What pleasure does a beautiful thing give us? Are beautiful things worth treasuring?
At present, the world is full of negative forces which makes us experience various negative emotions at a very young age. So, a presence or even a thought of a beautiful thing brings a smile, joy on our faces.
Yes, beautiful things are worth treasuring because you need to treasure the things that make you happy in this evil world.
List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.
The sun, the moon, shady trees, daffodil flowers, green world, clear rills (small streams), musk-rose blooms, an endless fountain of immortal drink and tales of heroic men who sacrificed their lives. These are the list of things of beauty mentioned in the poem.
List the things that cause suffering and pain.
Spite of despondency, the inhuman dearth of human natures, hopelessness, bad health, unhappiness, dark spirits, hot seasons. These are the things that cause suffering and pain.
What does the line, ‘Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth’ suggest to you?
The poet is deeply in love with the constant beauty of the earth. He believes that man and nature are woven into an unbroken bond. The above line suggests the intensity and eternity of this bond. The beautiful things present in the nature around us are like beautiful flowers. We wreathe (cover) them in a flowery band that keeps us connected and attached to the beautiful earth.
What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
We, as human beings, suffer from malice(hatred), despondency, lack of noble qualities and so on. These things make our life sad and gloomy(dark). The poet, however, feels that in spite of all these sufferings, man has a hope to redeem himself and make him love life. This hope lies in the small beautiful things around which provide happiness and joy through their sheer charm and beauty.
Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the ‘mighty dead’?
The “mighty dead” refers to our forefathers who were powerful in their own ways. Their values and achievements made them ‘mighty’ and great. They were great because of their grand, dazzling deeds. Thus “grandeur” is associated with our dead ancestors who are remembered for their good works.
Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us?
John Keats starts his poem with the line ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’. It obviously means that a thing of beauty is a constant source of joy. He goes on saying that its loveliness goes on increasing every moment and it never passes into nothingness. The beautiful things around us make a lasting impression on us. A person living in the midst of natural beauty always feels happy as he has things of beauty all around him to delight him forever.
What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
John Keats uses various images to describe the many beautiful things existing on the earth. The sun, the moon, shady trees, the beautiful daffodils, small streets of clear water, forest brake, musk-roses etc. And then, there is this striking image of nature as an endless fountain pouring into us a heavenly immortal drink i.e. nectar and thus keeping us in a constant state of joy.