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On The Grasshopper and Cricket

poems

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Siphosethu Mahlase
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113 views4 pages

On The Grasshopper and Cricket

poems

Uploaded by

Siphosethu Mahlase
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ENGLISH

CHAPTER 7: ON THE GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET


ON THE GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET
07

ON THE GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET


~Summary~

"On the Grasshopper and Cricket" is a sonnet written by John Keats. The poem uses two insects,
namely grasshopper and cricket, to explain how nature's music is eternal.
During the hot summer, even when the birds known for their songs are worn out and hide
among the cooling trees, nature's music is kept alive through a grasshopper's song. As the
grasshopper sings, he moves through the meadows, pouncing from a hedge to another. As a
result, his songs get carried around, and "the poetry of earth" survives through the blistering
summer. Later, when the grasshopper is tired after all the fun he had, he goes to get some rest
beneath some pleasant grass.
Soon, as the winter comes, nature's music is faced with another existential crisis. However, the
frozen silence is broken through the song of a cricket. The cricket, whose song and
appearance resembles that of a grasshopper, keeps the "poetry of earth" alive and reminds
people of the warm summer evenings, which ignites warmth and hope in them.
Hence, the true poetry of earth is life in itself, and the two otherwise insignificant insects keep
that poetry alive.

A grasshopper (top); and a cricket (bottom)

~Conclusion~

The poem teaches us that we shall be joyful and pleasant no matter what are the situations in
our life.

(1)
ON THE GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET
07

NCERT SOLUTIONS
Questions (Page No. 119)
(Working with the poem)
Question 1. Discuss with your partner the following definition of a poem.

A poem is made of words arranged in a beautiful order. These words, when read aloud with
feeling, have a music and meaning of their own.

Answer: A poem is an artistic piece of speech or a few lines which are expressed by the poet like
a song with rhythms and metaphors. There is a musical element in the arrangement of words in
a poem. The beautifully arranged words in a poem enhance the essence and meaning of the
poem. The rhythmic expressions in it carry several ideas and reflect the imaginative power of the
poet. An interesting and musical poem has a lasting impact in the minds of the readers as it gives
an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the lines in the poem.

Question 2. ‘The poetry of earth’ is not made of words. What is it made of, as suggested in the
poem?

Answer: The poetry of earth is not just made of words, rather it is composed of the rhythmic
songs produced by nature’s beautiful creatures. The musical element of nature never ceases to
mesmerize us with its ever changing seasons. Summer and winter are considered to be the most
difficult seasons for many creatures such as the grasshopper and cricket. These seasons bring
with them a lot of joy, sorrow and excitement to such creatures. During summer, the grasshopper
excitedly hops around tirelessly in joy and when he is tired, he rests beneath a pleasant weed.
On the other hand, a cricket sings with a shrill voice during the dark and lonely nights of the
winter season.

Question 3. Find in the poem lines that match the following.

a. The grasshopper’s happiness never comes to an end.

b. The cricket’s song has a warmth that never decreases.

Answer:

(2)
ON THE GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET
07

a. In summer luxury — he has never done

With his delights,

b. The cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever

Question 4. Which word in stanza 2 is opposite in meaning to ‘the frost’?

Answer: In stanza 2, the word that is opposite in meaning to ‘the frost’ is ‘warmth’. The word
frost indicates a cold or chill experience. On the other hand, warmth in the poem refers to the
cricket’s song which brings in warm feelings and can make one feel drowsy and sleepy.

Question 5. The poetry of earth continues round the year through a cycle of two seasons.
Mention each with its representative voice.

Answer: The poetry of earth continues round the year through summer and winter. During
summer season, the grasshopper hops with joy tirelessly depicting the beautiful poetry of earth.
While in the winter season, the cricket’s song is like a mesmerizing poetry of earth. Hence, in the
poem two different creatures are used as a reference to wisely explain the difference of the two
seasons.

(3)

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