A Thing Of Beauty (Poem)

Poem: A Thing of Beauty

John Keats

Warm up

1. Do you admire the beauty of nature, animals, people, places or things?
   Discuss with your partner.

A Thing of Beauty

John 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

A. Read the poem aloud twice.

B. 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

2. Beautiful things never “pass into nothingness” means that they ______.
   a. never increase b. create unpleasantness between friends c. never fade away d. always bring unhappiness

3. “Will keep a bower quiet for us” means ______.
   a. will give us peace and calm b. will stop unpleasant sound c. make our beds fit to sleep d. reduces noise

4. Of all the unhealthy means ______
   a. pain b. neglect c. suffering d. ill-health

5. The sun, moon, trees, old and young are the things that ______.
   a. depress us b. remove the pall of gloom from our lives c. makes us laugh d. gives us oxygen

C. Answer the following

1. How is a thing of beauty joy forever?
2. Why do we suffer?
3. According to the poet, mention the evil things we possess.

D. Figure of Speech

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant letters or similar sounds at the beginning of words in a set or series of words.
- wild wind
- curious clock
- splendid scholar
- memorable moments
- creepy crawlies

Imagery

Imagery is the way that a writer helps the reader visualize or see in their minds what is being described.
- During Christmas the house smells like a chocolate brownie.
- The kitten’s fur is like a velvet coat.
- The mountain was spewing and spitting the smoke.
- The autumn leaves formed a blanket on the grass.

Practice Practice Exercises

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

a. a joy forever

b. a pain forever

c. a suffering forever

d. neglected

2. Beautiful things never “pass in to nothingness” means that they .

a. never increase

b. create unpleasantness between friends

c. never fade away

d. always bring unhappiness

3. “Will keep a bower quiet for us” .

a. will give us peace and calm

b. will stop unpleasant sound

c. make our beds fit to sleep

d. reduces noise

4. Of all the unhealthy means

a. pain

b. neglect

c. suffering

d. ill-health

5. The sun, moon, trees, old and young are the things that .

a. depress us

b. remove the pall of gloom from our lives

c. makes us laugh

d. gives us oxygen

1. How is a thing of beauty joy forever?

2. Why do we suffer?

3. According to the poet, mention the evil things we possess?