A Thing of Beauty Class 12 English Exam Questions

Please refer to the below A Thing of Beauty important questions for Class 12 English. These questions and answers have been prepared as per the latest NCERT Book for Class 12 English. Students should go through chapter wise Class 12 English Important Questions designed as per the latest examination pattern issued by CBSE. 

Chapter Summary of A Thing of Beauty

• The Poet, John Keats says that beautiful things never become ‘nothing’ as they continue to hold us in their spell and sooth our soul.

• Every beautiful thing is like a band that ties us to this earth as it makes us want to live and enjoy these things of beauty.

• And these things of beauty, according to the poet, are the things that give hope to human beings and make them want to live, in spite of all the sorrow, ill-health and unpleasant experiences that we face on earth.

• Some of the beautiful things on this earth that have great effect on us are the sun, the moon, trees, streams, flowers, forests, beautiful monuments that we have erected for the dead, all the lovely tales that we have heard or read.

• Finally he compares all these beautiful takes to the eternal fountain of immortal drink given to us by Gods. Thus he states his firm belief in the Divine.

Metaphor

1. A bower quiet for us

2. Endless fountain

3. A flowery band

Question. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow-
“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.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth”

Question. What does bind us to the earth?
Answer. Every morning we make a garland of new hopes, aspirations, dreams and ambitions, so we feel more attached to this world.

Question. Explain, ‘a thing of beauty is a joy forever’.
Answer. Beautiful things lead everlasting impression on our heart and mind, they keep on guiding us through thick and thin of life and make our life blissful, so they are forever joy giving.

Question. Is ‘a thing of beauty’ short-lived?
Answer. ‘A thing of beauty’ never passes into nothingness due to its eternal impression. It bring health, wealth and happiness to our life.

Question. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow-
“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. Such the sun, the moon”

Question. What, according to the poet, drives away the sadness from our life?
Answer. Beauty in all shape and forms help in driving away the sadness and despair from the dark recesses of our spirit.

Question. Explain phrase ‘dark spirits’.
Answer. ‘Dark spirits’ represents our sins and selfish deeds which darken our inner-self but beautiful objects in the nature have power to elevate our soul and purify it.

Question. What does ‘in spite of all ‘^… refer to?
Answer. In spite of the sense of hopelessness and gloom that overshadow and darken our way, we are able to find our happiness in the beautiful objects of nature. The expression refers to our zeal against all the pessimistic and negative thoughts that obstruct our way to happiness.

Question. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow-
“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. What does the reference ‘simple sheep’ symbolize?
Answer. Lambs and sheep are envisioned as the embodiments of innocent and serene beauty. Jesus Christ, as an apostle of peace, was a shepherd and was seen surrounded by his flock of sheep, his followers. The poet has made specific reference to the sheep as symbols of ‘divine beauty’.

Question. Why does poet call ‘clear rills’ beautiful?
Answer. Clear rills make a cooling covert where one can save oneself from scorching heat and quench one’s thirst. Rills help living being without selfish motive and discrimination, hence they are called beautiful.

Question. Which literary device dominates above stanza?
Answer. John Keats used Alliteration predominantly in the above stanza.

Question. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow-
“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. What is the significance of the phrase ‘heaven’s brink’?
Answer. Literally it means edge of the heaven but here it suggests that our mighty ancestors are still guiding and blessing us from the edge of the heaven through their teachings and inspiring deeds.

Question. Who are mighty dead?
Answer. Our brave ancestors who have laid their lives for the betterment of mankind and set the examples for the coming generations to follow are ‘mighty dead’.

Question. What is immortal drink?
Answer. The knowledge, inspiration or the guidance that we receive from the stories that we have heard or read is the nectar which makes immortal to those who imbibe it.

Question. What makes human beings love life in spite of all the suffering?
Answer. The poet says that the beautiful things on earth lifts the pall off our spirits and make life worth living. Each beautiful thing is like a link that forms a chain or wreath that binds us to this earth.

Question. What does the line, ‘Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth’s suggest to you ?
Answer. Man had always shared a special bonding with nature. Though the world was a beautiful place to live in, there was a lot of pain and suffering too. That could be enjoyed by treasuring the happiness and joy that beautiful things gave use. Keats believed that man and nature were woven into an unbroken bond. He believed that beauty around us were like beautiful flowers and we should wreathe them into a flowery band that keeps us connected to the earth.

Question. Why is grandeur associated with mighty dead ?
Answer. The sad things become a source of beauty and pleasure when they assumed the status of art.The poet said that the contemplation of the reminiscences of the mighty person who were dead gave us same pleasure as we experienced in contemplating beautiful things of nature.

Question. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.
Answer. Every little or big thing of nature was a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. The sun, the moon, trees young and old, daffodil flowers were things of beauty. So were small streams with clear water, mass of ferns and the blooming musk-roses. They were a source of everlasting joy and pleasure.

Question. What according to Keats are the things that cause suffering and pain? 
Answer. The poet says that a scarcity of good-natured people or in other words the wicked people outnumbering the good people, negativity, pessimism, ill-health or ill-will are the things that cause suffering and pain.

Question. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth ?
Answer. The poet used the image of a perennial fountain which poured fourth bounties on earth in form of immortal drink from the heaven above. He used the expression ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink, pouring unto use from the heaven’s brink’. Through these lines the poet described the earth and its beautiful bounties that could not be replaced by anything.

Question. Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us?
Answer. Keats believed that beautiful things always had a lasting impression on the human mind. All beautiful objects were a source of joy forever. That beauty survived the trials and tribulations of time and existed continuously in our thoughts.

Extract Based Question

Question. Which things cause suffering to human beings ?
(a) lack of virtues and inhuman acts
(b) withering flowers
(c) blooming flowers
(d) flowing streams

Question. Who is the poet of A thing Of Beauty ?
(a) John Donne
(b) William Blakes
(c) William Wordsworth
(d) John Keats

Question. How is a thing of beauty joy forever?
(a) because it is beautiful
(b) because it is nature
(c) because it is joyful
(d) because its beauty never ends and leaves a lasting impact

Question. What are the things of beauty mentioned in the poem?
(a) Sun and Moon
(b) Young trees and streams
(c) flowers
(d) All these