Wasn't "On the Grasshopper and the Cricket" a product of a contest?
Yes, I read that Leigh Hunt suggested the contest and that they each had 15 minutes. Supposedly, Hunt conceded defeat immediately upon reading Keats' poem.
This is Hunt's sonnet:
"Green little vaulter in the sunny grass,
Catching your heart up at the feel of June,
Sole voice that's heard amidst the lazy noon,
When even the bees lag at the summoning brass,
And you, warm little housekeeper, who class
With those who think the candles come too soon,
Loving the fire, and with your tricksome tune
Nick the glad silent moments as they pass;
Oh sweet and tiny cousins, that belong,
One to the fields, the other to the hearth,
Both have your sunshine; both, though small, are strong
At your clear hearts; and both seem given to earth
To ring in thoughtful ears this natural song --
In doors and out, summer and winter, mirth."
In my opinion, Hunt was much too gracious. I think his take is even better!