On the Grasshopper and Cricket Summary and Explanation Class 8 English Honeydew
Welcome to the article “On the Grasshopper and Cricket Summary & Explanation Class 8 English Honeydew.” We at Education Mantras provide with you summary and explanation of the poem On the Grasshopper and Cricket along with the central idea and word meanings of the poem. This poem is given in the NCERT textbook of Class 8 English Honeydew.
Table of Contents
Introduction:
The poem “On the Grasshopper and Cricket” is beautifully written by John Keats. This poem highlights how nature’s beauty continues and how it blooms inspite of changes in the seasons. It also highlights the constant melody of nature through the grasshopper in summer and cricket in winter. The poem conveys the important idea that the song of nature never ends, indicating hope, confidence and continuation.
Addressing the Poet:
The popular English Romantic poet John Keats (1795-1821) was renowned for his pleasant manner and rich imagination. His creation often highlight beauty, imagination and the natural world. The poem like ‘On the Grasshopper and Cricket’ masterfully conveys the unbroken melody of nature.
Central Idea:
The poem’s central idea is that nature is always expressing itself. The beautiful melody of life never stops even though the season highlights various elements of nature. The cricket represents the warmth of winter while the grasshopper represents the delight of summer. The central idea of the poem is that life and its beauty always remain irrespective of the season.
On the Grasshopper and Cricket Summary:
Stanza - First
In the first stanza, the poet describes the hot summer season. He says that the poetry related to the earth never ends. This refers to the birds that fall unconscious in the scorching sun and heat. All the birds find support in the cool bushes and trees so that they can save themselves from the scorching heat. But the grasshopper keeps singing happily and joyfully, his sweet voice filling the peaceful air. In the summer, he stands for happiness and energy. He takes a nap under the grass when he is tired but he makes sure the sound of nature never stops.
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Stanza - Second
The second Stanza gives explain about the winter season, when the atmosphere is covered with cold and frost. But the cricket takes the responsibility of protecting nature even during this horrible season with is chirping sound. He keeps singing as he sits close to the warm stone, telling us that music of nature never stops. During the winter season, his singing offers comfort and warmth.
On the Grasshopper and Cricket Word Meanings:
Here in this article, we you can read the word meanings along with the summary and explanation of the poem On the Grasshopper and Cricket. The word-meanings are necessary to understand the poem what the poet wants to explain in the poem. We at Education Mantras assist you to understand the poem thoroughly.
There are following word meanings related to the poem “On the Grasshopper and Cricket”:
- Faint (verb): become unconscious
- hedge (noun): a boundary or a fence
- Â mead (noun): a meadow
- ceasing (verb): come to an end
- wrought (verb): to do work
- drowsiness (noun): feeling of sleepiness
- lone (adjective): alone/lonely
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On the Grasshopper and Cricket Explanation:
Poem 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-mow mead,
That is the grasshopper’s- he takes the lead
In summer luxury- he has never done
With his delights, for when he tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
Explanation:
In this stanza, the poet says that the rhymes and music of the poem never come to an end. He tells that when the heat of the sun increases, the birds become unconscious and start hiding in the cool shadows of the trees, but there is a sound that is heard in the cut grass meadows in which the grasshopper is seen leading everything. Grasshopper is a symbol of joy and happiness in the summer season. He isn’t full of enthusiasm in the luxuries of the summer season; when he is tired of having fun, he takes a rest under the pleasant grass.
Poem 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 glassy hills.
Explanation:
In this stanza, the poet says that the music of earth never ends. On a lonely winter evening when no one comes out and there is a fog all around, a sound is heard between the stones: it is sound of a screaming cricket. Its song grows more and more frequent in the heat and sounds like a voice half-awakened from sleep. It is seen in the ice covered hills just like the glass is surrounded by the hills.
On the Grasshopper and Cricket Literary Devices:
- Imagery: The poet creates a picture of summer and winter through detailed descriptions.
- Personification:Â Human characters are applied to the grasshopper and cricket.
- This is an example of Alliteration: “From fence to a fence about the new-mow meadow.”
- Symbolism: The cricket stands for winter while the grasshopper stands for summer.
- Â Contrast: The poem shows the persistence of nature’s singing by contrasting the warmth of summer with the cold winter.
Message of the Poem:
The poem conveys the important lesson that the life goes on with challenges. Life continues through its ups and downs, just as the music of nature continues even in the face of severe weather. It encourages us to be positive and hopeful no matter what happens.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
I. What is the summary of The Grasshopper and The Cricket poem?
Answer: The poem “On the Grasshopper and Cricket” by John Keats honors the beauty and the enduring melody of nature. It emphasizes how the music of earth never comes to an end, no matter what the time of year. The grasshopper sings happily throughout the hot summer months. It takes rest when it is tired, but it also sings continuously when it gets energized. In the winter season, when the coolness is all around us, the cricket brings warmth and comfort by singing continuously. Through this contrast, John explains that the beauty of nature is long lasting; it changes according to the seasons. Both the grasshopper and the cricket represent the cycle of life.
II. Who is the poet of “On the Grasshopper and Cricket”?
Answer: The poem “On the Grasshopper and Cricket” is penned by a renowned poet John Keats.
III. What does the grasshopper symbolize in the poem “On the Grasshopper and Cricket”?
Answer: The Grasshopper symbolizes the feeling of joy and happiness in the poem.
IV. What is the main contrast in the poem “On the Grasshopper and Cricket”?
Answer: The main contrast in the poem is between summer and winter. It has beautifully explained that the music of nature never changes with the changes of seasons.