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.
