A Thing of Beauty | Class 12 HS AHSEC | Important Questions - Answers

This article contains

A. Previous years' questions with answers,

B. Textual questions with answers and

C. Additional questions with answers.

A. Previous Years' Questions:

1. How is a thing of beauty joy forever? HS Exam 2012, 2017

Or

2. Explain the line "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever". HS Exam 2013

Ans: According to John Keats, a thing of beauty is a source of constant joy. It gives us unending happiness. Its loveliness increases forever. It will never vanish.

3. What is the message that Keats wants to convey through "A Thing of Beauty"? HS Exam 2014, 2016, 2020

Ans: Keats conveys the message that a thing of beauty is a source of constant joy. Its loveliness never fades. It always increases. It mitigates our sorrows and sufferings and gives us unending happiness.

4. What is the legend on which the poem "A Thing of Beauty" is written? HS Exam 2015

Ans: The poem is based on the Greek legend of Endymion. 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.

5. What, according to Keats, never 'passes into nothingness'? HS Exam 2015

Or

6. What increases continuously in 'A Thing of Beauty' ? HS Exam 2018, 2022

Ans: According to Keats, beauty never passes into nothingness. It increases continuously. The loveliness or pleasure derived from the beautiful things of nature increases every moment and never fades.

7. Name the things of nature that are constant sources of beauty. HS Exam 2016

Ans: According to Keats, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Its loveliness increases. It will never pass into nothingness. He mentions several beautiful things of nature in the poem like the Sun, the moon and the trees, both old and young that sprout and provide shelter to the sheep. The daffodils with their green surroundings, the streams of clear water that make a cooling covert for themselves and the mid forest bushes with their fair musk roses.

8. What, according to Keats, makes human beings love life in spite of all its problems and miseries? HS Exam 2019, 2023

Ans: According to Keats, some of the beautiful things of nature help to move away the sadness or darkness from our minds. They make our life happy and joyful in spite of all its troubles and sufferings.

9. Describe the things that cause suffering and pain mentioned by Keats in 'A Thing of Beauty'. HS Exam 2022

Ans: According to Keats, disappointments, lack of human qualities, gloomy days, our unhealthy and evil ways are the things that cause suffering and pain in life.

10. Read the following extract and answer the questions below: HS Exam 2016

A. A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Its 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.

I. Who is the poet of these lines and what is the name of the poem?

Ans: The poet of these lines is John Keats.

The name of the poem is 'A Thing of Beauty'.

II. Why is a thing of beauty joy forever?

Ans: A thing of beauty is a source of constant joy. It gives us unending happiness. Its loveliness increases forever. It will never vanish.

III. What is a bower?

Ans: A bower is a pleasant shady place under trees.

11. Read the following extract and answer the questions below: HS Exam 2019

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 nature's, of the gloomy days,

Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darken'd ways

Made for our searching: Yes, in spite of all,

Some shape of beauty moves away the pall

From our dark spirits.

I. What do we do everyday?

Ans: Everyday we weave a flowery wreath to bind us to the beauties of the earth.

II. What removes the pall from our dark spirits?

Ans: Some shape of beauty removes the pall from our dark spirits.

III. What is the message expressed in these lines?

Ans: The message is that the beautiful objects of nature remove the sadness from our dampened spirits and make our life happy.

B. Textual questions:

1. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.

Ans: John Keats refers to several beautiful things of nature in the poem like the Sun, the moon and the trees, both old and young that sprout and provide shelter to the sheep. He also refers to the daffodils with their green surroundings, the streams of clear water that make a cooling covert for themselves and the mid forest bushes with their fair musk roses.

2. List the things that cause suffering and pain.

Ans:According to Keats, disappointments, lack of human qualities, gloomy days, our unhealthy and evil ways are the things that cause suffering and pain in life.

3. What does the line, "Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth" suggest to you?

Ans: The poet says here that the beautiful objects of nature bind humanity to the earth. Human life is beset with troubles and sufferings. But the beautiful objects of nature remove the sadness from our hearts and make us happy.

4. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?

Ans: According to the poet, the beautiful things of nature help to move away the sadness or darkness from our minds. They make human beings love life in spite of all its troubles and sufferings.

5. Why is 'grandeur' associated with the 'mighty dead'?

Ans: The 'mighty dead' are the people who have become immortal by their noble deeds throughout the ages. The tales of their noble deeds and selfless sacrifices shall continue to inspire us forever. They will be rewarded on the doomsday. This is why grandeur is associated with them.

6. Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us?

Ans: The poet refers to a thing of beauty as a joy forever in the very beginning of the poem. Its loveliness increases and never fades away. It is beauty that makes us love life in spite of all its troubles and sufferings. So things of beauty make a lasting impression on us.

7. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?

Ans: The poet uses the image of an endless fountain of immortal drink to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth. The earth has numerous beautiful objects like the Sun, the moon, the trees, the daffodils, the streams etc. The poet compares these beautiful objects to an endless fountain of an immortal drink that gives us everlasting joy.

C. Additional Questions:

1. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.

And such too is 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.

I. Name the things of beauty the poet has mentioned in these lines.

Ans: The things of beauty mentioned in these lines are the lovely tales of the mighty dead that we have heard or read.

II. What does the poet mean by the grandeur of the dooms.

Ans: The grandeur of the dooms here refers to the honors and rewards the mighty dead receive on the dooms day or the day of final judgment.