The Poetry of Earth Questions and Answers
Q.1 What type of sonnet is The Poetry of Earth’.
Ans This is a sonnet of the Petrarchan type.
Q2 What sort of tone the poem has ?
Ans The poem has an optimistic tone.
Q.3 What is the theme of the poem?
Ans The theme of the poem is the undying existence of the song of earth.
Q.4 How many seasons are mentioned in the poem?
ns Two seasons-summer and winter are mentioned in the poem.
Q.5 What are the living creatures mentioned in the poem?
Ans The living creatures, mentioned in the poem, are small birds, grasshoppers and crickets.
Q.6 The voices of what creatures are heard in extreme heat and in extreme cold?
Ans The voices of grasshoppers in extreme heat and that of crickets in extreme cold are heard.
Q.7 What does the grasshopper represent ?
Ans The grasshopper represents the music of earth in the extreme heat of the summer season.
Q8 What does the cricket represent?
Ans The cricket represents the music of earth in the extreme cold of the winter season.
Q.9 What do make the octave of a Petrarchan sonnet?
Ans The first eight lines of a Petrarchan sonnet make the octave.
Q.10 What is meant by the sestet?
Ans The sestet is the second part-the last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet.
Q.11 What is presented by Keats in the octave of his sonnet?
Ans In the octave the poet represents the poetry of earth as expressed through the voices of the grasshopper in extremeheat.
Q.12 What does the sestet of the sennet contain
Ans The sestet of the sonnet contains the continuance of the poetry of earth in the extremity of winter through the shrills of crickets.
Q. 13 What do the birds do, when they are faint with the hotsun?
Ans When the birds are well exhausted with the scorching rays of a summer day, they hide themselves in the cool shelters, formed by the thick leaves of trees.
Q.14..the takes the lead…… the lead? — Who takes the lead in ‘summer luxury’ ?
The grasshopper takes the lead.
Q.15 How does the grasshopper take the lead?
ns When in the scorching rays of the summer season, the song of earth is almost silent, the grasshopper comes out with its delightful murmur to keep the song of earth continuing.
Q.16 “When the frost has………” What has the frost done?
ans In a cold winter evening dense frost settles and silences all noises and turns everything desolate
Q.17Wherefrom the shrills of the cricket rise ?
ns The shrill murmur of the cricket comes out from their movement round the fireplace.
Q.18 “And seems to one in drowsiness half lost”What does seem to one?
Ans To one lost in drowsiness in the warmth of the fireplace, the hovering crickets may appear to be the grasshopper among grassy hilly meadows.
Q.19″Avoice will runFrom hedge to hedge” -Whose voice is referred to here?
Ans The voice of the grasshopper on a very warm day is referred to here.
Q.20 What does the grasshopper do, when it gets ‘tired out with fun’?
Ans The tired grasshopper flies to some pleasant weed and takes rest beneath this.
Q.21 Where does the beauty of nature exist?
Ans The beauty of nature exists in the cycle of seasons.
Q.22 How long will the poetry of earth exist?
Ans The poetry of earth will exist forever through the continuous celebration of all the seasons.
Q.23 What does the grasshopper carry?
Ans The grasshopper carries the music of summer.
Q.24 Whatwill run from hedge to hedge?
Ans The voice of the grasshopper will run from hedge to hedge carrying the music of summer.
Q.25 “he takes the lead/in summerluxury”. – What does the poet refer to?
Ans Here the poet refers to the grasshopper.
Q.26 “He has never done / with his delights” – What does the expression mean?
Ans The expression means the joy of the grasshopper that never ceases. [
Q.27 Wherefrom do the crickets shrill their voice?
Ans The shrill of the crickets comes from the stove.
“The poetry of earth is never dead”-What Q28 does the poet want to mean here?
Ans The poet wants to mean that the joy of the earth does never cease to exist
Q29 What is common to both summer and winter?
ins Warmth and charm are common to both summer and winter.
Q.30How does Keats describe nature ?
ns The poet Keats describes nature as vibrant with joy.
Q.31 What has created a silence in winter?
Ans The frost has created a silence in winter.
Q 32 Why does the poet use capital letters for the Grasshopper and the Cricket?
Ans To emphasise on their uniqueness and to show their importance in the environment, the poet personifies both the grasshopper and the cricket and as such begins their names with capital letters.
Q.33 What according to John Keats, is never dead?
Ans According to John Keats, the poetry of earth is never dead.
Q.34 How is the cricket’s shrill influenced by warmth?
Ans The more becomes the warmth, the louder becomes the Cricket’s shrill.
Q35 What does the Cricket’s shrill seem to one in drowsiness?
ns To one in drowsiness the Cricket’s shrill seems to be the continuation of the grasshopper’s voice.
Q.36 How is winter described in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans Here winter is a season of solitude and silence due to frosty chill and the lazy mood of half-asleep man,
Q.37 “The poetry of earth is never dead”-What does the ‘poetry’ stand for here?
Ans Here ‘poetry’ stands for the colours and songs of life.
Q.38 “When all the birds are faint with the hot sun.” -What does Keats mean to say here ?
Ans Here the poet Keats means to describe the intensity of heat in summer, suggesting it is too hot even for the birds.
Q.39 What are the words and phrases used by Keats to suggest that the season is summer?
Ans To suggest that season is summer Keats has used the words and phrases like ‘faint’, ‘hot’, ‘sun’, ‘cooling trees’, ‘summer luxury’, and ‘tired out’.
Q.40is ceasing never.” What is never ceasing and how ?
Ans The music of earth is never ceasing but ever heard in all seasons.
41.Which words and expression suggest the feeling of summer in Keats’ poem The Poetry of Earth’?
In Keats’ poem, The Poetry of Earth’, the words and expressions like ‘birds’, ‘faint’ ‘hot sunny’, ‘cooling trees’, ‘summerluxury’, ‘tired’ etc.make us feel the presence of summer.
Q42 Which words and expressions suggest winter in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
ns In the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ words and expressions such as ‘lone winter evening’, ‘the frost’, ‘silence’, ‘the cricket’ssong’, ‘drowsiness’, ‘from the stove’ suggest winter. “The Poetry of Earth’ ‘lone winter evening’, ‘the frost’, ‘silence’, ‘the cricket’s song’, ‘drowsiness’, ‘from thestove’
Q.43 What similarity do you find in the opening lines of both the octave and sestet of the sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans The opening lines of both the octave and the sestet of the sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ present the same idea that the poetry of earth never stops.
Q.44 Who has ‘never done/ With his delights’ ?
Ans The grasshopper in ‘John Keats’ poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ has never done with his delights.
Q.45 What do the opening lines of both the octave and the sestet of the poem The Poetry of Earth assert?
The opening lines of both the octave and the sestet of the sonnet, “The Poetry of Earth’ emphatically assert that the music of the earth will never cease, it will continue.
Q.46 Where do all the birds hide in Keats’s ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans All the birds hide in the shade of cooling trees.
Q.47 What might one hear on a lone, cold and silent winter evening?
Ans One night hear the song of the crickets on alone, cold and silent winter evening.
Q.48 Where was the Grasshopperseen in summer?
Ans In summer Grasshopper was seen from hedge to hedge about the new mown mead.
MARKS-5
0.1 Explain the title ‘The Poetry of Earth’. Can you suggest a better alternative title?
Ans Keats’s present sonnet has the title The Poetry of Earth. This clearly brings out the poet’s concept that the music of earth is never dead.
The poet, however, specifically mentions the humming notes of two insects-the grasshopper and the cricket.
These notes do not definitely exclude the other means of the song of earth. But other popular natural songs may be absent in a hard weather, too hot or too cold. But even then the music of earth is not silent. This may be heard from the delightful humming of grasshoppers under a very hot, scorching sunlight of a summer day. This is also echoed in the shrills of crickets, hovering around a fireplace in a cold desolate winter evening.
Actually the poet seems to emphasize here “The poetry of earth is never dead.” This is the first line of the sonnet. This may be a better alternative as a title. (152 words ]
Q.2 Bring out briefly the central theme or message of the sonnet The Poetry of Earth’.
Ans The title of the poem well indicates its theme. This is the poetry of earth. What the poet seems to assert here that earth has its own poetry.
This song or music of earth is natural and comes from the bosom of Nature. Different natural things have their own music in different times or seasons. But there are occasions when those naturals are pressed to silence. Thus in the extremity of the summer weather under the scorching sunlight, the tuneful, lovely birds are pent up . Similarly the biting cold of extreme winter is too hard to bear. The popular natural song may come to a halt in such a situation. Yet, the grasshopper and the cricket, in an extremely hostile weather, keep up the song of earth in their humming and shrill sounds.
So, the poetry or song of earth is never dead. This is the central theme or message of the sonnet. (153 words)
Q.3 Bring out the contents of (i) the octave and (ii) the sestet of the sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earthy and add a brief comment separately on each of them.
Ans ( i ) The main assertion in the octave is that the poetry of earth is never dead. This is illustrated with reference to the situation in the intense heat (প্রচণ্ড তাপ) of the summer season. In such a time, birds are not at ease. They are unable to stay bare at the scorching sun rays.
Yet, the song of earth survives and is heard in the humming of the little grasshopper. It moves, from hedge to hedge the song of earth. The octave has a simple statement which is the message of words —-the poem that the song of earth is never dead.
(ii) The sestet or the last six lines follow the same tunethe song of earth is never dead. The poet speaks here of the bitterly cold winter evening. But even in such a state, the humming of the crickets round a fireplace keeps on the continuity of the song of earth.
The sestet, too, focuses the attention on the ever living song of earth. [64 words ]
Q4 …...a voice will run From hedge to hedge………..” – What is the ‘voice’ referred to here? When will this run and how?
Ans The ‘voice’ referred to here is the soft hum of the grasshopper among the hedges. This is a hard time of summer with the scorching rays from the sun. The little birds, exhausted with heat, have gone all to their dense of leafy covers in the trees. Yet, the song of earth lives and is echoed in the soft murmuring voice of the grasshopper, jumping from hedge to hedge. When tired with its delightful play and music, it has its repose underneath a pleasant weed. [85 words ]
Q.5 ……from the stove there shrills”-What does shrills from the stove, when and why?
ns The cricket song shrills from the stove. In the extremely cold weather, thick frosts cover a winter evening and make it all desolate. But even in such a state, crickets hover around the fireplace. Their soft murmur intensifies in the increasing warmth. This seems to be then a song of earth like grasshoppers hum in grassy hills during extreme summer.
Q.6 Identify the voices of the poetry of earth in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’. How does the poet establish continuity through these voices?
Ans Keats’s poem The Poetry of Earth has a twofold contention First, there is the poetry of the earth. Second, this poetry is never dead. What the poet categorically claims is that poetry of earth is never dead whatever the situation may be.
To show the eternal existence of the poetry of earth, the poet instances the two extreme aspects of the season – scorching summer and biting winter. In the summer season, in scorching ; of earth emerges from rays the song the little insect grasshoppers, hopping from hedge to hedge.
Again in an extremely cold evening of the winter season everything is desolate. At this time, around a fireplace, the little insect cricket is found to hover and gives out its shrill song. The roving cricket’s shrill murmur, too, equally form the music of earth of the season. [137 words ]
Q. 7 Write a brief note on The Poetry of Earth’ as a sonnet.
Ans Keats’s The Poetry of Earth is a sonnet. A sonnet is a short poem of fourteen lines, with some specific rhyme-schemes and metrical structures.
Keats’s poem is of fourteen lines. It has a distinct division into two unequal parts of eight lines and six lines. The first eight lines form the octave, while the last six lines are called the sestet.
This is actually the structure of the Petrarchan (after the name of the great Italian poet Petrarch) sonnet. So Keats’s present poem is a Petrarchan sonnet. The theme of the sonnet is quite lofty. It emphasizes
“The poetry of earth is never dead.” This theme is set in the octave, sustained and confirmed in the sestel Here, too, the sonnet is Petrarchan. A Petrarchan sonnet has five rhymes – a, b, c, d, e. These rhymes are arranged in the following order abba, abba (octave) cde, cde (sestet). [N.B. : In the sestet, there may be seen the variations of the rhyme-scheme.]
Keats’s sonnet exactly follows the above rhyme-scheme. So it is distinctly a Petrarchan sonnet. [143 words ]
Q.8 Give the substance of the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ by John Keats.
Ans In his sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’ John Keats explains that poetry will live in this earth for ever through the music of earth. When the birds become exhausted in the hot summer days they take rest in the cool shade of trees. A voice of grasshopper runs from hedge to hedge to spread the music of summer. Being tired the grasshopper takes rest beneath some pleasant weeds.
The music of the earth never comes to an end. After the grasshopper, the cricket carries the music of nature in winter. In the evening of winter when the frost creates silence everywhere, the song of the cricket introduces warmth into the frost. The person who is enchanted believes that the cricket is the grasshopper because the warmth of the song of the cricket leads him to imagine the grasshopper’s song in the grassy hills during summer.
Q.9 “A voice will run From hedge to hedge” -Bring out the significance of the line.
Ans In the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ John Keats gives a vivid description of the music of nature that are carried through different natural objects and that enlivens the poetry of earth for ever. The music of earth never ceases. The grasshopper is the representative of summer. Though the grasshopper is a very small creature, it carries the spirit of summer when all others are exhausted. (166 words ]
Q.10 The poet Keats says that poetry and music in nature do not perish. Why does he say so? Or, Why does Keats feel that poetry of earth is never dead? [XII’15]
Ans Keats in his poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ advocates that winter and summer are not to be taken as opposites. They form the parts of the same wonderful cycle of seasons. Every season bears its own melody. Being exhausted in the excessive intolerable heat of the sun birds become silent in summer. Then the tiny creature, the grasshopper keeps on chirping merrily, as this moves about from hedge to hedge.
When winter steps in, all is-icy cold and silent. But breaking the painful silence of cheerless winter evening comes the cricket’s shrill notes from near the stove. All these prove that poetry and music in nature never perish.
Q.11 How does the poet describe a person halfasleep beside a stove?
The poet describes the image of a man half-asleep beside a fire-place. Comforted by the warmth of fire and hearing the ceaseless drone of the cricket he is about to doze off into slumber. In this semi-conscious state, he hears the cricket’s high pitched notes floating about in the air and mistakes it for the merry notes of a grasshopper singing gleefully among the grassy hills on a warm midsummer day. The poet thus reiterates his belief in the continuity of the cycle of seasons. [85 words ]
12 Why does the poet paint the image of a halfasleep man?
The poet paints the picture of a half-asleep man beside the stove to convey to us the message of the eternal cycle of seasons. Lying in the warmth of fire and hearing the continuous shrill of the cricket, he is about to doze off into slumber. In this semi-conscious state he mistakes the notes of the cricket for the merry notes of the grasshopper singing among the hills on a warm midsummer day.
The poet thus repeats his belief in the continuity of the cycle of seasons. What the grasshopper starts in summer is carried on by the cricket in winter till the grasshopper takes over again in the advent of summer. Thus nature continues the cyclic order of seasons at her very own will.
Q. 13 How does Keats use symbolizm in his poem ‘The Poetry of Earth?
Ans Keats’ poem “The Poetry of Earth’ is symbolic from various corners. The symbols of the poem can be seen from various angles. In the first place the poet makes the grasshopper and the cricket the symbols of summer and winter respectively. Secondly, the cricket becomes the symbol of hope and joy. The poem is also symbolic in the matter of difference in the mood presented by each and every season.
The expression “The poetry of earth is never dead’ indicates that nature and poetry of earth will never cease to exist. The calls of the grasshopper and the cricket symbolize the everlasting rhythm and warmth of life. Thirdly, the poem symbolically suggests that the charm of life never ceases.
Q.14 Why does the poet Keats choose the grasshopper and the cricket as the poet’s of Nature?
Ans The poet Keats, as a poet of nature has chosen the grasshopper and the cricket to show how important they are to the environment. He confirms this by using capital letters for the grasshopper and the cricket. In the heat of summer the grasshopper hops about joyfully and after making much fun and merriment it takes rest under a pleasant weed. The cricket is the symbol of winter. In the freezing cold and deep silence it chirps when it finds warmth near a stove.
By utilising the grasshopper and the cricket Keats provides us with the knowledge and foresight that things are not without purpose. The poet also presents how the different species thrive under different conditions, how that balance in nature depicts its natural beauty and offers hope. [129 words ]
Q.15 How does the poet create an atmosphere of hangover in the poem?
Ans The poet has created an atmosphere of fatigueness by presenting the picture of some imaginary listener half-asleep. Warmed by the heat of the fire place and cheered by the constant shrills of the crickets on a lone winter evening, the fellow feels drowsiness. They seem to eat lotus fruits and feel drowsy.
Assonance is often used and it helps to create the mood of relaxation and contemplation. ‘Earth,’ birds and other ‘r’ sounds predominate the poem along with small alliteration of ‘new-mown mead’. These words feel like soft murmurs, In the line, “He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed,” all ‘ee’ sounds seem to make the readers relaxed as if they are also slowing down and enjoying a rest under a grassy bush.
Q.16 “avoice will run”-Wherefrom does this line occur? Whose voice is referred to here? When will the voice be heard? [1+1+4=6]
Ans The above quoted line belongs to the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ by John Keats.
The voice referred to here is the voice of the grasshopper. •The sun seems to dry up every drop of energy and vitality. All song-birds are faint with the scorching heat of the sun in summer. That’s why they stop singing and take shelter in the cool shade of the leafy trees. When the birds retire to cool shade of the trees and stop singing the vacuum is filled up by the grasshopper. The grasshopper comes and chirps merrily from hedge to hedge. He takes the lead luxuriating in the gaiety and abundance of the [113 words ] season of summer.
017 “avoice will run….. – Whose voice is this? Where will the voice run? What is the significance of the voice? (1+1+4=6)
The voice of the grasshopper is referred to here in the above quoted line.
The grasshopper’s voice will run from hedge to hedge in the freshly-mown-grass across the meadow.
• The grasshopper is not disturbed by excessive heat of the summer sun and expresses immense joy as it flies about in the air. When the birds keep silent, the music of the earth does not come to an end. The chirping of a small insect like grasshopper becomes the song of summer. Thus the grasshopper becomes the poet of summer. ( 59 words ]
Q.18 “….. he takes the lead”-Who is ‘he’ here? When does ‘he’ take the lead? How does he take the lead? [1+1+4=6]
Ans Here ‘he’ refers to the grasshopper in the Keats’ poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
• The grasshopper takes the lead in Keats’ sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
In summer the birds are exhausted with the excessive unbearable heat of the sun. They stop their songs and take shelter in the cool shade of leafy trees. So a void is created. At this moment the grasshopper takes the lead and begins to dance and sing from hedge to hedge. [77 words ]
Q 19 “That is the this line been taken? What is referred to by ‘that’? What does the poet mean to say? Why does the poet use capital letter in Grasshopper? [1+1+3+1=6]
Ans This line has been taken from Keats’ sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
• Here ‘that’ refers to the song of the Grasshopper.
• It is summer with unbearable heat of the sun. All songbirds are tired in the scorching heat of the summer sun. They are too exhausted to sing any more. So they take shelter to take rest in the cool shade of leafy trees. When the birds retire to cool shade and stop singing, the void is filled up by the grasshopper. The grasshopper becomes the poet of summer by chirping merrily from hedge to hedge.
. The poet personifies the Grasshopper by using capital letter. He imagines the Grasshopper to be the poet of summer luxuriating in the gaiety and mirth of the season. (124 words)
Q.20 from the stove there shrills-The Cricket’s song….”-What role does the ust cricket play?
Ans In the sestet of the sonnet, The Poetry of Earth’
the cricket has been described as the poet of winter. Winter comes with its icy touch. The frost makes the winter evening chilly and silent. Nature is now bleak and desolate , In such a frosty and silent weather, the cricket the tireless bard of winter, keeps the music of earth alive. It is the symbol of hope and energy.
In such a lifeless winter, the gay chirping of the cricket gives new hope and energy. To a person half-asleep in drowsiness, the cricket’s song appears to be the music of the grasshopper singing joyfully among some grassy hills on a summer day. It makes the poet believe that the poetry of earth is eternal and does not come to an end. [130 words ]
Q21 “he has never done With his delights; ..”-Where does this extract occur? Who is referred to here as ‘he’? What does he do? What does the extract suggest? [1+1+3+1=6]
Ans This extract occurs in the famous sonnet of John Keats, ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
• Here ‘he’ refers to the grasshopper.
In summer all song-birds become exhausted in the scorching heat of the sun. They take shelter in the cool shade of leafy trees to take rest. They become so tired that they cannot sing. The earth is now without song. But this does not live long. The grasshopper comes forward to fill up the gap by singing merrily from hedge to hedge.
He keeps the flow of song in Nature alive. He expresses immense joy and merriment luxuriating in the gaiety and mirth of the season. He becomes the poet of summer. When the grasshopper becomes tired of chirping he takes rest under a pleasant weed. But after a shortwhile he comes back and resumes his singing.
The extract shows the tireless effort of the grasshopper in making Nature vibrant with music. He is very much delighted. His delights never come to an end. goes on singing joyfully, keeping the poetry of earth alive for ever.
Q 22 ………when the frost Has wrought a silence…. “-Where does this line occur? What picture does the poet draw here? [1+5=6]
Ans The above extract belongs to the sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’ by John Keats.
The poet here draws the picture of a lone winter evening. Keats uses the song of the cricket, the frost and deep silence to draw a picture of winter. Winter comes with her associate, the icy cold. The frost makes the winter evening silent. None dares to come out in such a cold, chilly evening. So a deep silence prevails everywhere. Nature is now bleak and desolate. Cricket, the tireless band of winter keeps the music of earth alive.
The cricket’s shrill song comes from somewhere near the fireplace. It breaks the silence of cheerless winter evening. In the midst of lifeless winter, the gay chirping of the cricket gives us new hope and energy. To a person who is halfasleep in drowsiness the cricket’s song seems to be the music of the grasshopper singing joyfully among some grassy hills on a summer day. [158 words ]
Q23 What is the opinion of Keats about the songs of the Grasshopper and the Cricket?
Ans The sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’ reveals Keats’ love for Nature. It reveals his appreciation and admiration for all natural objects. He finds beauty in all things, trivial or magnificent. The Grasshopper and the Cricket are very small creatures in the kingdom of Nature. To Keats they are powerful singers. By using them Keats helps us to enrich our conception about Nature.
He provides us with the knowledge and foresight that all things have a purpose. He shows that different species thrive in different conditions. He also shows how balance in Nature is maintained. As poetry produces various tunes, sentiments and sounds, so does the poetry of Nature. The songs of the Grasshopper and the Cricket makes us feel that poetry of Nature is eternal, it never comes to an end. [131 words]
Q24 “The poetry of earth is never dead”-In which poem does this line occur? What does the poet mean to say here? [1+5=6]
Ans The quoted line occurs in Keats’ poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
• Here the poet means to say that the songs and music of nature will never stop. It would continue without any break. Nature and poetry i.e., music and songs are so linked that they will continuously revolve. Any change in season or weather will not affect the continuity of music of Nature. In summer the song-birds being tired take shelter in cooling shade of tress and stop their singing.
In spite of that the song in Nature is heard. The tiny grasshopper sings merrily as he moves about from hedge to hedge in the meadow. Similarly when it is winter the music of earth continues. The shrill sound of the cricket break the silence of the winter evening. The drowsy people imagines that the Grasshopper is continuing his beautiful songs among the grassy hills. Thus the poetry of earth can never stop. (152 words ]
Q.25 “When all birds are faint” – Why are all birds faint? What do the birds do then? Who plays the role of the birds and how?[1+2+3=6]
Ans On account of the scorching heat of the sun in summer all the song-birds are faint and feel exhausted. The birds are supposed to be the natural poets of the earth. They sing merrily and express the mood of Nature.
But here the birds are tired and exhausted by the unbearable heat of the sun in summer. So they take shelter in the cool shade of trees and remain restrained from singing charming songs.
When the birds take shelter in the cool shade of trees and stop singing, the grasshopper takes their place. He sings merrily. He expresses immense joy as he moves from hedge to hedge in the freshly mown grass in the meadow. In the absence of the song-birds he takes the lead. He becomes the bard of summer. (132 words ]
Q.26 “He rests at ease”-Who is referred to as ‘he’? Where does he rest? How does he enliven Nature? [1+2+3=6]
Ans Here ‘he’ refers to the grasshopper in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ written by John Keats.
• In the absence of the song – birds, the grasshopper takes the lead. He fills up the void in Nature by singing merrily. But when he feels tired, he takes rest under some pleasant weeds only to resume his song with renewed energy.
When all the song-birds stop singing, the grasshopper enliven Nature by chirping merrily. He moves from hedge to hedge in the meadow and sings the delightful song of summer luxury. Thus when the whole country side seems to be tired and exhausted, the grasshopper brings joy and merriment. (105 words)
Q.27 4 “from the stove there shrill/The Cricket’s “-What role does the cricket song play here?
Ans In the sestet of the sonnet “The Poetry of Earth’ the cricket is considered as the poet of winter. Keats uses the cricket as the associate of winter. Winter appears with bitter coldness. The frost makes the winter evening chilly and silent. Nature is now bleak and desolate. In such a frosty and solitary weather, the cricket, the tireless bard of winter, keeps the music of earth alive and luxuriant.
In the background of lifeless winter, the gay chirping of the cricket evokes new energy and hope. To a person, half-asleep in drowsiness, the songs of the cricket seems to be the music of the Grasshopper, singing joyfully among some grassy hills in a summer day. It makes the poet believe that the poetry of earth never ceases.
Q.28 What picture of summer is presented in ‘The Poetry of Earth’? How has it been carried onto the picture of winter? [XII `16] [4+2=6]
Ans In summer the birds fill the earth with the sweet melodious tone of the birds. But the summer soon becomes very hot and sultry by the scorching rays of the sun. The birds then get exhausted and take shelter in the shade of cooling trees. As the voice of the birds lapses into silence the grasshoppers come on stage with their chirping and move one hedge to the other.
With the appearance of winter the grasshopper disappears but the poetry of earth does not stop. The cricket takes the role of the grasshopper. The poet introduces the song of the cricket to maintain the continuity of the song of nature in winter. To a person, half asleep in drowsiness, the song of the cricket evokes the image of the song of the grasshopper. The song of the cricket follows the grasshopper to admire the continuity of the stream of life. [150 words ]
Q. 29 What does Keats mean by ‘The Poetry of Earth’? Why does he say that this poetry never ceases? [XII’17] [2+4]
Ans By the expression ‘The Poetry of Earth’, the poet refers to the music of nature. This poetry of earth will exist forever through the continuous celebration of all the seasons.
The poet thinks that the music comes to an end.
It will continue with the passage of time. The song of Nature will add vitality to all living beings. In the octave Keats justifies his idea by calling the Grasshopper, the poet of summer. In the sestet, the Cricket is the poet of winter.
The frost makes the winter evening silent. Nature becomes bleak and desolate. In such a frosty and silent weather, the Cricket, the tireless bard of winter, keeps the music of earth alive. In the background of lifeless winter, the gay music of the cricket infuses new energy and induces new hope. It makes the poet believe that the poetry of earth never stops.
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