Attempt a critical estimate of the poem 'A Thing of Beauty': ('A Thing of Beauty'

 Attempt a critical estimate of the poem 'A Thing of Beauty': ('A Thing of Beauty'

Keats is out and out a romantic poet. He believes that poetry should surprise us by a fine excess. He eschews the life of thoughts and upholds the life of sensations. A Thing of Beauty', an extract from his poem 'Endymion: A Poetic Romance, is an ideal specimen of his professed cult of art. He begins his poem with his cherished dictum, 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever. It suggests that the beautiful things are not time's fool. Besides, they impart joy that knows no bound. Keats has a minute power of observation. He finds that some shapes of beauty like the sun, the moon, the dancing daffodils, the murmuring river and the impressive tales of the mighty dead boost up our drooping and dejected spirits. He also asserts that the things of beauty sweeten and sustain human life. The poem shows the poet's extraordinary power of creating a realm of wonder. The poem reaches the high watermark of poetic excellence for the exquisiteness of its workmanship, meticulous observation of nature, accuracy of description and intensity of imagination.