Class 8 English Notes Chapter 8 (A Short Monsoon Diary ; On the Grasshopper and Cricket) – Honeydew Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 8 from your Honeydew textbook. This chapter combines a prose piece, 'A Short Monsoon Diary', with a poem, 'On the Grasshopper and Cricket'. Both celebrate nature, but in different ways. Pay close attention, as these notes will be helpful for your exam preparation.

Chapter 8: A Short Monsoon Diary & On the Grasshopper and Cricket

Part 1: A Short Monsoon Diary

• Author: Ruskin Bond (A renowned Indian author of British descent, known for his stories set in the hills of North India, particularly Mussoorie. His writing often reflects his deep connection with nature.)
• Genre: Diary Entry (Extracts from a personal diary)
• Setting: Mussoorie, a hill station in the Himalayas, during the monsoon season and extending into winter.
• Theme: The beauty, changes, and life brought by the monsoon in the hills; the author's observations of nature (flora and fauna); the cycle of seasons.

Summary and Key Observations (Based on Diary Dates):

1. June 24:
   • Marks the arrival of the monsoon mist.
   • The mist brings concealment and an eerie silence, making birds fall silent.
   • The author hears Bijju calling to his sister but cannot see him due to the thick mist. The hills are hidden.
2. June 25:
   • Arrival of early monsoon rain – described as "warm and humid," unlike the cold winter rain.
   • Flowers begin to appear, notably the first cobra lily rearing its head from the ferns.
   • The author describes the rain as a welcome event, not something to keep one indoors.
3. June 27:
   • The rains bring certain visitors – leeches appear. The author recounts a personal encounter.
   • Other creatures also emerge: Leopards (one attacks a dog near the servants' quarter), and colourful birds like the scarlet minivets (female is yellow) flitting through the leaves like "brilliant jewels." Drongos also appear.
   • Despite the inconvenience (leeches), the arrival of these creatures signifies the vibrancy of the monsoon season. The cobra lily gets visited by insects.
4. August 2:
   • Describes continuous, heavy overnight rain drumming on the corrugated tin roof.
   • The author experiences a feeling of being "untouched by, and yet in touch with the rain" – a sense of being safe inside while connected to the natural phenomenon outside.
5. August 3:
   • The rain stops, clouds break up, and the sun appears.
   • Life resumes: Birds sing (a whistling thrush fills the valley with its song), and people emerge. Nature looks washed and refreshed.
6. August 12:
   • Describes a period of endless rain and permanent mist for over a week.
   • Everything is damp and soggy. One cannot go out.
   • The author observes the lush monsoon growth (ferns, creepers) from his window. He notes the beauty even in confinement.
7. August 31:
   • The peak of monsoon growth is visible. The lush green foliage is at its height.
   • The seeds of the cobra lily are turning red, which signifies that the monsoon is nearing its end and the ferns will soon turn yellow.
8. October 3:
   • Transition from monsoon to winter rain, marked by snow (hailstones) at higher altitudes.
   • Nature appears clean and beautiful after the rain. Flowers like wild balsam, dahlias, begonias, and ground orchids are still blooming.
9. January 26:
   • Describes winter rain in the hills. The author reflects on his feeling of loneliness and quietness inside the house.
   • He sits by the window observing the rain and feels a connection ("liquid silence") with the quiet nature outside, contrasting with the vibrant life of the monsoon.

Key Points for Exams:

• Understand the chronological progression of the seasons as described in the diary (Monsoon arrival -> Peak monsoon -> End of monsoon -> Winter rain).
• Note the specific details observed by the author – the mist, types of rain, specific plants (cobra lily, ferns, dahlias), animals (leeches, leopard, minivets, drongo, langurs), and sounds (Bijju's call, rain on the roof, whistling thrush).
• Recognize the author's feelings and reflections – his connection with nature, feelings of confinement, loneliness, and appreciation for beauty in different seasons.
• The diary format allows for personal, immediate observations.
• Vocabulary: Be familiar with words like mist, concealment, humid, leeches, scarlet minivets, drongo, corrugated, soggy, hellebore.

Part 2: On the Grasshopper and Cricket

• Poet: John Keats (A prominent English Romantic poet, known for his sensual imagery and exploration of beauty and transience).
• Genre: Sonnet (A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme. This one follows the Petrarchan pattern, broadly divided into an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines)).
• Theme: The continuity of nature's music or "poetry" throughout the year, irrespective of the season. Nature is never silent.

Summary and Explanation:

• The Central Idea: The poem asserts that the "poetry of earth" (the music and sounds of nature) never stops ("is never dead," "ceasing never").
• Summer (Octave - lines 1-8):
  • During extreme summer heat, birds often stop singing and rest in shady trees ("cooling trees").
  • Even then, nature's voice continues through the Grasshopper.
  • The Grasshopper flies about ("runs from hedge to hedge"), enjoys the summer luxury ("he has never done / With his delights"), and rests comfortably ("at ease beneath some pleasant weed") when tired. Its song fills the silence left by the birds.
• Winter (Sestet - lines 9-14):
  • During the harsh, lonely winter, frost creates silence ("frost / Has wrought a silence").
  • Even in this silence, nature's poetry continues through the Cricket's song.
  • The Cricket chirps from near the stove, providing warmth and cheerfulness ("in warmth increasing ever").
  • Its song might sound, to someone half-asleep ("in drowsiness half lost"), like the Grasshopper's song among the grassy hills of summer, linking the two seasons through nature's persistent music.

Key Points for Exams:

• Main message: Nature's music is perpetual and finds expression through different creatures in different seasons.
• Symbolism:
  • Grasshopper: Represents the poetry/music of Earth during Summer.
  • Cricket: Represents the poetry/music of Earth during Winter.
• Contrast: The poem contrasts the heat of summer with the cold and silence of winter, yet shows the underlying unity through continuous natural sounds.
• Structure: Recognize it as a sonnet. The first 8 lines (octave) describe summer/grasshopper, and the next 6 lines (sestet) describe winter/cricket.
• Key Phrases: "The poetry of earth is never dead," "The poetry of earth is ceasing never," "When all the birds are faint with the hot sun," "the frost / Has wrought a silence."
• Vocabulary: Cease, faint, hedge, wrought, shrills, drowsiness.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. In 'A Short Monsoon Diary', what signifies that the monsoon is coming to an end?
   a) The arrival of leeches
   b) The appearance of the cobra lily
   c) The seeds of the cobra lily turning red
   d) Heavy overnight rain

2. According to Ruskin Bond's diary, the monsoon mist primarily brings a feeling of:
   a) Joy and celebration
   b) Warmth and humidity
   c) Concealment and silence
   d) Colour and vibrancy

3. Which creature's song does the author specifically mention hearing after the rain stops on August 3rd?
   a) Drongo
   b) Scarlet Minivet
   c) Whistling Thrush
   d) Cricket

4. What is the setting for Ruskin Bond's 'A Short Monsoon Diary'?
   a) Shimla
   b) Mussoorie
   c) Darjeeling
   d) Ooty

5. In the poem 'On the Grasshopper and Cricket', what causes the birds to stop singing in summer?
   a) The rain
   b) The cold wind
   c) The hot sun
   d) The presence of the Grasshopper

6. Who is the poet of 'On the Grasshopper and Cricket'?
   a) Ruskin Bond
   b) William Wordsworth
   c) John Keats
   d) Robert Frost

7. According to Keats' poem, which insect carries on nature's music in winter?
   a) The Grasshopper
   b) The Beetle
   c) The Cricket
   d) The Ant

8. What does the phrase "The poetry of earth" refer to in the poem?
   a) Poems written about nature
   b) The beauty of the landscape
   c) The sounds and music of nature
   d) The changing colours of the seasons

9. In the poem, where does the Cricket sing its song from during winter?
   a) From beneath a pleasant weed
   b) From the cooling trees
   c) From near the stove
   d) From the grassy hills

10. What common theme connects 'A Short Monsoon Diary' and 'On the Grasshopper and Cricket'?
    a) The difficulties faced during extreme weather
    b) The observation and appreciation of nature's continuity and cycles
    c) The loneliness felt by the authors/poets
    d) The description of various insects

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) The seeds of the cobra lily turning red
2. c) Concealment and silence
3. c) Whistling Thrush
4. b) Mussoorie
5. c) The hot sun
6. c) John Keats
7. c) The Cricket
8. c) The sounds and music of nature
9. c) From near the stove
10. b) The observation and appreciation of nature's continuity and cycles

Study these notes carefully. Understand the details, the authors' perspectives, and the central themes. Good luck with your preparation!