Direction : Read the following poem and answer the question given below :

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,

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.

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.

Who provides the music in the "Winter Evening" ?

Question

Direction : Read the following poem and answer the question given below :

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,

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.

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.

Who provides the music in the "Winter Evening" ?

Accepted Answer

In the poem, the question asks who provides the music in the "Winter Evening." The correct answer is Option 3: The Cricket. Here's a detailed explanation justifying why this is the correct choice:

1. **Explanation for Option 3 (The Cricket):**
   - The poem explicitly mentions that during a "lone winter evening," when the frost has created silence, the sound that fills the air is the "Cricket's song." This indicates that the cricket is the source of music during the winter evening. The poem describes how the cricket's song comes from the stove, providing warmth and a sense of continuity in the poetry of earth, even in the cold winter months. This direct reference to the cricket's song in the context of a winter evening clearly supports Option 3 as the correct answer.

2. **Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**
   - **Option 1 (The Grassy Hills):** The poem does not mention the grassy hills as a source of music during the winter evening. Instead, the grassy hills are associated with the grasshopper in the summer, not the winter. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
   - **Option 2 (The Trees):** While trees are mentioned as a place where birds hide during the hot sun, they are not described as providing music in the winter evening. The poem does not attribute any musical quality to the trees in the context of winter, making this option incorrect.
   - **Option 4 (The Grasshopper):** The grasshopper is associated with summer, as described in the poem, where it enjoys the summer luxury and provides music during the hot months. However, in the winter evening, the grasshopper is not mentioned as a source of music. Instead, the cricket takes over this role, making Option 4 incorrect for the winter context.

In conclusion, the poem clearly identifies the cricket as the provider of music during the winter evening, which justifies why Option 3 is the correct answer.