On the Grasshopper and Cricket Poem Explanation and Solution - CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew

"On the Grasshopper and Cricket" is a sonnet by John Keats, drawing a comparison between the grasshopper and the cricket and their relationship to the changing seasons. The poem celebrates the vitality of summer and the persistence of life through different forms of nature. Here's a detailed explanation of the poem:

Stanza-wise Explanation:

Stanza 1:

The poetry of earth is never dead:

When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,

And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run

From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;

Vibrancy of Nature: Keats begins by asserting that the beauty and vitality of nature, symbolized by "the poetry of earth," never cease. Even in the intense heat of summer, when birds seek shelter, there's an enduring quality in nature's sounds and expressions.

Stanza 2:

That is the Grasshopper’s—he takes the lead

In summer luxury,—he has never done

With his delights, for when tired out with fun,

He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.

The Grasshopper's Song: Keats introduces the grasshopper as a symbol of summer vitality. The grasshopper is depicted as reveling in the pleasures of summer, never tiring of its delights and seeking rest only when fatigued from its activities.

Stanza 3:

The poetry of earth is ceasing never:

On a lone winter evening, when the frost

Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills

The Cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,

The Cricket's Song: Keats contrasts the grasshopper's summer song with the cricket's winter song. Even in the dead of winter, when frost creates silence, the cricket's song rings out from the warm hearth, continuing the "poetry of earth."

Stanza 4:

And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,

The Grasshopper’s among some grassy hills.

Harmony of Seasons: Keats concludes by emphasizing the continuity and harmony between the grasshopper's summer song and the cricket's winter song. He compares the distant sound of the grasshopper's song to a half-dreamt memory, connecting the seasons seamlessly.

Overall Themes:

Cyclical Nature of Life: The poem celebrates the cyclical nature of life and seasons, highlighting how the grasshopper and cricket symbolize vitality in summer and persistence through winter.

Perpetual Beauty of Nature: Keats presents nature's beauty and its unending expression through different seasons, reflecting the eternal vitality and resilience of life.

"On the Grasshopper and Cricket" captures the essence of nature's constancy, expressing how different creatures and their sounds symbolize the perpetual beauty and vitality present in every season.

Honeydew Poem Chapter 8 On the Grasshopper and Cricket Questions From Textbook

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:

Absolutely true. Poetry puts the greatest words in a melodic arrangement, which sets it apart from prose. On the other hand, a poem that is brief, catchy, and captivating is simple to memorise and retain for a considerable amount of time.

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 made of the chirping of birds in trees, and a grasshopper’s sound. They sing joyfully without a long break

Question 3:

Find in the poem lines that match the following:

(i) The grasshopper’s happiness never comes to an end.

(ii) The cricket’s song has a warmth that never decreases.

Answer:

(i) He has never done with his delights.

(ii) The cricket’s song in warmth increasing ever.

Question 4:

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

Answer:

“warmth’

Question 5:

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

Answer:

Summer and winter are a year's two main seasons. They both have a lot of music. The voices of the birds and grasshoppers are symbolic of the summertime. The cricket is the main vocalist in the winter.