CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo A Thing Of Beauty John Keats Assignment

 

A Thing of Beauty is a poem written by the famous romantic poet, John Keats. The poem tells about how nature and its wonder mesmerize us and take away all the sorrow that surrounds us from time to time. This poem is an excerpt from Keats’ poem ‘Endymion’. The poem is based on a classical Greek myth of the love of the Moon Goddess Cynthia, for a young shepherd prince, Endymion. His poem makes use of allegory to signify the quest of the human soul for ideal Beauty. (Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation.) Endymion stands for the poet as a man, Cynthia for ideal Beauty, the Moon for the manifestations of the Beauty in Nature.

 

Theme: 

The theme of the poem rests in the opening line of the poem. A beautiful object is treasured in our mind because it provides us eternal and everlasting joy. This happiness never fades into nothingness but multiplies manifold whenever it flashes on our minds.

 

Background: 

Endymion is an epic poem in English. This poem by Keats is based on the Greek mythology of Endymion, the shepherd beloved by the moon goddess Selene. We see an elaboration of the original story and the moon Goddess Selene is named as “Cynthia”. The poem equates Endymion’s original romantic ardor with a more universal quest for a self-destroying transcendence in which he might achieve a blissful personal unity with all creation. Endymios in Greek mythology is a story of a handsome youth who spent much of his life sleeping. There are different views related to Endymion. According to some tradition Endymion was the king of Elis. Several traditions say that he was offered by Zeus to choose anything he might desire and Endymion in order to remain young forever chose an everlasting sleep. While some tradition says Endymion’s eternal sleep was a punishment given by Zeus, because Endymion fell in love with Zeus’s wife Hera. Selene was deeply in love with Endymion, some say Selene had cursed Endymion into everlasting sleep so that she can enjoy him all by herself. Selene’s love for Endymion made her visit him every night while he was asleep. But in the poem Keats emphasizes on Endymion’s love for Diana rather than on hers for him. Keats transformed this tale into prose to express the loves that have been felt on imaginative longings. This theme of love is determined in the adventure of the Endymion quest by Diana. In the search for Diana, Endymion falls in love with an earthly maiden. But in the end Diana and the earthly maiden turn out to be one and the same.

 

Poem: 

Keats describes a thing of beauty as emanating joy forever. Its beauty only increases and it will never cease. The benefits proffered by a thing of beauty are listed as giving sound rest with good dreams and well-being. The earth minus the beautiful things is a despondent, spiteful place thriving in callous insensitive dearth and is harsh toward human beings. Every day human beings face gloomy days packed with unhealthy spite and darkness. However, in spite of all, a thing of beauty helps remove the dark cloud that burdens our souls. Hence, the poet says that we – human beings – each day create an ornate band, made of all the lovely things we see. This band keeps us bound to the despondent earth – as we would otherwise be hopeless.

This closing paragraph simply tells us some of the beautiful things on Earth. After all, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder – Everyone can highlight something beautiful in anything. The examples cited by the poet are as such: the sun, the moon, trees, flowers, streams, musk-rose blooms, architectural sepulchers, even fairy tales or heroic legends. The ‘simple sheep’ are human beings –

“A Thing of Beauty”
by John Keats, taken from a larger poem, 'Endymion: A Poetic Romance,' is written in the Romantic style of writing. 'A Thing of Beauty' romanticizes beauty as something that has the ability to transform lives. Romanticising is about investing objects with a larger than life attributes, it is about extolling the virtues of an object - it could be any object, nature, beauty (in the case of this extract) - anything that has impacted the mind of the poet.

Some of the important aspects of the poem

1.Genre/Style of Writing:

A Thing of Beauty belongs to the Romantic Genre. First published in 1818, the poem, A Thing of Beauty is written in rhyming couplets and the rhyme scheme employed is aa, bb.

2. Theme:

a) The central theme of the poem revolves around beauty in all its forms - Earthly beauty and Spiritual beauty. The poet talks about how important beauty is for all of us. He highlights the transformational, therapeutic and spiritual impact of beauty on our lives. The poet describes how beauty can be found everywhere.

b) The poet’s message is that Beauty has the ability to transform lives, it can dispel negativism and dark thoughts. Beauty has a positive impact on one’s health, it can help steady the breathing, and can give one a sound sleep. Beauty can also remove the sting of dejection, it can help one survive even when there is a ‘dearth of noble natures’ or when one is surrounded by hostile conditions and malicious people. John Keats suggests that beauty can be found everywhere in life; as such he draws a list of beautiful things which include: the sun, the moon, trees, daffodils, beautiful rills, musk rose blooming among mid forest brake, mythical abode of Elysium. Lovely tales etc expresses the idea of beauty being spiritual in nature and that the ultimate goal of appreciating beauty should be to appreciate God who created beautiful things for us. Keats suggests that beauty has a spiritual source when he implies that it flows from ‘An endless fountain’ in heaven, beauty thus, is a spiritual drink, an ‘immortal drink’ made especially for all mankind.

3. Important Figures of Speech and images metaphors

a) Metaphors and Symbols: The poet has made liberal use of metaphors and symbols in the poem. The fountain in heaven is a metaphor for the source of spiritual beauty. The ‘flowery band’ is a metaphor for earthly beauty which is soothing and invigorating.

b) Imagery: The poem contains a powerful image of earthly beauty in the lines, ‘are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth’. A Thing of Beauty is full of sensory images, and one can almost feel and smell them. these include, ‘shady boon’ which creates a sense of comfort
and respite of a hot summer afternoon, and so does the description of the ‘clear rills’ that ‘a cooling covert make’. The description of the ‘sprinkling of fair musk rose blooms’ in the middle of a fern in the forest provides a rich feast of colours for the eyes!. The beautiful things altogether is compared to a fountain of immortal drink over flowing from heaven, is the most beautiful and meaningful imagery appearing in the poem.

To Keats, all the things of beauty lead us to immortality. The poet speaks of how lovely things grow more beautiful by the passing years, and how nature, and its beauty, keeps human beings happy and satisfied on this earth .Life, although full of problems, provides us with nature to lose ourselves in when we need it.

The Poem

This poem `A thing of Beauty’ is an extract, or the opening lines from his poem `Endymion: A Poetic Romance.’ It is based on a Greek legend in which Endymion, a handsome young shepherd and poet who lived on Mount Latmos , has a vision of Cynthia, the moon goddess. The long depicts his quest for the beautiful moon Goddess. Actually it is an allegory of Man’s ( Endymion ) search for eternal beauty ( Cynthia )

Explanation of some concepts

‘A thing of beauty is a joy for ever…….nothingness’

Poet clearly states that a beautiful thing is of deeper importance. The joy it gives is everlasting because it is not just materialistic, but spiritual and so eternal. Read it with the last two lines where he compares them to immortal drink’

‘But will keep a bower quiet for us’
Bower is a shady , beautiful place. It is a favourite imagery in Keats’ poetry. He compares beautiful things to a bower which is a refuge against hot sun and has a soothing effect on a distressed traveller.

‘and a sleep……quiet breathing’
Poet lists out the benefits of beautiful things in a man’s life. Only a peaceful mind can have a sleep full of sweet dreams and quiet breathing, as the person is in every way healthy and not stressed or in troubles.

‘There fore on every morrow ……us to the earth’
Poet says, people are cherishing the beautiful things around , because they alone give him strength to hold on to his life on earth. We attach ourselves with beauty around so that we cling on to our lives however miserable it is.

‘Spite of………made for our searching’
Here poet lists out four factors that can make human life troublesome and even painful.

a. spite of despondence stands for Injuries caused by disappointments

b. dearth of noble natures is the absence of virtues like love , kindness, sharing caring etc. Instead of these he finds vice in people around.

c. gloomy days are when we experience a loss of spirit due to known or unknown reasons

d. unhealthy ways are those unethical or even illegal means we adopt for a successful life. Ultimately we become guilt stricken even if we achieve certain gains by unbecoming measures. Over darkened ways are the difficult terrain we walk on in our life, ( The hardships and difficulties we face in everyday life ) which make us sad and exhausted.

‘Some shape of……..dark spirits’
This is the theme of the poem, despite the presence of all the factors that cause suffering and depression , the cloud of darkness will be removed from our spirit by the advent of a beautiful thing.

The list of beautiful things against which its presence is soothing…..

Sun and moon are universally accepted beautiful things Other ones on some particular situations.

Trees providing a bower for sheep in hot summer

The yellow flowers of Daffodils against the monotony of green back ground

The rill ( small stream) makes a cool covering of greenery for themselves with the bushes growing on its banks

The mid forest brake is thick mass of fern, normally without flowers and musk rose grows among them giving it beauty of colours and fragrance.

‘And such too…..mighty dead’
is an allusion to the Greek mythological belief ; The great heroes never have an ordinary mundane afterlife. They believed that those departed virtuous souls travel to a beautiful island beyond, and live there in bliss eternally. This concept helped the admirers of those dead heroes to control grief over their icon’s departure.

‘All lovely tales………read’
refers to all those beautiful and time tested stories we have either heard or read which filled positivity, hope and virtues in us.

‘An endless fountain……..brink’
is the obvious reference of the spiritual element of the poem. Poet compares all those things of beauty to a fountain of immortal drink which is pouring down from the edges of heaven. Immortal drink or elixir keeps Gods immortal. Same way beautiful things are sent from heaven as part of Divine Plan of making people spirited and happy and make them hopeful of better tomorrows in spite of setbacks and failures. The last two lines sum up what the poet wants to convey, that a thing of beauty never passes into nothingness, but its loveliness increases and it raises man to eternal bliss.

Extract Based Questions:

I. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth
Spite of despondence.

Question. The rhyme scheme of the above extract is
(a) aabb
(b) abab
(c) aaab
(d) abba

Answer: A

Question. Read the lines:
(a) April is the cruellest month, breeding
(b) Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
(c) Memory and desire, stirring
(d) Dull roots with spring rain(TS Eliot)

Answer: C

Question. What does ―morrow‖ mean?
(a) Morning
(b) Evening
(c) The next day
(d) The day after tomorrow

Answer: C

Question. On the basis of the extract, pick the opinion that is NOT TRUE about the theme of the poem.
(a) A thing of beauty transcends time and doesn‘t fade away.
(b) Beauty doesn‘t dispel darkness and is surrounded by evil
(c) A thing of beauty is not only physical but spiritual as well
(d) A beautiful thing has a therapeutic quality and brings in a ray of hope

Answer: B

Question. Which of the following statements regarding a thing of beauty does not correspond to the idea expressed in the poem?
(a) It leaves a lasting imprint on our minds.
(b) It leaves short lived impressions on our minds
(c) It will never cease to exist
(d) It‘s beauty grows with the passage of time

Answer: B

II. 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 natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o‘er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,

Question. Based on the poem, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below.
Statement 1: The earth without the beautiful things is a place full of despair and unpleasantness.
Statement 2: The ornate band created by human beings; ushers hope in their lives.
(a) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
(b) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
(c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
(d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.

Answer: C

Question. In which of the following options can the underlined words be replaced with 'despondence‘?
(a) The man paced about the room showing restlessness.
(b) A chat with a close friend can take away our blues.
(c) I was in jitters, seeing the boy trapped in the trench.
(d) Being dogged is what led him to negotiate the challenges

Answer: B

Question. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth –We tie ourselves to the Earth with _____.
(a) life
(b) band of flowers
(c) gloom
(d) beautiful things

Answer: D

Question. Why do we need to tie ourselves to the Earth?
(a) Earth is a beautiful place
(b) Earth is a Spiteful place
(c) Earth is a busy place
(d) Earth is a bountiful place

Answer: B

Question. 'inhuman dearth‘ shows that there is:
(a) lack of beauty.
(b) lack of energy.
(c) lack or shortage of human beings with good values.
(d) lack of resources.

Answer: C

Question. Which of the following phrases have the poetic device expressed in‖leaping lizard‖?
(a) inhuman dearth
(b) gloomy days
(c) over darkened ways
(d) noble natures

Answer: D

Question. Why do we need a "flowery band‖?
(a) To look beautiful
(b) To pass into nothingness
(c) To tie ourselves to the mighty dead
(d) To continue our lives happily despite the sadness that surrounds us'

Answer: D

III. Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon.
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;

Question. The pall refers to
(a) Shelter
(b) Happiness
(c) Sadness
(d) A dark cloud of smoke

Answer: C

Question. The figure of speech in 'Cooling covert‘ is
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Alliteration

Answer: D

Question. The mid forest brake is made rich by
(a) Musk rose flowers
(b) Daffodils
(c) Rills
(d) Cooling coverts

Answer: A

Question. 'The green world they live in‘ refers to
(a) The trees old and young
(b) Rills
(c) The background of the daffodils
(d) Cooling coverts

Answer: C

Question. Pick the option that matches the words / phrases with the literary device.
Word/ phrase Literary device
1. simple sheep A. imagery
2. gloomy days B. metaphor
3. bower quiet C. symbolism
D. transferred epithet
(a) 1-C, 2-D, 3-B
(b) 1-B, 2-A, 3-D
(c) 1-D, 2-B, 3-C
(d) 1-C, 2-A, 3-B

Answer: A

Question. What sprouts a shady boon for sheep?
(a) Cave
(b) Hills
(c) Rills
(d) Trees

Answer: D

IV. And such too is the 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

Question. Pick the quote that matches best with" 'And such too is the grandeur of the dooms we have imagined for the mighty dead.‘
(a) In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.
(b) When a great man dies, for years the light he leaves behind him, lies on the paths of men.
(c) Endings are not always bad, most times they‘re just beginnings in disguise.
(d) Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death but once.

Answer: A

Question. 'All lovely tales‘ evoke the feeling of
(a) sadness and nostalgia.
(b) nostalgia.
(c) inspiration and pride.
(d) pride.

Answer: A

Question. Pick the option that uses the same literary device as the ‗mighty dead‘.
(a) sleepless nights
(b) deafening silence
(c) glaring lights
(d) time is a thief

Answer: B

Question. "Dooms" refer to
(a) Dooms day
(b) Memorials erected in honour of the departed souls
(c) Death
(d) All of these

Answer: B

Question. The phrase immortal drink refers to
(a) blessings of our ancestors.
(b) the teachings of nature.
(c) a life-giving force.
(d) the beauty of heaven.

Answer: C

Question. An endless fountain of immortal drink, Pouring unto us from the heaven‘s brink – Which of the following literary devices is not employed in these lines
(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Imagery
(d) Hyperbole

Answer: B
 

Short Answer Type Questions : 

Question. Why did Gandhiji oppose when his friend Andrews offered to stay in Champaran and help the peasants?
Andrews : an English pacifist, was a devoted follower of Gandhiji. The lawyers thought that being an Englishman, Andrews could be of immense help to them in their cause of fighting the battle of Champaran. Gandhiji,however was against this because he felt that enlisting an Englishman’s help showed weakness. Their cause was just, and they had to win the battle by relying on themselves. This would make them self-reliant.

Question. What image does the poet uses to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Answer: The poet draws out the image of 'an endless fountain of immortal drink‘ that pours joy on us from the brink of heaven. The beautiful things in nature or man-made objects are compared to the endless fountain of immortal drink.

Question. How is Mother Nature depicted in this poem?
Answer: According to the poet, the sun, the moon, trees old and young, the daffodils against the green background, the clear streams of water which create cooling comfort or passageway for themselves as they pass through the thick bushes and charge away the heat of the sun, the thick growth of ferns strewn with musk roses imparts endless happiness. Their beauty increases with time and they will never pass into nothingness. Thus, Nature is depicted in all its glory in the poem. Poet presents them as the best examples of things of beauty.

Question. What are the things that cause suffering to us?
Answer: Dark phases of our life, adverse circumstances, gloomy days, dearth of noble ideals and bad health.

Question. What does the line 'Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth‘ suggest?
Answer: Earth is at the spite of despondence- humans lack noble qualities-gloomy days- all the beautiful things around us- every morning we weave a flowery wreath to bind us to the Earth.

Question. What is the 'spite of despondence?
Answer: Spite of despondence is a state of our minds filled with ill-will and hatred for others due to profound hopelessness and gloom.

Question. How does beauty leave an indelible imprint on our mind?
Answer: Man treasures beautiful thoughts and sights in his mind for they provide him respites and relaxation in his gloomy days. Beauty thus leaves its lasting impression. The feelings of serenity and positivity inculcated soothes the human mind.

Question. What philosophy of life is highlighted in the poem?
Answer: Keats found refuge from the pains and suffering of life in Beauty itself. He believes that beauty 'moves away the pall from our dark spirits‘, making us love life despite its sorrows and suffering.

Question. Why is grandeur associated with the 'mighty dead‘?
Answer: The noble souls who have contributed for the welfare of humanity. Their sacrifices made them 'mighty‘ and great. We remember them in a loving thought, a book of verse or by constructing a memorial. They possess magnificence or grandeur.

Question. How was Gandhi able to influence the lawyers? Give instances.
Answer : Even after being outsider of Champaran Gandhiji’s sincerity towards the peasants’ cause and convincing arguments and negotiations, thoroughly influenced the lawyers. He chided them for overcharging the peasants and encouraged them to court arrest for the peasants’ noble cause. He even rejected their proposal to seek Mr Andrews help in their battle against the British in order to be self-reliant and independent.

Question. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court was useless?
Answer : Being a lawyer, Gandhi knew that it was a British court with a British law under a British judge against a British big influential landlord, wherein there the poor peasants were so crushed and fear-stricken that law courts were useless in their case. Going to courts overburdened the sharecroppers with heavy litigation expenses. What really needed to be done was to make them free from fear. So Gandhi said that it was useless going to courts.

Question. What did the peasants pay to the British landlords as rent?
Answer : The British landlords had entered into a long-term contract with the farmers according to which they compelled all tenants to plant 15%
of their holdings with indigo. The sharecroppers had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.

Question. Why did Gandhi agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund to the farmers?
Answer : Gandhiji agreed to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers in order to break the deadlock between the landlords and peasants. For him the amount of the refund was not very important. The fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender a part of their money as well as their prestige gave a moral victory to the farmers. Thus, Gandhiji not only made the landlords accept their dishonesty but also made the farmers learn a lesson in defending their rights with courage.

Question. Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to Champaran?
Answer : Rajkumar Shukla had given quite a lot of information to Gandhiji about the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. However Gandhiji wished to obtain more complete information about the conditions than Shukla had imparted. He visited Muzaffarpur, which was en route to Champaran, to inquire from the lawyers there about the issue, as they frequently represented the peasant groups in the court.

Question. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
Answer : When Gandhiji was asked to appear in the court in Motihari, thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse. The officials felt helpless and the government was baffled. The trial was postponed, as the judge didn’t want to aggravate the situation. He held up the sentence for several days, after which Gandhiji was released without bail. All these events made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji.

Question. How did Gandhi bring solution not only to the political issues but also to the social and cultural problems?
Answer : To bring up the social condition, primary were schools were started. He urged his disciples to volunteer to teach in the schools. His wife Kasturba Bhai taught women about the importance of personal cleanliness and sanitation. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer for improving the miserable health conditions. Thus with the political and economioc problems social and cultural problems were also solved.

Question. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Answer : The servants knew that Rajkumar Shukla was a poor farmer who pestered their master to help the indigo sharecroppers. Since Gandhiji accompanied Shukla and was dressed simply, they mistook him for a peasant. Gandhiji’s modesty and unassertiveness also led to the assumption that he was a peasant.

Question. How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come to help them?
Answer : When the Champaran peasants heard that a Mahatma had come to help them, they assembled in Motihari in large number. Thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse where Gandhiji was supposed to appear. The crowd was so uncontrollable that the officials felt powerless, and Gandhiji himself helped the authorities to regulate the crowd.

Question. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?
Answer : The Champaran episode began as an attempt to alleviate the distress of poor peasants. Ultimately it proved to be a turning point in Gandhiji’s life because it was a loud proclamation that made the British realise that Gandhiji could not be ordered about in his own country. It infused courage to question British authority in the masses and laid the foundation of non-cooperation as a new tool to fight the British tooth and nail.

Question. ”The battle of Champaran is won!” What led Gandhiji to make this remark?
Answer : The lawyers first decided to return home if Gandhiji was arrested. But they soon realised their mistake. When they declared that they would fight for the peasants’ cause in the event of Gandhiji’s arrest and volunteered to court arrest for the cause of the sharecroppers, Gandhiji was very pleased and exclaimed, “The battle of Champaran is won!.”

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. Gandhiji’s loyalty was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living human beings. Why did Gandhiji continue his stay in Champaran even after indigo sharecropping disappeared?
Answer : After the Champaran battle was won and the land reverted to the peasants, Gandhiji continued to stay on in the region. His loyalty was, indeed, to living human beings and he realised that a lot needed to be done for the upliftment of the peasants in the villages of Champaran. Gandhiji took the initiative and began the work of eradicating their cultural and social backwardness. Primary schools were started so that the poor peasants and their children could be educated. Gandhiji appealed to teachers, and many of his disciples, including his wife and son, volunteered for the work. Health conditions in the area were also miserable. Gandhiji got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. All this-goes to prove that Gandhiji’s loyalty was not to abstractions, but his politics was always intertwined with the practical day to day problems of the millions.

Question. Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran.
Answer : In the course of his journey to Champaran with Rajkumar Shukla, Gandhiji stayed at Muzaffarpur where he met the lawyers and concluded that fighting through courts was not going to solve the problem of the poor sharecroppers of Champaran. He declared that the real relief for them was to be free from fear. With this intention, he arrived in Champaran and contacted the Secretary of the British Landlord’s association. The Secretary refused to provide him any information. After this, Gandhiji met the Commissioner of the Tirhut division who served a notice on him to immediately leave Tirhut. Gandhiji accepted the notice by signing it and wrote on it that he would not obey the order. He was even willing to court arrest for the cause of the peasants. After four rounds of talks with-the Governor, an official commission of inquiry was appointed in which Gandhiji was made the sole representative of the peasants. Through this commission Gandhiji succeeded in getting 25% of the compensation award for the poor sharecroppers from the British landowners.

Question. Human beings love life because nature is the best healer and brings beauty and joy to our life- Elaborate the idea based on your understanding of the poem 'A Thing of Beauty‘
Answer: A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its beauty grows with the passage of time and its impact never fades away. It is as pleasant as a cool quiet bower or sound sleep with sweet dreams; or robust health and mental peace. It provides the beholder with a harbour of calmness and comfort.
It is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth. Every morning we behold beauty in various forms and they help us to connect to the Earth. We forget all our despair, the lack of noble values, the misfortunes that befall on us. Life is full of trials and tribulations and we often find ourselves in the midst of gloom. It is at such depressing moments that a thing of beauty dispels the pall of sadness from our spirits making room for hope and optimism.
The poet gives a detailed list of beautiful things in the poem and compares them to an endless fountain of immortal drink. The poem in fact reminds us of the necessity to find beauty in our lives. Beauty is the greatest gift of God to man which has been showered upon us from the heavens above. This beauty is eternal and everlasting, in whose glory men on earth bask and derive their perennial source of joy and happiness.

Question. Describe how, according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded in his Champaran campaign.
Answer : The Champaran campaign was an attempt to free the poor peasants of Champaran from injustice and exploitation at the hands of the British. Gandhiji succeeded in this campaign using his method of Satyagraha and non-violence. He visited Muzaffarpur to obtain complete information about the actual condition of the sharecroppers. He first appealed to the concerned authorities, but when there was no positive response, he organised a mass civil, disobedience movement with the support of the peasants. Gandhiji’s main objective was to remove the fear of the British landlords from the heart of the poor peasants and mould a new free Indian, who could participate in the freedom movement of the country. He made the peasants aware of their rights and gave them a new-found confidence for fighting their own battles. He also taught them to be self-reliant by refusing to take the help of CF Andrews, his English friend.

Question. Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers? How did influence the peasant-landlord relationship in Champaran?
Answer : Under an ancient arrangement, the peasants of Champaran were sharecroppers. The landlords forced the Indian tenants to plant 15% of their holding with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. After Germany developed synthetic indigo, the landlords wanted to dissolve the agreement, as synthetic indigo would be cheaper. They asked the peasants for compensation to release them from this arrangement. Most of them signed it willingly, but felt cheated after they learned about synthetic indigo. Gandhiji fought their case and the evidence that he collected was so overwhelming that the landlords were asked to repay. When Gandhiji asked for 50% repayment, the landlords offered to pay only 25%, as they wanted to create a deadlock, and thus prolong the dispute. To everybody surprise, Gandhiji agreed to a refund of only 25%. Gandhiji explained that the amount of refund was not important. What mattered was that the landlords were obliged to surrender a part of their money and with it, part of their prestige.

Question. Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for independence?
Answer : The Champaran episode was one of the major events in the struggle for independence. It was in the course of this small but significant movement that Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the British from India. A close examination of the problems of the Champaran peasants opened Gandhiji’s eyes to the unjust policies of the British. He realised that people had to be made free from fear and only then could they be freed from foreign oppression. The spontaneous demonstration of the people proved that Gandhiji had the nation’s support in his fight against the British. It also aroused patriotism in the heart of the Indians. The triumph of The civil disobedience at Champaran motivated the launching of the movement on a large scale during the freedom movement. Gandhiji’s winning the case of the sharecroppers proved that British authority could be challenged. Hence, the Champaran episode served as a stepping stone to the Indian struggle for independence.