CBSE Class 12 English A Thing of Beauty Worksheet

Short Answer Questions I

Question. What does Keats consider an endless fountain of immortal drink and why does he call its drink immortal?
Answer.It is nature’s beauty, which Keats considers an endless fountain of immortal drink. According to him, the drink is immortal because of the joy and delight it provides, it never passes into nothingness; the joy is forever and its loveliness ever-increasing.

Question. How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort?
Answer.A thing of beauty is present in the nature and brings us eternal joy whenever we need it. It keeps a quiet bower for us to take shelter in and comforts us so as to provide us a sound sleep full of sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing. A thing of beauty present in the nature comforts us also by removing the gloom and misery from our lives.

Question. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever ?
Answer.A thing of beauty is a joy forever because its loveliness increases and lasts long. It never passes into nothingness and moves away the pall from our dark spirits.

Question. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Answer.In spite of troubles and sufferings, human beings love life because one is able to derive pleasure from the nature as well as one’s surroundings. The ‘things of beauty’, which nature provides take away all the gloom and fills one with hope.

Question. Describe any three things of beauty mentioned in the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
Answer.Everything in nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. Some of them are the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodil flowers, small streams with clear water, etc.

Question. Why and how is grandeur associated with the mighty dead?
Answer.The mighty dead were powerful persons during their own times. The tales of their achievements have been read and heard. Their lives and deeds look extraordinary and inspirational. Thus, grandeur of the mighty dead is a thing of beauty.

Question. What is the message of the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Answer.The poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ gives the message that the things of beauty, which nature provides, never lose their charm. They never move into nothingness. They make a long lasting impression. The things of beauty present in the nature relieve us of worldly worries, thus bringing us eternal joy.

Question. What image does Keats use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth ?
Answer.The earth is beautiful in terms of lovely scenes and sights. It produces lovely green trees, delicate daffodils and streams. These come as a healing balm to a person in pain or distress. The poet compares them to a fountain of immortal drink from heaven.

Question. What makes human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face?
Answer.Human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face because they are surrounded by the things of beauty in nature. They remove the gloomy pall from our dark spirits. Nature makes us rise above the spite of our despondence and allows us to become attuned to the beauty of nature.

Short Answer Questions II

Question. In the hot season, how do man and beast get comfort?
Answer.In the hot season, man and beast get comfort by taking shelter under the shade of the trees, or being one with absorbing nature and the coolness it provides. The things of beauty, which nature offers are simple. However, they have a calming effect on every living being.

Question. What does a thing of beauty do for us ?
Answer.A thing of beauty uplifts one’s mood and provides eternal joy. It makes life worth living in spite of despondence, gloomy days, etc. because its loveliness keeps on increasing and never fades away.

Question. Mention any four things of beauty that add joy to our life.
Answer.The sun, clear rills, the mid forest brake and the grandeur of the doom are four of the innumerable things of beauty that add joy to our life.

Question. Mention any two things which cause pain and suffering.
Answer.Despondence and lack of noble nature are two of the many things, which cause pain and suffering.

Question. Which objects of nature does Keats mention as sources of joy in his poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Answer.The objects of nature, which are a sources of joy are the sun, the moon, trees-young and old, daffodils, sheep, forests, clear rills, the mid forest brake, musk rose, etc.

Question. Life is full of sorrows. What brings joy in it?
Answer.Life is full of sorrows. However, the beautiful things given by God give us immense joy. They bring peace and calmness to the mind. One can remove one’s sorrows by admiring sights of nature.

Extract Based Questions

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

1. ‘It’s 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.

Question. Whose loveliness will keep on increasing?
Answer.The loveliness of a thing of beauty will keep on increasing.

Question. Identify the phrase which says that ‘it’ is immortal.
Answer.Never pass into nothingness.’

Question. What is a ‘bower’?
Answer.A pleasant, shady place under a tree is called bower.

Question. Why do we need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives?
Answer.We need sweet dreams, health and quiet breathing in our lives to bear the problems of life, to remove the gloom and to uplift the mood.

2. 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
… … …

Question. Who are the ‘mighty dead’?
Answer.The ‘mighty dead’ are all the great men.

Question. What have we done for them?
Answer.We have heard and read lovely heroic tales about their grandeur.

Question. What metaphor has been used for ‘lovely tales’ ?
Answer.The metaphor used for ‘Lovely tales’ is an endless fountain of immortal drink.

Question. How is the grandeur of the dooms related to the theme of the poem?
Answer.The grandeur of the dooms is everlasting beauty; one can find beauty even in death

3. 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. Name the poem.
Answer.The name of the poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.

Question. Who are the ‘mighty dead’ referred to here?
Answer.Here, the ‘mighty dead’ refers to the great people of the world, the people we respect and/or our ancestors as well.

Question. What is the endless fountain of immortal drink ?
Answer.The endless fountain of immortal drink is all the wonderful tales told to us when we were children and all the great books read by us.

Question. What does the word, ‘brink’ mean ?
Answer.The word ‘brink’ means the extreme edge at the top.

4. Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of nobel natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and Q’er darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.

Question. Name the poem.
Answer.The name of the poem is ‘A Thing of Beauty’.

Question. Give one cause of human suffering.
Answer.One of the many causes of human sufferings is lack of noble nature.

Question. What moves away the pall from our lives.
Answer.Anything, which we consider beautiful moves away the pall from our lives.

Question. What does the word ‘gloomy’ mean?
Answer.The word gloomy means depressed or sad.

5. All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink.
Pouring onto us from the heaven’s brink.

Question. Name the poem and the poet.
Answer.The given lines are from the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ by John Keats.

Question. What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?
Answer.The things of beauty mentioned in the given lines are the lovely tales heard or read.

Question. What image does the poet use in these lines?
Answer.In these lines, the poet uses the image of ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink’ to describe the beautiful bounty of the Earth.

6. 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,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.

Question. Name the poem and the poet.
Answer.The lines have been taken from the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ by John Keats.

Question. Why are we ‘despondent’?
Answer.We are despondent because of the unhealthy and over-darkened ways of humans and that the world lacks noble people.

Question. What removes ‘the pall from our dark spirits’?
Answer.According to the poet, even if the world is not worth living because of the innumerable reasons that ultimately result in gloom and depression, the zeal to live a happy and content life can be derived from the sight of the beautiful bounties of nature around us. These beautiful things remove the pall from our dark spirits.

7. Some shape of beauty moves away the pall from our dark spirits.

Question. How does beauty help us when we are burdened with grief?
Answer.Beauty or a thing of beauty removes all sad thoughts, has a soothing effect on our senses and lifts our spirits.

Question. Explain : “Some shape of beauty”.
Answer.‘Some shape of beauty’ means anything that is beautiful in the world.

Question. Identify the figure of speech used in the above lines.
Answer.Personification and metaphor.

8. 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 :

Question. What are we doing every day?
Answer.Every day we renew our bond with nature and it is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth.

Question. Which evil things do we possess and suffer from?
Answer.We suffer from lack of goodness in human nature and possess unhealthy and our darkened methods of being human.

Question. What are the circumstances that contribute towards making humans unhappy and disillusioned with life?
Answer.The trials and tribulations of life that test our bearance make us despondent in life.

9. 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 :

Question. What are the flowery bands that bind us to the earth ?
Answer.The flowery band that binds us to the earth are new memories we make and hopes we form every morning when we wake up. These too are few of the many beautiful things, which keeps us grounded and make us happy during our time of grief.

Question. What message do the above lines, convey?
Answer.The above lines convey that even if the world is full of gloomy days, despondency and lacks people of noble nature, the things of beauty that we are surrounded with bring us hope and joy.