John keats

1
John keats
2
Background of John Keats

• Born in England in 1795 and died of tuberculosis
  when he was 25 but he had written lots of poetry
  at that age.
• During his time his poems were not appreciated by
  the critics
• The poem is a clear allusion to the tale of the
  ant and the grasshopper and is in the Petrarchan
  form with an octave and a sestet.

3
Background of keats

• The poem was written in response to a sort of
  competition between himself and his great friend
  Leigh Hunt as to who could write the best verse
  in the shortest time.
• It is a parallel to Aesops fable The ant and
  the grasshopper.

4
The ant and the grasshopper

• In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was
  hopping about, chirping and singing to its
  heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along
  with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to
  the nest.
• "Why not come and chat with me," said the
  Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in
  that way?"
• "I am helping to lay up food for the winter,"
  said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
  
• "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper
  we have got plenty of food at present." But the
  Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When
  the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and
  found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the
  ants distributing every day corn and grain from
  the stores they had collected in the summer. Then
  the Grasshopper knew
• It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

5
On the Grasshopper and the CricketBy John Keats

• The poetry of earth is never dead When all
  the birds are faint with the hot sun, And
  hide in cooling trees, a voice will run From
  hedge to hedge about the new-mown meadThat is
  the Grasshopper's-he takes the lead In
  summer luxury,-he has never done With his
  delights for when tired out with fun He rests
  at ease beneath some pleasant weed.The poetry of
  earth is ceasing never On a lone winter
  evening, when the frost Has wrought
  a silence, from the stove there shrills The
  Cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever,
  And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,
  The Grasshopper's among some grassy hills.

6
Stanza 1

• The poetry of earth is never dead When all
  the birds are faint with the hot sun, And
  hide in cooling trees, a voice will run From
  hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead

Stanza 1 establishes the setting for the poem,
its summer and everything is very much alive.
The grasshopper is enjoying himself.
7
Stanza 2

• That is the Grasshopper's-he takes the lead
  In summer luxury,-he has never done With
  his delights for when tired out with fun He
  rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.

Part 2 introduces the grasshopper and establishes
an easy going mood
8
Stanza 3

• The poetry of earth is ceasing never On a
  lone winter evening, when the frost
  Has wrought a silence, from the stove there
  shrills The Cricket's song, in warmth increasing
  ever, And seems to one in drowsiness half
  lost, The Grasshopper's among some
  grassy hills.

Nature is shown in its full force
9
Morale

• Through the grasshopper and the cricket John
  Keats shows the repercussions of ones actions
• It also teaches that nature is a force which one
  must take into account and never take it lightly.
• Throughout the poem nature can be seen to be
  compared to God.

10
Themes

• The eternity of nature parallels that of the
  everlasting effect of poetry.
• The poetry and beauty of nature
• Reward and punishment

11
Essay Questions

• Which parts of The Flower Fed Buffaloes and the
  Grasshopper and the Cricket are particularly
  vivid for you in their portrayal of Nature?
• Essay plan Point, Proof, pertinence