between a Goddess and her human lover. The poem is based on the Greek myth of Endymion, the shepherd who falls in love with the moon Goddess, Selene, whom the poet renames 'Cynthia'. This extract, 'A Thing of Beauty talks of how beautiful things give us pleasure and alleviate suffering and sorrow. The epic poem, "Endymion' begins famously with the line, 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever' (first stanza).

Theme

The very opening line of the poem, 'A Thing of Beauty... openly recites the very theme of the poem. Any beautiful object is always treasured in our mind because it provides us eternal and everlasting joy. The happiness that anything beautiful provides, never fades into nothingness but multiplies manifold whenever it returns to our mind.

Poetic Devices

Metaphor

■ bower quiet

■ wreathing a flowery band

■ endless fountain of immortal drink

Alliteration

■noble natures

■band to bind

Imagery

■flowery bands

■daffodils in given world

■cooling covert

■ endless fountain of immortal drink

Symbol

■ simple sheep (refers to mankind as Christ is the shepherd)

Transferred Epithet

■ gloomy days

Hyperbole

■endless mountain

Rhyme Scheme

aa bb cc