"Beautiful Things" Poem Analysis

Prof. Kaushal Desai

Kaushaldesai123@gmail.com

YouTube:  "BeautifulThings" by Ellen P Allerton_recited by Kaushal Desai 

Blogger: http://desaikaushal1315.blogspot.com

Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/kaushal111

Beautiful Things

by Ellen P. Allerton
1835-1893
From “Kansas Poets”

Contents

About Author

Title

Theme

Stanza wise Analysis

Poetic Devices

Figures Of Speech

Language, Diction, Mood, Structure

Conclusion

About Poet:

Very important to mention the famous star become a famous because of her present work “Beautiful Things”. Her full name is Ellen Palmer Allerton (October 17, 1835 - August 31, 1893). She was an American poet whose inspiration probably came from her life on farms in rural New York, Wisconsin, and Kansas. And obvious thing is that she is best remembered for the poems Beautiful Things, The Trail of Forty-Nine and Walls of Corn. By an occupation she was a teacher, farmer and poet. A volume of her poems was compiled and published in 1885 as “Annabel; and other poems”.

Mrs. Allerton's rhymes are musical, and her thought is always encouraging. She is never gloomy. She does not plow so deep as some, but there is more of her golden grain in the market.

~ Ewing Herbert

(Later editor Hiawatha Daily World)

Title of the poem:

The title of any literary work shows its identity that describes the inner sense. Here, in this present poem entitled “Beautiful Things” throws light on human organs. So the question is how to look for beauty and how to judge it if want to judge it and how inner beauty which gives the realness of our life. Here, Poetess Ellen Allerton mentions each of the facts with proper answers to observe while looking in the poem. 

Themes of the poem:

Theme of any literary works shows the background idea and it is a blueprint of the work. Mentioned poem shows very important base of themes to follow and this is how poet makes command here with what do we mean by beauty? All will give other meanings and explanation of the beauty. But Ellen Allerton gives very important explanation and message to understand here. How human mind can flouts with beauty and that beauty called inner beauty.

This poem is also reminds of John Keats’ “A Thing of Beauty”. Of course it combines nature & human aspects with a real view on beauty.

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.”

Stanza wise Analysis:

Firstly, poet is using human organs to explain inner beauty of human in first six stanzas stanza.

In last two stanzas poet is using nature phenomenon to give understanding of human life and values of virtuous life of beautiful things.

Let us elaborate it one by one;

First stanza,

Beautiful faces are those that wear–
It matters little if dark or fair–
Whole-souled honesty printed there.

In the very first stanza poet describe the real sense of beauty of look for. The phrase, “The beauty is in mind of the person” is visible here while reading these lines. First phrase “beautiful faces” shows the wearing of virtue and itself the identical proof of real enchantment beauty.   

In the next line it shows if the matters of dark or fair. Now the world has its own climbers of colors to give notices. But here there is nothing to forecast further as first line suggest and so real view through looking for beauty will always be same as it is a natural phenomenon.

Third line gives the explanation of what really is if one can expand this observation then it is a whole-souled honesty of the person and whole human sentiment. For God, we all are same so who we are to differentiate? The question is still there so let it be natural and cherish for it.  

Second stanza,

Beautiful eyes are those that show,
Like crystal panes where hearth-fires glow,
Beautiful thoughts that burn below.

The present stanza explains the truth of eyes and its beauty. For a purpose, eyes which is the window of the heart. And here poet explain it very well with the using the word ‘show’.

Second line shows the depth of eyes and its life tale that explores many things throughout the whole life. Life eyes that explaining hearth-fires which is the place in home that ignites and give positive identity like crystal panes visibility. 

In third line, beautiful thoughts gives impact on above lines and enhancing the process of life with eyes of observe and give prolific views of this world. 

Third stanza,

Beautiful lips are those whose words
Leap from the heart like songs of birds,
Yet whose utterance prudence girds.

Ellen P Allerton enhances this stanza with spoken words and that comes from heart. Truth of words that determine the inner view of human being which she also explaining by lips elaborate the feelings, ideas and emotions. 

After that in second line poetess continuing with words that lips tell with truth and honesty like it comes from heart and giving a phrase with songs of birds and it determine the concept of delight and peace. She says that those lips are beautiful that utter words emerging from the depth coming out directly from our heart are full of wisdom and never hurt us.  Thus, they are like the songs of birds.

Last line of third stanza gives déjà vu of life and how human being explain the self with so here poetess give base of it by saying utterance prudence girds. And this line gives tangible truth that beauty must come from heart.  Thus, only wise utterance can consider beautiful. And that words which comes from heart must be heavenly and must bind each other with togetherness.

Forth stanza,

Beautiful hands are those that do
Work that is earnest and brave and true,
Moment by moment the long day through.

This stanza gives light on human’s doings. If the work all are doing is for the sake of doing then it must be not good, but by doing with true hearted and real value for it that must be the charm and delight for it.

Secondly, work by which the outcome enchants with one thing and one thing that is certain, that shows relief and proper. That also shows work with enthusiastically in that it explores brave and truth things.

Third line suggests that, it goes with lifelong identical expedition that how being a human work doing means and how one can explain it by own work on the earth. Oneness show it as well with explaining moment by moment truthful doing must live forever.  

Fifth stanza,

Beautiful feet are those that go
On kindly ministries to and fro,
Down lowliest ways if God wills it so

Very first line of stanza five gives the understanding of feet which goes in the path of good and rightful one. This also tells of lifelong learning process that the way our feet must be choosing will be the way of our own. Like Robert Frost is also writing in his poem entitled “The Rode Not Taken” which way our foot can take must be the one way to go where in another line poetess describes another thing.

It will be a good way or not but the sign of ministries and fro gives the explanation of our own decision. Feel that shows the real path with honesty to go and where you can find yourself in right position.

The last line of fifth stanza is very important to notice, which showcase the real element and that is lowliest way but that will be the God wills. Like it is telling that don’t you worry child someone is there to show you real way to go.

Six stanza,

Beautiful shoulders are those that bear
Ceaseless burdens of homely care,
With patient grace and daily prayer.

In simply way poetess says that shoulders that take each and every worries on it and try to take it with full enthusiasm.

Secondly, that also with ceaseless burdens but the vision of homely care that any person can take or one can say that the head of the home can give delight to other specially family and give happiness while taking worries to his shoulders.   

The virtue will play its role and it demands to be with patient grace and daily prayer. That gives mind and physical peace to go for peaceful grace and love in life. 

Seventh stanza,

Beautiful lives are those that bless

Silent rivers of happiness,

Whose hidden fountains but few may guess.

In the very first line of seventh stanza says the truth of life which can contemptuous with if our deeds are good then we will get to live in blissful life and showering of bless will keep us enthusiastic in life to do good things and help others. 

The shadow of silence keeps following us so poetess gives the explanation by the word river of happiness that flows in us with good deeds.

God has given us this life to do something worthwhile.  If we lead a virtues life, people will remember us.  We can die peacefully.  If we are hones, kind and helpful to others in life, we have alone our duty, our death, then would be very peaceful.

Eight stanza,

Beautiful twilight at set of sun,
Beautiful goal with race well won,
Beautiful rest with work well done.

Second last and very important stanza that explains the views of life as well that is comrade with human being. Twilight, which shows sunset but with combining human life then, one must say that twilight is the scene of ultimate glory and beautiful scene. So as we can mention that;

“Ending can be beautiful”

Second line of seventh stanza says that our life goal which determine very important role in our homely world as well as our nation so the work which we have taken so it must be end with peaceful and happily. 

Last line, the death will be there but the work we done which symbolize the inner peace and it will show that its very beautiful life.

Likewise anyone can also remember Bollywood movie “Om Shanti Om” dialogue that is very important to mention here that will helpful to understand this stanza;

हमारी फिल्मों की तरह, हमारे जीवन में भी सब कुछ अंत तक ठीक हो जाता है ...

सुखद अंत

"Just like our films, in our lives also everything becomes fine till the end ... a happy ending.."

Last stanza,

Beautiful graves where grasses creep,
Where brown leaves fall, where drifts lie deep,
Over worn-out hands! Ah, beautiful sleep.

In list stanza it shows the last phrase of life. Like above stanza gives light on how we have to go throughout in our life but at the end this must be a time to leave the world and go for deep sleep also the mean of death.

Secondly, the brown leaves fall determines the aspect of peace and welcoming the self with whole heatedly where we get buried or lie in a womb of nature with a long sleep.

At the end, poetess describes those worn-out hands, explaining the eternal way which will be virtuous and generous. And then poetess gives a sign with pleasure that everything gets a peace because peace exists in the world and so a relief is there to feel.

Poetic Devices

Rhyme scheme:

The rhyme scheme of the poem is “aaa bbb “.  Here are nine stanzas, each of three lines.  The rhyming words are as;    

Alliteration:

The use of several words together that begins with the same sound or letter in order to make a special effect;

Figures Of Speech

Language, Diction, Mood, Structure

• The language used in the poem is like the language used in lectures and also prayer. The word “beautiful” gives to the poem like a delight and peace to see real objects.

• The poem is explanation of real objects, and she tells the poem with her own views on the subject. And that is what makes diction to realize of the perspectives the poetess elaborate.

• The moods of the stanzas are different than the others. But each stanza elaborates and explains human organs to show inner beauty.

The structure of the poem is not complex to analyze. It has nine stanzas and three lines each. And it gives melodic rhyme and singing perimeter with regular rhyme.

♀ Conclusion:

Lastly, above all phrases gives the vies of inner beauty and a concept of peace, delight, honesty and virtue in life so here poet explores the human lives and beauty of it with real perceptions to observe and cherish for the live that we got so it must be worth it and live with the peace in mind and we must take the very fine concept of oneness and moments that to look for is inner sense.