Class 12 Chapter 1.4 Solution
The Poetry of Earth
1. MCQs Question Answer
45. “When all the birds are ——– with the hot sun.”
a) faint ✔
b) cooling
c) pleasant
d) tired
46. “All the birds hide in ——– trees.”
a) faint
b) cooling ✔
c) pleasant
d) hot
47. “A ——— will run from hedge to hedge.”
a) song
b) Cricket ✔
c) bird
d) voice
48. “That is the Grasshopper, he takes the
a) chance
b) mead
c) lead ✔
d) weed
49. “… he takes the lead / In summer
a) joy
b) delights
c) weed
d) luxury ✔
50. “… he has never done / With his ——–
a) joy
b) delights ✔
c) song
d) music
51. “… when tired out with / He rests at ease
a) song
b) music
c) fun ✔
d) delights
52. “He rests at ease beneath some ——— weed
a) hot
b) cooling
c) new-mown
d) pleasant ✔
53. “The poetry of ——— is never dead.”
a) earth ✔
b) forest
c) Nature
d) birds
54. “…all the birds are faint with the ——— sun.”
a) morning
b) cooling
c) hot ✔
d) scorching
55. “Faint with the hot sun, the birds hide in cooling —-
a) shade
b) trees ✔
c) brush
d) forest
56. “… a voice will run / From hedge to hedge about the new mown —–
a) field
b) land
c) Pasture
d) mead ✔
57. The Grasshopper takes the lead in ——– luxury.
a) summer ✔
b) winter
c) spring.
d) autumn
58. Grasshoppers fly in England
a) in autumn
b) in spring
c) in winter
d) in summer ✔
59. The Grasshopper is tired
a) of the sun
b) of both heat and cold
c) of the cold
d) of much fun ✔
60. Being faint with the hot sun, the birds in Keats’ ‘The Poetry of Earth’
a) sing from hedge to hedge
b) rest beneath some pleasant weed
c) hide themselves in cooling trees ✔
d) shrill from the stove
2. Very Short Question Answer
1. Where does the Grasshopper rest at ease in summer?
Ans. In summer the Grasshopper rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
2. he has never done with his delights …” -Whose delights are spoken of here?
Ans. The delights of the Grasshopper are spoken of here.
3. How are the birds in summer according to Keats?
Ans. According to Keats, the birds in summer are faint.
4. When does the Grasshopper fly?
Ans. The Grasshopper flies in summer.
5 “… a voice will run.”-Whose voice is referred to here? [
3. Short Question Answer
1. What does Keats present in the octave of the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. In the octave of the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’, Keats presents the voice of the Grasshopper as the music of summer.
2. Which word and expressions convey the feeling of summer in ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. Words and expressions such as ‘birds’, ‘faint’, ‘hot sun, ‘cooling trees’, ‘summer luxury, ‘tired’ etc. convey the feeling of summer.
3. What similarity do you find in the opening lines of both the octave and the sestet of ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. The opening lines of both the octave and the sestet of ‘The Poetry of Earth’ present the same idea that the poetry of earth never stops.
4. What does the voice speak of in Keats ‘The Poetry of Earth?” [
Ans. The voice speaks of the pleasures of summer and continuity of the songs of nature even on a hot summer day.
5. Why, according to the poet, is the poetry of earth never dead? Ans. According to the poet, the poetry of earth is never dead because Nature’s music can be heard through all seasons.
6. When does the Grasshopper carry the music of nature?
Ans. In summer when the birds, being faint with the hot sun, hide in cooling trees, the Grasshopper carries the music of nature.
7. Which insect carries the song of summer in Keats’ ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. In Keats’ ‘The Poetry of Earth’ the Grasshopper carries the song of summer.
8. What does the poet mean by ‘The poetry of earth is never dead’? [‘The poetry of earth is never dead’
Ans. By the statement, ‘The poetry of earth is never dead, Keats means that the music of nature never stops. [‘The poetry of earth is never dead’
9. How does the hot sun affect all the birds in Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. In Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ the hot sun makes all the birds tired and exhausted
10. Why do all the birds faint in Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. In Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ all the birds faint because of the scorching heat of the sun.
11. Where do all the birds hide in Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. In Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ all the birds hide in the cooling shade of the trees.
12. Who takes the lead in ‘summer luxury’?
Ans. The Grasshopper takes the lead in summer luxury in Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth:
13. Where does the Grasshopper rest when it tires out with fun in Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Or, Where does the Grasshopper rest at ease in summer?
Ans. In Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ the Grasshopper rests beneath some pleasant weed when it tires out with fun.
14. What does the poet mean by ‘he has never done / With his delights’? [‘He has never done / With his delights’
Ans. By the statement, ‘he has never done / With his delights, the poet means that the immense joy the Grasshopper gets from chirping merrily, would never come to an end. [‘He has never done / With his delights
15. Where will the voice of the Grasshopper run when all the birds retire to rest in Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Or, Where can the Grasshopper’s voice be heard?
Ans. In Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ the voice of the Grasshopper will run from hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead.
16. Where was the Grasshopper seen in Summer?
Ans. In summer, the Grasshopper was seen in the hedges of new-mown mead.
17. Why do the birds hide in cooling trees?
Ans. The birds hide in cooling trees because they are exhausted by the scorching heat of the summer, and so they want to take rest.
18. What does Keats present as the music of summer in the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. In the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth, Keats presents the voice of the Grasshopper as the music of summer.
4. Long Question Answer
1. “The poetry of earth is never dead”. – Where does the line occur? What does the poet mean by this?
Or, Show after Keats that the poetry of earth never comes to an end. [Shikarpur High School; Sample Questions,
Or, How does Keats show that the “poetry of earth” is never dead?
Ans. The line occurs in Keats’ poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth.
• By ‘the poetry of earth’ Keats means the music of nature. The poet mentions the song of the birds and the voice of the Grasshopper and the Cricket.
• Keats celebrates the ‘poetry of earth. • By this the poet means that songs and music of nature
will never stop. They will go on without any break. Any change in season or weather will not affect this. In summer, the song-birds, being tired in the hot sun, take shelter in cooling shade and stop singing. Even then the song of Nature is heard as the tiny Grasshopper sings merrily while moving about from hedge to hedge in the meadow. Similarly, in the midst of frosty, silent, bleak winter evening, the poetry of earth continues. The shrill cry of the Cricket breaking the silence of the winter evening reminds the drowsy man of the Grasshopper’s delightful song among the grassy hills.
2. “When all the birds are faint…”-Why are all birds faint? What do the birds do? Who takes up the role of the birds and how?
Ans. Song-birds feel exhausted and are faint owing to the scorching heat of the sun in summer.
• The birds are the natural songsters of the earth. They sing in joy and express the mood of the season. But here, the birds are exhausted by the intolerable heat of summer. So they take shelter in the cool shady trees and fall silent.
• When the birds retire to cooling shades and stop singing, the void is filled up by the Grasshopper. He sings merrily. He expresses immense joy as he moves from hedge to hedge in the freshly-mown meadow. In the absence of the song-birds, he takes the lead, luxuriating in the gaiety and abundance of the season. He becomes the bard of summer.
3. “A voice will run “-Where does the line occur? What is the ‘voice’ referred to here? When will the voice run?
Ans. The line occurs in Keats’ poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth. • The ‘voice’ referred to here is the voice of the Grasshopper.
• In summer, the hot sun threatens to sap every drop of energy. All song-birds are faint with the scorching heat of the sun. So they stop singing and take shelter in the cool shade offered by the leafy boughs of the trees. When the birds retire to cooling shade and stop singing, the void is filled up by the Grasshopper. The Grasshopper becomes the poet of summer, chirping merrily from hedge to hedge. He takes the lead, luxuriating in the gaiety and abundance of the season.
4. “… he has never done/With his delights”-Who is ‘he’? What does he do? What does the extract mean?
Ans. Here ‘he’ is the Grasshopper.
• In summer, the scorching heat of the sun makes all the song-birds exhausted. They become too tired to sing then. At this hour, the Grasshopper comes forward and sings in joy. He keeps the flow of the song of Nature alive. He expresses immense (ইমেন্স) joy, luxuriating in the gaiety of the season. He becomes the poet of the season. When he becomes tired of singing, he takes rest beneath some pleasant weed only to resume his song with renewed energy.
• The extract shows the tireless (টায়ারলেস) effort of the Grasshopper in making Nature vibrant (ভাইব্রেন্ট) with his songs. His delights never come to an end. As a result, the poetry of earth goes on forever.
5. “… he takes the lead”-Who takes the lead? When does he take the lead? How does he take the lead?
Ans. The Grasshopper takes the lead in Keats’ sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth.
• In summer, song-birds are exhausted by the intolerable
heat. They take shelter in the cool shade offered by the leafy boughs of the trees. They stop singing. So a void is created. At this moment the Grasshopper takes the lead.
• The Grasshopper takes the lead by chirping merrily from hedge to hedge. His song expresses immense joy. The sound of the Grasshopper fills the air and shows summer luxury. When he is tired, he rests beneath a pleasant weed for a moment to resume his song with renewed energy. Thus the Grasshopper takes the lead as the poet of summer and keeps the flow of the poetry of earth alive even in the scorching heat of summer.
6. “That is the Grasshopper’…”-What is referred to by ‘that’? What does the poet mean to say? Why does the poet use capital letter in Grasshopper?
Ans. Here ‘that’ refers to the song of the Grasshopper. • It is summer. All the song-birds are faint with the scorching heat of the sun. They are now exhausted. So they have stopped singing and taken shelter in the cool shade offered by the leafy boughs of the trees. When the birds retire to cooling 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. He takes the lead, luxuriating in the gaiety and abundance of the season.
• The poet personifies the Grasshopper by using capital letter. He imagines the Grasshopper to be the poet of summer.
7. “He rests at ease…”-Who is ‘he’ here? Where does he rest? How does he enliven Nature?
Ans. Here ‘he’ is the Grasshopper in the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ written by John Keats.
In the absence of the song-birds, the Grasshopper fills up the void in Nature by his song. But whenever he feels tired, he takes rest beneath some pleasant weed only to resume his song with renewed energy.
• When all the song-birds stop singing, the Grasshopper enlivens Nature by chirping merrily. He moves from hedge to hedge in the meadow singing the delightful song of summer luxury. Thus when the whole countryside seems to be tired and exhausted, the Grass- hopper brings joy and life.
8. “… when the frost/Has wrought a silence”-Wherefrom is the line taken? Who wrote it? Describe the scene the lines present in the poem.
Or, “…from the stove there shrills/The Cricket’s song”- Wherefrom is the line taken? Who is the poet? What role does the Cricket play here?
Ans. The line is taken from the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth. • The poem is written by John Keats. • Here the poet draws the picture of a lone winter evening. Keats uses the Cricket’s song, the frost, and silence to draw a picture of winter. Winter comes with its icy touch. The frost makes the winter evening silent. Nature is now bleak and desolate. At this hour, the Cricket, the tireless bard of winter, keeps the music of earth alive. The Cricket’s shrill song comes from somewhere near the stove. It breaks the icy silence of a cheerless winter evening. In such a bitterly cold evening, to a person half asleep in drowsiness, the Cricket’s song seems to be the music of the Grasshopper singing joyfully among some grassy hills on a summer day.
9. Give the substance of the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
Or, What is the theme of the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’? [The Poetry of Earth’
Or, What is the message of the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’? How does the poet convey the message? [The Poetry of Earth’
Ans. See ‘Substance of the Poem: [‘কবিতাটির সারাংশ’ দ্যাখো।]
10. What is the central idea of the poem, The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans. See ‘Central Idea of the Poem: ]
11. Write a note on the title of the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
Or, Is the title ‘The Poetry of Earth’ appropriate? Justify your answer. [
Or, Justify the title of the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
Or, What is the significance of the title ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Or, Critically analyse the title ‘The Poetry of Earth’. [‘The Poetry of Earth’
Ans. In the sonnet, ‘The Poetry of Earth, Keats develops the theme that poetry i.e. music in Nature never stops. In summer, when the song-birds are tired with the hot sun, the Grasshopper chirps merrily from hedge to hedge. Undisturbed by the scorching sun, he expresses immense joy and enlivens Nature. Thus, the Grasshopper becomes the poet of summer. Similarly, the Cricket is the poet of winter. Summer and winter represent the wonderful cycle of seasons and insects’ songs show the continuity of the poetry of the earth. Thus, in the poem, Keats reiterates his firm belief that music in Nature never comes to an end even amidst changes of seasons. Hence the title is apt (অ্যাপ্ট).
12. How does Keats present summer and winter in ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Or, ‘The Poetry of Earth’ is about ‘the continuous celebration through the cycle of seasons.’ Justify. [The Poetry of Earth’
Ans. In ‘The Poetry of Earth’ Keats has drawn a fine picture of summer in the octave and that of winter in the sestet. In summer the birds, tired with the heat of the sun, take shelter in the cool shade of the trees and stop singing. At this hour of void, the chirping of the Grasshopper fills the air. When he becomes tired, he takes rest under some pleasant weed only to resume his song with renewed energy. In a bitterly cold winter evening, the Cricket sings in shrill voice and breaks the icy silence prevailing everywhere. To a person, half-asleep in drowsiness, it seems to be the continuation of the Grashopper’s song. The song of Nature continues with the season-cycle.
13. Name the poet who meant by ‘the poetry of earth’?
Ans. John Keats, the romantic poet of beauty, composed the poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth!
The expression ‘the poetry of earth’ means the songs of nature.
• The poet perceives the poetry of earth through his senses and poetic imagination. The poet establishes continuity of the poetry of the earth through the voices of birds, the Grasshopper and the Cricket. These voices act as that of the poets of Nature. In the scorching heat of summer, the song-birds become tired. They fall silent and take shelter in cool shade. Then the Grasshopper moves from hedge to hedge in the meadow and sings to express his joy. In winter the song of the Cricket maintains the continuity of the song of Nature. To a person, half asleep in drowsiness, the song of the Cricket evokes the image of the song of the Grasshopper. Thus, Keats reads ‘the poetry of earth’ through these voices.
14. Identity the voices of poetry in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’. How does Keats establish continuity through these voices? [The Poetry of Earth
Or, How does Keats establish the continuity of music of Nature?
Ans. In the poem, ‘The poetry of Earth’, the voices of the birds, the Grasshopper and the Cricket are the voices of poetry.
• The poet establishes continuity of the poetry of the earth through these voices. These voices act as the poets of nature. In the scorching heat of summer, the
song-birds become tired. They fall silent and take shelter in cool shade. Even then the poetry of earth continues. The Grasshopper moves from hedge to hedge in the meadow and sings to express his joy. In the octave the Grasshopper is the poet of summer. In the sestet, he introduces the song of the Cricket. To a person, half asleep in drowsiness, this song evokes the image of the song of the Grasshopper. Thus Keats ilustrates his message of continuity through the voices of the Grasshopper and the Cricket.