On the Grasshopper and Cricket
Working with the Poem
Q1. Discuss with your partner the following lines.
(i) “The poetry of earth is never dead.”
Ans. It means nature’s music and beauty never disappear. Even in extreme seasons like summer or winter, some creatures continue to sing and fill the earth with life.
(ii) “...the cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever.”
Ans. In winter, when it is cold and silent outside, the cricket’s chirping sounds warm and comforting, bringing a sense of life indoors.
Q2. Which season is mentioned in the first stanza? Which seasonal creature is mentioned?
Ans. The first stanza refers to summer, and the creature mentioned is the grasshopper, which sings joyfully even in the heat.
Q3. What happens to the birds in summer?
Ans. In summer, the birds become tired and take shelter in cooling trees, stopping their singing.
Q4. How does the grasshopper keep the poetry of earth alive in summer?
Ans. The grasshopper sings from the hedges, leaping from one hedge to another, spreading cheer and carrying on nature’s music when the birds are silent.
Q5. Which season is mentioned in the second stanza? Which creature is mentioned?
Ans. The second stanza refers to winter, and the creature mentioned is the cricket.
Q6. How does the cricket’s song help in winter?
Ans. In winter’s stillness and frost, the cricket’s song breaks the silence, and its warmth makes people feel comforted indoors.
Q7. Explain: “The poetry of earth is ceasing never: On a lone winter evening, when the frost has wrought a silence...”
Ans. It means nature’s music never stops; even in the coldest, most silent winter evenings, the cricket’s song carries on, keeping nature’s voice alive.
Q8. Compare the roles of the grasshopper and cricket in the poem.
Ans. The grasshopper represents summer’s liveliness, singing when birds rest in the heat. The cricket represents winter’s resilience, singing when everything outside is frozen and silent. Together, they show that the “poetry of earth” never dies.
