On the Grasshopper and Cricket Summary Class 8 English Honeydew

Key Points of the Poem

• Eternal Poetry of Earth: The poem emphasizes that the "poetry of earth" is everlasting, signifying that the natural beauty and sounds of nature persist through all seasons and conditions.
• Grasshopper in Summer: During the hot summer days, when birds are too exhausted to sing, the grasshopper takes over, filling the air with its lively chirping. It symbolizes the joy and vitality of summer, indulging in the season's luxuries and never ceasing its song.
• Cricket in Winter: On a quiet winter evening, when frost has silenced much of nature, the cricket's song emerges from the stone, bringing warmth and life to the cold environment. The cricket's persistent song represents the continuity of nature's music through winter.
• Seasonal Continuity: The poem connects the grasshopper's summer song and the cricket's winter song, showing how the natural world's music is unbroken across different seasons. This continuity highlights the resilience and ever-present beauty of nature.
• Symbolism and Imagery: Keats uses the grasshopper and cricket as symbols to convey the themes of the poem. The grasshopper represents summer's exuberance, while the cricket symbolizes winter's quiet warmth. The vivid imagery of seasonal landscapes enhances the poem's message of nature's enduring poetry.

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,

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.

Explanation:

In this stanza, Keats effectively uses the grasshopper as a symbol of summer's vibrancy and unending activity. The line "The poetry of earth is never dead" sets the premise that nature's beauty and music are perpetual. This idea is crucial to understanding the poem's broader message about the enduring nature of the earth's song, which transcends seasons and time.

The mention of birds being "faint with the hot sun" and hiding in the cooling trees portrays the intense heat of summer. Birds, which are typically active and vocal creatures, are subdued by the sun's heat, seeking solace in the shade. This imagery of stillness and retreat could suggest a temporary lull in nature's music. However, Keats immediately counters this by introducing the grasshopper's voice, which "will run / From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead." The grasshopper's chirping fills the silence left by the birds, maintaining the continuity of the earth's poetry.

The grasshopper is depicted as indulging in "summer luxury," highlighting its active and joyous nature. The phrase "he has never done / With his delights" suggests an endless capacity for enjoyment, further emphasizing the idea of summer as a time of boundless energy and pleasure. The grasshopper's activities are not merely functional; they are a celebration of life itself.

Even when the grasshopper is "tired out with fun," it finds a place to rest "beneath some pleasant weed." This moment of rest is not an end but a brief pause, indicating that the grasshopper's joy and the song of summer will continue once it is rejuvenated. The grasshopper's persistent presence and its ability to sing despite the heat and exhaustion symbolize the unbroken continuity of nature's song through the summer months.

Overall, this stanza encapsulates the essence of summer's vitality through the grasshopper's unceasing activity and joy, reinforcing the idea that the poetry of earth is indeed never dead.

Stanza 2

The poetry of earth is ceasing never:

On a lone winter evening when the frost

Has wrought a silence, from the stone there shrills

The cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,

And seems to one in drowsiness half lost;

The grasshopper’s among some grassy hills.

Explanation: 

Keats begins the second stanza by reaffirming the central theme of the poem: "The poetry of earth is ceasing never." This line mirrors the opening line of the first stanza, creating a sense of continuity and emphasizing the unending nature of the earth's song. The poet then sets the scene on a "lone winter evening," evoking an image of solitude and quietness. The frost, a symbol of winter's chill, has brought a stillness to the world, suggesting that nature is at rest.

However, this silence is soon broken by the sound of the cricket's song, which shrills from a stone. The use of the word "shrills" conveys a sharp, piercing sound that cuts through the quiet, bringing life to the otherwise silent night. The cricket's song is described as "in warmth increasing ever," indicating that it grows more comforting and lively as it continues. This warmth is particularly significant in the context of winter, where coldness and silence dominate.

The cricket's song in winter serves as a counterpart to the grasshopper's song in summer. Both creatures, through their songs, ensure that the "poetry of earth" is maintained throughout the year. The line "And seems to one in drowsiness half lost; / The grasshopper’s among some grassy hills" connects the two insects' songs. To someone who is half-asleep, the cricket's winter song can evoke memories of the grasshopper's summer song, blending the experiences of the two seasons.

Keats uses this imagery to highlight the cyclical nature of time and the persistence of nature's beauty. The grasshopper and the cricket, though active in different seasons, both contribute to the unending music of the earth. This connection between summer and winter underscores the poem's message that nature's poetry is eternal and ever-present.

In summary, the second stanza illustrates how the cricket's song in winter parallels the grasshopper's song in summer, reinforcing the idea that the poetry of earth is a continuous and unbroken song that transcends seasons. The cricket's ability to bring warmth and life to the cold winter night symbolizes the enduring and resilient spirit of nature, which persists in all conditions.

Theme/Message

The theme of John Keats' poem "The Poetry of Earth" is the eternal and unceasing beauty of nature, symbolized through the persistent songs of the grasshopper in summer and the cricket in winter. Despite seasonal changes and environmental conditions, the natural world always finds a voice to express its vitality and joy. The grasshopper's lively summer chirping and the cricket's warming winter song illustrate the continuous and resilient spirit of nature. Keats emphasizes that the earth's poetry, or the music of nature, is ever-present and unending, transcending time and seasons to celebrate the enduring harmony of the natural world.

List of Difficult Words  with Meaning

Faint:  Weak and exhausted, especially due to heat or exertion.

Mead: An old-fashioned term for a meadow, a field of grass.

Shrills: Meaning: Produces a high-pitched, piercing sound.

Ceasing: Meaning: Stopping or bringing to an end.

Wrought: Meaning: Shaped or brought about, often with effort.