Think it out

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

Ans. The things of beauty mentioned in the poem are:

The sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodils, clear rills, forests, musk roses and the tales of the mighty dead.

Q 2. List the things that cause suffering and pain.

Ans. Some of the things which cause pain and suffering are:

The wrong ways we adopt to succeed, jealousy that arise from our failures, lack of good qualities in men, the gloom and darkness which results from ill-health and sadness.

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

Ans: It means that we get attached to the beautiful things around us and weave a pretty band of beautiful memories which binds us to our life; it becomes the reason for us to live.

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

Ans: The eternal beauty of various things gives us happiness and relaxation. It makes us love life in-spite of life’s troubles and sufferings.

Q 5. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the ‘mighty dead’?

Ans: The noble deeds of the brave men who sacrificed their lives are an inspiration for us forever. The beautiful legacy of their bravery is the grandeur which is associated with the mighty dead.

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

Ans: According to the poet, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Even if we see it for a few moments, it has a lasting impression on us and its beautiful memory stays with us forever. It inspires us to live, despite the ruthlessness of life.

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

Ans: The beautiful bounty of the earth is described by ‘endless fountain of immortal drink’. The world of beauty signifies that God bestows us with all his beautiful creations to help us to live our lives despite the sad, gloomy aspects of life.

Other Questions.

Q. What does the poet mean by ‘Its loveliness increases, it will never pass into nothingness;’?

Ans.   The joy that a thing of beauty gives is eternal. Though the beauty of the thing may diminish with time, the joy that it gave will increase as we think about it. It will remain forever in our memories as a constant source of pleasure and happiness.

Q. Explain the meaning of, ‘but will keep a bower quiet for us… breathing.’

Ans.   A bower is a shady part of the garden where one can relax and rest. The poet uses ‘bower’ as a metaphor to say that things of beauty provide us shade in a life that scorches us with disappointment and sadness. The happiness provided by things of beauty provides us with a shade which relaxes us and gives us sound sleep and good health.

Q.  How ‘are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to the earth’?

Ans.  The poet ‘a flowery band‘as a metaphor to refer to the memories of beautiful things which we gather throughout our lives. These beautiful things help us to weave a deep bond with nature. This flowery band that we weave keeps us attached and connected to the earth. We need these good memories to keep living on in a world full of unhappiness.

Q. ‘Spite of despondence, of inhuman dearth of noble natures,’ What does the poet want to convey through these lines?

Ans. The world is full of unhappiness and disappointments due to the lack of people with good or noble nature.  The jealousy that we feel as a result of our failure; the hopelessness, gloom and despair due to the scarcity of noble souls make our lives miserable. In spite of all the gloom of life; things of beauty lift the darkness and inspire us to keep going.

Q. Why does the poet say that the unhealthy and o’er darkened ways are made for our searching?

Ans. The poet says that our unhealthy life, and the darkness and unhappiness of life are due to the wrong ways we adopt to succeed. The gloom of our lives is made by us for ourselves. Then he goes on to say that things of beauty helps in lifting the pall or darkness and helps us to keep living on.

Q. What is the fountain of immortal drink?

Ans. The never-ending and nectar like joy and pleasure, which the things of beauty give us are metaphorically compared with a fountain. The endless sources of beauty are like the nectar which provides immortality to the Gods.

Q. Who are the mighty dead?

Ans. They are the heroes of legends – the powerful and great men who received laurels for their great actions during their lifetime.

Q. Why have we imagined ‘grandeur of the dooms’ for the ‘mighty dead’?

Ans. We have imagined that they will be richly rewarded on their doomsday as they have served others and brought happiness in other’s lives. They were mighty of their deeds and hence God will reward them well after their death.

Q. How do the tales of heroes affect us?

Ans. The legendary tales of heroes inspire us through their mighty deeds. While their mighty dooms helps us to acknowledge the transience of life. Thus they help us in improving the quality of our lives.

Q. How does beauty help in dispelling gloom?

Ans. Things of beauty makes us feel happy and removes our stress. They create a wreath of beautiful, pleasant memories which helps us in building attachments with the earth despite the unhappiness that surround us due to lack of good qualities in others and in our own selves.

Q. Why does the poet add the stories of the mighty dead to the list of beautiful things?

Ans.  The legends if the heroes who are still praised for their great deeds, inspire us just like the things of beauty. They give us hope and a sense of jubilation and tranquility as the heroes had spent their lives for giving happiness to others. We imagine that they will receive magnificence after their death.