Unit 4 -Poem-The Ant and the Cricket
A. Based on your understanding of the poem, read the following lines and answer the questions given below.
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A silly young cricket accustomed to sing Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring.
- a) The routine of the cricket was to sing through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring.
- b) The seasons mentioned here are summer and spring.
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Began to complain when he found that, at home, His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
- a) 'He' refers to the silly young cricket.
- b) His cupboard was empty because he did not lay anything by (save anything) when the weather was warm and instead "sang day and night".
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Not a crumb to be found On the snow-covered ground;
- a) He couldn’t find a crumb, a flower, or a leaf on the snow-covered ground.
- b) The ground was covered with snow because winter had come.
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At last by starvation and famine made bold, All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
- a) Starvation and famine made the cricket bold.
- b) The cricket dripped with wet and trembled with cold because of the harsh winter conditions.
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Away he set off to a miserly ant, To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant Him shelter from rain, And a mouthful of grain.
- a) The cricket wanted to meet a miserly ant to see if the ant would grant him shelter from rain and a mouthful of grain to keep him alive.
- b) Shelter from rain and a mouthful of grain would keep him alive.
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But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.
- a) The poem states that ants neither borrow nor lend as a rule or principle they follow, implying a disciplined and self-sufficient nature.
- b) These lines are said by the ant to the cricket.
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‘‘ Not I! My heart was so light That I sang day and night, For all nature looked gay.” “You sang , Sir , you say”?
- a) ‘I’ refers to the cricket.
- b) The nature of the cricket was carefree and joyful, as his "heart was so light" that he "sang day and night" enjoying nature.
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Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket, And out of the door turned the poor little cricket,
- a) The ant refused to help the cricket because the cricket had spent all summer singing and had not saved anything for the winter, while ants "never borrow; we ants never lend".
- b) The second line means that the ant quickly opened the door and made the cricket leave.
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He wished only to borrow; He’d repay it tomorrow;
- a) The rhyming words in the given lines are borrow and tomorrow.
- b) More examples of rhyming words from the poem include:
- sing, spring
- home, come
- found, ground
- see, tree, me
- bold, cold
- ant, grant
- rain, grain
- sorrow, tomorrow, borrow
- by, I
- light, night
- say, away
- wicket, cricket
- true, two
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My heart was so light that I sang day and night, For all nature looked gay. “You sang , Sir , you say”?
- a) The rhyme scheme employed in the above lines is AABB. (light, night; gay, say).
B. Based on your understanding of the poem, complete the summary using the phrases given below.
In this narrative poem, the poet brings out the idea that saving for future is essential for every creature. He conveys this message to the readers through a story of an ant and a cricket. The ant spends all its summer saving some grains. The cricket sings and dances happily in the summer. He doesn’t save anything for the winter. When winter comes, he is worried that his kitchen cupboard is empty. So, he seeks the help of the ant to have a warm place and some grains to stay. The cricket was even prepared to repay it in the future. The ant made it clear that ants never borrow or lend. He also enquired the cricket if it had saved anything when the weather was fine. The cricket answered that it had sung day and night enjoying the pleasant nature. The ant threw the cricket out and stated in a stern voice it should dance in the winter season too. In his concluding lines, the poet affirms that this is not just a fable but it is true and applicable to human beings also.
C. Answer each of the following questions in a paragraph about 100 words.
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‘Some crickets have four legs and some have two’. Elucidate this statement from the poet’s point of view.
- This statement is the concluding moral of the fable. The poet refers to literal crickets (insects) as having four legs, which are the characters in the story. However, the poet then cleverly extends the moral to human beings by stating "some have two", implying that the lesson of foresight, hard work, and planning for the future is applicable to people as well. Just as the four-legged cricket suffered due to its improvidence, humans who similarly neglect their responsibilities and live only for the present may face similar hardships when difficult times arrive. It serves as a cautionary message to avoid laziness and prepare for future needs.
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Compare and contrast the attitude of the ant and the cricket.
- The ant and the cricket represent contrasting attitudes towards life and responsibility. The cricket embodies carelessness, improvidence, and an enjoyment of the present without thought for the future. During the warm months, he "sang day and night," neglecting to store food, which led to his starvation and suffering in winter. In contrast, the ant is a symbol of diligence, foresight, and hard work. Ants are depicted as self-reliant, neither borrowing nor lending, diligently saving "some grains" during summer to prepare for the harsh winter. The cricket's attitude is one of immediate gratification and leisure, while the ant's is one of prudence and preparedness.
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If given a chance, who would you want to be- the ant or the cricket? Justify your answer.
- If given a chance, I would want to be the ant. The ant's approach to life, characterized by hard work, foresight, and self-reliance, is a valuable lesson. While the cricket enjoyed the pleasant months, its lack of planning led to starvation and sorrow. The ant, by diligently saving during the warm weather, ensured its survival and well-being during the challenging winter. This demonstrates the importance of responsibility and preparation for future uncertainties. Choosing to be like the ant means valuing discipline and prudence, which ultimately leads to security and peace of mind.
Lesson Plan: Unit 4 – Poem – The Ant and the Cricket
1. Learning Objectives The teacher expects students to learn:
- To understand the narrative and central theme of the poem, which highlights the importance of hard work and planning.
- To identify and understand the characteristics of the main characters, the ant and the cricket.
- To recognize and explain the moral lesson conveyed through the fable.
- To comprehend and interpret new vocabulary used in the poem.
- To analyze the poet's message about responsibility and foresight.
2. Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Apply the moral lesson of hard work and planning in their daily lives and decision-making.
- Compare and contrast characters based on their actions and attitudes, drawing parallels to human behavior.
- Articulate the importance of preparing for the future and the consequences of idleness.
- Use new vocabulary from the poem in their own sentences and discussions.
- Discuss and justify their views on the characters' actions with reference to the poem.
3. Introduction The teacher will introduce the poem by asking a few engaging questions related to its themes:
- "What are some common tasks animals do to prepare for winter or difficult times?"
- "Do you think it's important to save for the future, or live for today?"
- "Have you heard any stories where animals teach us a lesson about life?"
- "What do you think happens when someone spends all their time enjoying themselves without preparing for challenges?"
4. Reading and Understanding Students will read the poem "The Ant and the Cricket". The teacher will guide students to understand new words and phrases encountered in the poem, using the provided glossary:
- Accustomed to (v): Be used to
- Gay (adj.): Glad, joyful
- Crumb (n): Piece of bread
- Famine (n): Extreme scarcity of food
- Miserly (adj.): Stingy, ungenerous
- Quoth (v): Said (old English usage, used only in first and third person singular before the subject)
- Hastily (adv.): Hurriedly
- Warrant (v): Guarantee, promise
5. Mind Map A comparison table or a character analysis map can be used to illustrate the differences between the two main characters:
| Feature/Action | The Ant | The Cricket |
|---|---|---|
| Attitude | Hardworking, disciplined, prepared, miserly | Silly, pleasure-loving, unprepared, complaining |
| Actions in Summer | Spends summer saving grains for the future | Sings and dances happily day and night |
| Condition in Winter | Well-provided, able to refuse help | Starving, trembling with cold, cupboard empty |
| Motto/Belief | "We ants never borrow; we ants never lend." | "My heart was so light / That I sang day and night" |
| Life Lesson | Importance of foresight and labor | Consequence of idleness and lack of preparation |
6. Consolidation and Presentation The teacher will consolidate the understanding of the poem by presenting a summary: "This narrative poem, adapted from Aesop’s fables, brings out the idea that saving for the future is essential for every creature. The story contrasts an ant and a cricket. The ant spends all its summer saving food, while the cricket sings and dances happily, failing to save anything for the winter. When winter arrives, the cricket finds his cupboard empty and is worried. He seeks help from the ant, asking for food and shelter, even promising to repay it. However, the ant makes it clear that ants neither borrow nor lend. The ant questions what the cricket did during the warmer weather, and the cricket admits he sang and enjoyed nature. The ant then dismisses the cricket, telling him to 'dance the winter away'. The poet concludes by affirming that this is not just a fable but a truth applicable to human beings also, implying that some humans, like the cricket, fail to prepare for the future."
7. Reinforcement
- Discuss the concept of a fable: Explain that a fable is a traditional story that teaches a moral lesson, usually featuring animals as characters. Mention that this poem is adapted from Aesop's Fables, and provide a brief context about Aesop.
- Connect to real-life proverbs: Discuss proverbs or sayings that reflect the poem's moral, such as "A stitch in time saves nine" or "Make hay while the sun shines."
- Historical context of the ant as a symbol: Briefly mention how ants are often depicted in literature as symbols of diligence and hard work.
8. Evaluation The teacher will ask the following questions to assess student understanding:
- a) Lower Order Thinking Question: "What was the young cricket accustomed to do during the warm, sunny months?"
- b) Middle Order Thinking Question: "Why did the cricket's cupboard become empty when winter arrived?"
- c) Higher Order Thinking Question: "Compare and contrast the attitude and actions of the ant and the cricket. If you were in a similar situation to the cricket, how would you have prepared differently based on the lesson learned from the poem?"
9. Remedial Teaching For slow learners, the teacher will:
- Provide a simplified summary of the poem in bullet points.
- Use visual aids (e.g., drawings of the ant and cricket, scenes from the poem).
- Focus on key vocabulary through flashcards and repeated pronunciation.
- Encourage peer tutoring, pairing slow learners with students who have a strong understanding.
- Break down the poem into smaller stanzas for line-by-line interpretation.
10. Writing Students will be asked to write a paragraph (about 100 words) on one of the following topics, drawing on their understanding of the poem:
- "Describe the journey of life as depicted in 'The Ant and the Cricket,' focusing on the importance of preparation." (Adapted from a similar exercise for another poem).
- "Explain what kind of behavior the poet wants the readers to possess, with reference to the poem 'The Ant and the Cricket'." (Adapted from a similar exercise for another poem).
- "If you were the cricket, what would you say to the ant to convince him to help you, and how would you promise to change your ways?"
11. Follow Up
- Homework/Assignment: "Write a short paragraph explaining the meaning of the poet's concluding lines: 'Some crickets have four legs, and some have two,' and how this applies to human beings."
- Activity: Students can create a poster illustrating the moral of the poem with drawings and short slogans (e.g., "Work today, enjoy tomorrow!").
- Discussion: In groups, discuss modern-day examples of "ants" and "crickets" in society.
