But perhaps you do not know that Tennyson in his youth took up the subject and made a long poem upon the grasshopper, but suppressed it after the edition of 1842.

He did not think it good enough to rank with his other work.

But a few months ago the poems which Tennyson suppressed in the final edition of his works have been published and carefully edited by an eminent scholar, and among these poems we find "The Grasshopper." I will quote some of this poem, because it is beautiful, and because the fact of its suppression will serve to show you how very exact and careful Tennyson was to preserve only the very best things that he wrote.
Voice of the summer wind, Joy of the summer plain, Life of the summer hours, Carol clearly, bound along, No Tithon thou as poets feign (Shame fall 'em, they are deaf and blind), But an insect lithe and strong Bowing the seeded summer flowers.
Prove their falsehood and thy quarrel, Vaulting on thine airy feet Clap thy shielded sides and carol, Carol clearly, chirrups sweet.
Thou art a mailed warrior in youth and strength complete; Armed cap-a-pie, Full fair to see; Unknowing fear, Undreading loss, A gallant cavalier, _Sans peur et sans reproche_.
In sunlight and in shadow, The Bayard of the meadow.
The reference to Tithonus is a reference of course to a subject afterwards beautifully elaborated in another poem by Tennyson, the great poem of "Tithonus." The Bayard here referred to was the great French model of perfect chivalry, and is sometimes called the last of the feudal knights.
He was said to be without fear and without blame.

You may remember that he was killed by a ball from a gun--it was soon after the use of artillery in war had been introduced; and his dying words were to the effect that he feared there was now an end of great deeds, because men had begun to fight from a distance with machines instead of fighting in the old knightly and noble way with sword and spear.

The grasshopper, covered with green plates and bearing so many little sharp spines upon its long limbs, seems to have suggested to Tennyson the idea of a fairy knight in green armour.
As I said before, England is poor in singing insects, while America is rich in them--almost, perhaps, as rich as Japan, although you will not find as many different kinds of singing insects in any one state or district.