Endymion (Book 1) - John Keats
Embarking on a Celestial Quest in Verse
Excerpt from Endymion, Book I
“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever...”
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still 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,
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,
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:
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.
[Note: This excerpt is from the opening lines of “Endymion, Book I,” which extends to several hundred lines. Readers seeking the full text should consult a complete public domain source.]
First published in 1818, John Keats’s *Endymion* is a lengthy, four-book poem exploring the myth of the mortal shepherd Endymion and his love for the moon goddess, Selene (often referred to by Keats as the goddess Cynthia or Phoebe). This excerpt from Book I contains some of the poem’s most famous lines: “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.” It sets the tone for Keats’s celebration of the power of beauty to elevate the human spirit.
In Book I, Keats establishes the setting—an idyllic realm where Endymion, a youthful shepherd-king, experiences a profound calling that disrupts his pastoral contentment. Deeply attuned to nature’s loveliness, he senses a higher destiny. Through visions and introspection, he becomes aware of a celestial presence—a goddess—whose allure awakens new depths of longing. Keats frames this quest in elaborate, sensuous imagery, reflecting the Romantic conviction that beauty, love, and imagination guide us toward transcendence.
Yet *Endymion* is also an ambitious experiment in verse narrative. Written in rhyming couplets of iambic pentameter (commonly known as heroic couplets), the poem weaves dreamlike sequences, mythic allusions, and philosophical digressions. While it was initially met with criticism for its ornate style and apparent formlessness, it ultimately influenced Keats’s development as a poet, demonstrating his eagerness to test the boundaries of poetic expression.
In “Endymion (Book 1),” readers encounter a Keats still refining his craft, but already brimming with the lush language, mythic imagination, and heartfelt celebration of beauty for which he would become renowned. This early journey of Endymion—his awakening to a love that transcends mortal constraints—prefigures the poet’s own pursuit of life’s mysterious splendors and the drive to capture them in verse.
Key points
• Opens with the famous line “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.”
• Combines classical mythology (the tale of Endymion) with Keats’s Romantic aesthetic.
• Book I establishes Endymion’s call to a divine love, mirroring an inner quest for higher truth.
• Showcases Keats’s lavish imagery, idealizing nature’s power to nurture the human soul.
• Written in heroic couplets, revealing Keats’s early stylistic experimentation and lyrical ambition.