Formalist Literary Analysis
Formalist Analysis of “A Thing of Beauty (Endymion)” By John Keats
“A Thing of Beauty (Endymion)” is a poem about objects of beauty that exist on earth. John Keats’s repertoire of writing in this poem makes it easy for the reader to understand the poem better. In addition, his tone of expressing objects in a rhetorical way as well as an excellent choice of words makes this poem calm, peaceful contemplative. The main theme of the poem is the powers of nature. The writer implies that people should realize these powers that make their lives enjoyable and worth living even though they are tormented until dying. To put it differently, the aspects of nature uplift the feeling or spirit of a person who tends to be pessimist. Such as, the powers of nature or the objects of beauty cannot be easily destroyed by time and space, and their loveliness does not fade.
First, the beginning three lines introduce to us a thing of beauty forever which makes us joyful and our hearts sing whenever remembered as follows; “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness; but still will keep”. In other words, when we recall the beautiful things that have happened to us, they really affect us to be happy and joyful forever and it always keep inside of our hearts.
Second, the beauty of blessed sleep in this poem is emphasized through the next lines like “a bower quiet for us, and a sleep full of sweet dreams, and quiet breathing”. Such as, "sleep" and "sweet" and "dreams" words which John Keats used in those lines all have a long "e" sound. This makes to create a soothing tone in these lines.
Third, John Keats realistically reflected the hope of resurrection beyond the shadow of death in the next lines of his poem. That is, the pain, torture and sting of ill health are still written repeatedly among nature’s beauty of things throughout this poem. For example; “Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth of noble natures of the gloomy
“A Thing of Beauty (Endymion)” is a poem about objects of beauty that exist on earth. John Keats’s repertoire of writing in this poem makes it easy for the reader to understand the poem better. In addition, his tone of expressing objects in a rhetorical way as well as an excellent choice of words makes this poem calm, peaceful contemplative. The main theme of the poem is the powers of nature. The writer implies that people should realize these powers that make their lives enjoyable and worth living even though they are tormented until dying. To put it differently, the aspects of nature uplift the feeling or spirit of a person who tends to be pessimist. Such as, the powers of nature or the objects of beauty cannot be easily destroyed by time and space, and their loveliness does not fade.
First, the beginning three lines introduce to us a thing of beauty forever which makes us joyful and our hearts sing whenever remembered as follows; “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness; but still will keep”. In other words, when we recall the beautiful things that have happened to us, they really affect us to be happy and joyful forever and it always keep inside of our hearts.
Second, the beauty of blessed sleep in this poem is emphasized through the next lines like “a bower quiet for us, and a sleep full of sweet dreams, and quiet breathing”. Such as, "sleep" and "sweet" and "dreams" words which John Keats used in those lines all have a long "e" sound. This makes to create a soothing tone in these lines.
Third, John Keats realistically reflected the hope of resurrection beyond the shadow of death in the next lines of his poem. That is, the pain, torture and sting of ill health are still written repeatedly among nature’s beauty of things throughout this poem. For example; “Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth of noble natures of the gloomy
Cited: Keats, John. “A Thing of Beauty (Endymion).” PoemHunter. 03 January, 2003.