In-depth analysis of the poem On the Grasshopper and the Cricket. This document consists of 4 resources compiled into one. All the important notes are labeled to make the summary as short as possible for easy learning
Title: On the grasshopper and the cricket
Summary: The cheerful song of the grasshopper and the cricket comforts the speaker that the "poetry of earth is
never dead" and is bound together in joy.
Analysis:
Stanza 1: The song of the grasshopper brings hope, showing that the beauty in nature is never-ending.
Line 2 – 5:
- When all the creatures feel too weak to bring life, the grasshopper fills the gap.
- It makes sure that there is never silence (poetry is never dead).
- Nature can simultaneously be harsh and beautiful.
Tone: Positive
- Cooling, luxury, delights, fun, at ease.
1 The poetry of earth is never dead: Meaning: There will always be beauty in something.
Reason: Nature creates beauty through colour and sound.
Metaphor ‘poetry of earth’: The beauty always found in nature is
compared to the beauty always found in poetry.
Colon: A description of the poetry of the earth will follow.
2 When all the birds are faint with the hot Meaning: It is so hot that even the birds feel faint, but they are not
sun, left in the heat.
Personification ‘birds are faint’: Birds are given the human
quality of fainting.
3 And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run Meaning: Nature provides the shade to hide in/take shelter.
“Voice will run”: creates energy, moves poem forward.
4 From hedge to hedge about the new- Semi-colon: The grasshopper is introduced into the poem after
mown mead; his song has been heard.
Alliteration ‘New-mown mead; hedge to hedge: Emphasises
the large area where he breaks the silence
5 That is the Grasshopper’s — he takes the Personification ‘he takes the lead’: The grasshopper is given
lead human quality of leading, singing and having fun.
Lead: The grasshopper takes the lead in singing, enjoying the day
and having fun. (Shows the rest how to find joy)
Em dash: Creates a long pause – just like the grasshopper is
resting.
6 In summer luxury, — he has never done Summer luxury: Summer is luxury - doesn’t complain about heat.
He has never done: He never stops finding delights in everything.
Em dash + comma: Makes the pause even longer. (Rest longer)
7 With his delights; for when tired out with With his delights: Grasshopper enjoys delights of the hot day.
fun For when tired out with fun: When he is tired, he is tired not from
work but from having fun.
Fun: Singing / playing / running, in luxury.
8 He rests at ease beneath some pleasant Meaning: He rests in the shade of weeds.
weed. Oxymoron ‘pleasant weed’: Weeds are usually perceived as
unpleasant, but here it creates shelter for the grasshopper.
*The speaker finds beauty in everything.
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