Page 4 - Lession Note

8. Even the drowsy person when hears the sound feels it as the
grasshopper’s sound.
SUMMARY
It is a symbolic poem in which the grasshopper is a symbol of hot summer and
the cricket is of very cold winter.

Every poet has been attracted towards the beauty of nature. John Keats is no
exception to this and finds nature beautiful in all seasons not excluding the
hot summer and cold winter.

He says that the earth is always singing. When the birds stop singing in the
hot summer finding cool place, we find the grasshopper singing and flying
from hedge. He sings tirelessly and when tired, rests beneath some weed.

When the birds are silent in very cold the earth never stops and expresses its
pleasure through different beings like the cricket. It sings the beautiful songs
from the stones. It seems to be increasing in warmth every moment and half-
asleep human being feels it to be a grasshopper’s song coming from grassy
hills.

SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1.What is the theme of the poem?
Ans:- The theme of the poem is that nature is always happy. Nature is never
sad. It is always singing through the medium like grasshopper and cricket
since the grasshopper sings in summer and cricket in cold winter.

2.When does a grasshopper sing?
Ans:- A grasshopper sings on a hot summer day. When the birds hide in cool
shades, the grasshopper runs from hedge to hedge creating a sound which is
called the nature’s poetry by the poet.

3.In what atmosphere, according to Keats, does one hear a cricket’s song?
Ans:- The cricket’s song is heard in winter. When it is very cold and quiet, the
winter silence is broken by a shrill sound. This is cricket’s song.

ANSWERS OF TEXT BOOK QUESTIONS

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.

Ans. The statement is true. Poetry is really the magic of words and sound. So
when these words are read, they give a music of their own. This is there not
only in rhythm and rhyme, it is there in the order of the words too.