by John Keats (1795 - 1821)
The poetry of earth is never dead
Language: English
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.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by John Keats (1795 - 1821), "On the grasshopper and cricket", written 1816 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gregg Smith (b. 1931), "The grasshopper and cricket", published c1975 [unison treble chorus and piano (with optional instruments)], from Songs of Innocence, no. 2, NY : G. Schirmer [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-24
Line count: 14
Word count: 111