Critical Appreciation of “A thing of beauty”

The above-given poetry is an excerpt from Keats’ poem, Endymion: A poetic Romance-(1818), considered to be an epic poem written by John Keats who is famous as a sensual poet and a poet of beauty.  This poem is based on Greek mythology about a shepherd named Endymion who falls in love with Diana pursues her later he comes across an earthily maiden and no time happens to know she is that Diana. This poem goes ahead in the direction of showing the value of beauty that moves somebody towards eternal joy.  That unending pleasure of the beauty of the maiden captivates him to drag himself to the direction of that relief and consolation.  It seems in the beginning, the poet indicates that beauty is like an immortal thing that flows: joy, pleasure, relief, consolation, immortality as a fountain. It is emphasized by the poet that this beauty increases its look of admiration and attraction which passes from one generation to another, being still the same and fresh like a flower blossomed just now. The power of beauty is so closely observed by a poet who expresses in the verse that it is a source of medical cure that treats one’s troubles and relief one with plenty of sweets dreams. In other words, it can be uttered that beauty is the only thing that gives unending pleasure. The verse goes like this….

A thing of beauty is a joy forever:

Its loveliness increase; it will never

Pass into nothingness, but still will

A bower quiet for us, and asleep

Full of sweet dreams, health, and quiet breathing.

Keats later mentioned how the society is occupied by all sorts of immoral and corrupt activities that had been prevailed by our kings and the people of the society, which have brought hopeless, unpleasant situations, and gloominess all around the country. Life has become so harsh for humans because of unpleasant despondence, corrupt business, an unfulfilled promise, and unaffordable things. Then the poet highlights the essence of beauty by saying that getting out of the gloomy life is not so difficult, it is not an impossible mission that one feels to give up before initiating it, it is so easy like eating a piece of creamy cake.  One can attain pleasure if one passes through the beautiful nature like the sun, the moon, trees, flowers, streams, musk-rose, fairy tales, and heroic stories that lighten one’s face, brighten the eyes and just raise a comfortable feeling inside that one who will be capable of getting reds off gloomy and miserable things of life. The verse goes like this……

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth

Of noble nature, of the gloomy days

Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways

Some shape of beauty moves away from the pall

From dark spirits. Such as the sun, the moon

Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon.

In the same manner, in the following verse poet turn his face towards another direction mentioning that reading and writing about the brave legend and heroes of the country who had sacrificed their lives for the rights of innocent people and for honor. A person feels a very beautiful pleasure at the moment of reading, writing or watching about them and also feels so proud during the time. This beautiful moment just descends the paradise in one’s lap. It means there are many things that have the quality of beauty if one just goes closely looking for it; discovers the outstanding pleasure and can declare that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. It is such an immortal thing that never fades away but increases its attraction and admiration.

Critical Analysis

The poem is full of things that can be argued and can be praised simultaneously. The first thing is that poet says beauty is everlasting pleasure, but the point can be argued that beauty is not so capable because of happiness all the time. In a sense that Keats is a romantic poet and romantic poets were mostly skeptics who run away from the reality of life which is so difficult, gloomy, and harsh for them to stand firm before them. So they take the help of beauty to get rid of the reality of life.  Maybe some can control themselves and engross themselves in beauty but all are not capable to run away from reality. However, the poet is very optimistic therefore it shows that troubles and hardship can be transformed into a suitable happy moment by beauty.  Beauty is given the rank of divine power by the poet which is not so much reasonable. Because no one can be happy if his life is in trouble because of relation, poverty, and so on. However, it is known that this era’s poets believe in art for art's sake, not art for others. Therefore, in this sense being subjective, the narrator’s points can be a sound argument that beauty is a source of endless pleasure. Besides this, to be honest, and not biased, the poet’s writing is very complex, the verses are very long connected by a colon and semicolon; one stanza is a verse. Therefore, it is difficult to figure out the poem in a blink of an eye. However, it is very attractive, the word beauty itself drives one toward the memories of beautiful moments which one experienced with their most beloved ones like love, parents, and other sincere relations. Those marvelous and mesmerizing moments will be felt extremely by reading the first verse of the poem.

Likewise, the central theme is also the beauty that is felt to be like medicine of life, a boundless source of joy that seems to be a precious gift from heaven. It is truly a beautiful thing that will give joy throughout one’s lifetime. One can return to the beautiful thing and never finish finding it a source of joy. Even after one dies, the things of beauty will continue to exist and will give joy to people of the next age.

In a nutshell, it is certain that the poem is a kind of indirect message to the people who are suffering because of gloomy and miserable incidents, inciting them to turn their direction towards positive things of life which can push them forward to attain that boundless consolation, relief, and comfort. Even after their death, their children will enjoy the pleasure of beauty because of the positive thoughts that will transfer from parents to children. Optimistic and positive entities are so powerful, if one keeps them will never come across the sadness and never pass a hollow life. Thus a beautiful thing is a joy forever.

By: Shahzad Naseem

The writer is a post-graduate from the English Literature Department University of Turbat

Currently Teaching at Zanth Academy Jusak and Delta School Turbat

Kech Balochistan