What is the backdrop of the poem The Ant and the Cricket
Answers
Answer:
Background
The poem is about a careless cricket and a hardworking ant. We all know that ants are hardworking creatures. The cricket, on the other hand, was a lazy being that just sang day and night and made no efforts to plan for the future. What happens when the winter arrives? What does he find? Where does he go? Let’s see!
Explanation:Paraphrase( NOT IMPORTANT I JUST WROTE FOR UR UNDERSTANDING)_
Stanza 1 – There was a cricket who loved to sing. The poet calls him young and silly because he sang all summer and spring with no worries in the world. He began to complain as the winter arrived. He found that his cupboard was empty and he had no food to eat. Neither a leaf, nor a flower could he find. Everything was covered under the snow. The cricket cried as he imagined his bad situation.
[Note:- This poem is a fable. A fable has animal characters. The insect cricket, as we all know, has this nature of singing.]
Stanza 2 – Finally, out of hunger and starvation, being all wet and cold, the cricket set off to the house of a miserly ant. He wanted to know if the ant would lend him a mouthful of grain and a shelter from the rain. He promised himself that he would repay the ant. He knew that if he didn’t do this, he would die of hunger and pain.
Stanza 3 – The ant said to the cricket that he is his servant and friend but they neither borrow nor lend. He asked the cricket if he did not store a single grain of food when the weather was warm. The cricket carelessly replies that he sang day and night as his heart was light and happy; he did not store any food. The ant told him to go and dance the winter away.
[Note:- The cricket is foolish enough not to realize his mistake till the end. The ant’s behavior can be called both- good or bad. Each reader has his/her own opinion.]
Stanza 4 – Thus ending the conversation, the ant quickly closed the door and turned the poor little cricket out of the house. People call this a fable, but, the poet says that he assures it is true that some crickets have four legs and some crickets have two.
[Note:- Students must know that the insect cricket has four legs. Then why does the poet say that some crickets have two legs? The poet is comparing the lazy crickets to the two-legged creatures – the human beings. The poet wants to suggest that this story is not entirely a fable; rather, it is related to the real world. Some people are as careless and lazy as the cricket is in this poem. Just like the cricket, some humans also don’t plan out for the future or for the bad times. They just enjoy the present moment. The poet is thus calling such people as mindless as the cricket.]
Theme
Hard work versus laziness- Through the story of the lazy cricket and the hardworking ant, the poet teaches us the virtue of hard work. The cricket was foolish enough not to see the future. He made no plans or provisions for the future. He lived in the present moment. The ant, on the other hand, was wise and hardworking. She worked hard so that she could enjoy the future. The poet wants us to learn an important lesson in life. One must always save for the future. One should not be foolish enough to just enjoy the present moment. ‘As you sow, so shall you reap.’ is a popular proverb that fits this story. We must be foresighted enough to see our future and make plans accordingly.