9th Std ON KILLING A TREE

ON KILLING A TREE 

COMPREHENSION 

STANZA1                                                                  

It takes much time to kill a tree,

Not a simple jab of the knife

Will do it. it has grown

Slowly consuming the earth,

 Rising out of it, feeding

Upon its crust, absorbing

Years of sunlight, air, water,

 And out of its leprous hide

Sprouting leaves.

Questions :

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

(b) Can we kill a tree just with a simple jab of the knife?

(c) How does a tree grow up?

(d) What does it absorb for years?

(e) What does a tree symbolize in this poem?

Answers :

(a) The name of the poem is ‘On killing A Tree’ and the name of the poet is `Gieve Patel’.

(b) No, we can’t kill a tree just with a simple jab of the knife.

(c) A tree grows up consuming the earth.

(d) It absorbs sunlight, air and water.

(e) It symbolizes a deep-rooted evil.

STANZA 2

So hack and chop

But this alone won’t does it.

Not so much pain will do it.

The bleeding bark will heal

And front close to the ground

Will rise curled green twigs,

 Miniature boughs

Which if unchecked will expand again

 To former size.

 Questions :

 (a) How should we kill a tree?

(b) That alone can’t kill a tree?

(c) What will happen to Its bleeding skin?

(d) What rises from dose to the ground?

(e) What is the meaning of ‘miniature boughs’?

Answers :

(a) We should kill a tree by hacking and chopping it.

(b) lacking and chopping alone can’t kill a tree.

(c) It’s bleeding skin will heal very soon.

(d) Small green twigs rise from close to the ground.

(e) ‘Miniature boughs’ means small branches.

STANZA 3

No,

The root is to be pulled out-

Out of the anchoring earth;

It is to be roped, tied,

And pulled out-snapped out

 Or pulled out entirely,

Questions :

(a) What should we do to kill a tree entirely?

(b) What is the main anchor of the trees?

(c) Where does the strength of a tree lie?

(d) What should we do to its roots?

(e) Name the poem and the poet

 Answers :

(a) To kill a tree entirely we should pull out its root from the earth.

(b) The earth is the main anchor of the trees.

(c) The strength of a tree lies in its roots.

(d) The roots should be snapped and taken out of the earth

(e) The name of the poem is ‘On Killing A Tree’ and the name of the poet is ‘Cleve Patel’.

STANZA 4

Out from the earth-cave,

And the strength of the tree exposed

The source, white and wet,

The most sensitive, hidden

For years inside the earth.

Questions :

(a) What is taken out of the earth’s cave?

(b) What Is the source of the strength of a tree?

(c) Where does the root remain hidden for years?

(d) Name the most sensitive part of the tree.

 (e) How is the strength of the tree exposed?

Answers

(a) The root of a tree is taken out of the cave.

(b) Root is the source of the strength of a tree.

(c) Under the earth.

(d) The most sensitive part of the tree is its ‘root’.

 (e) The strength of a tree is exposed by Pulling out its root.

STANZA 5

Then the matter

Of scorching and choking

In sun and air,

Browning, hardening,

Twisting, withering,

 And then it is done.

Questions :

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

(b) What is scorching done by?

 (c) What is chocking done by?

(d) ‘And then it is done’. What is done?

 (e) In this poem what is a symbol of a tree?

 Answers :

(a) The name of the poem is ‘On Killing A Tree’ and the name of the poet is Gieve Patel’.

(b) Scorching is done by the heat of the sun.

(c) Chocking is done by the absence of the air.

(d) A tree is put to an end forever.

(e) In this poem the tree is a symbol of deep-rooted evil.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1.Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?

Ans:- simple jab of a knife can certainly not kill a tree. It can merely injure it and cause its sap to ooze out like blood. The real life of a tree comes from the roots that provide it nourishment and firmly hold it.

Q2.How has the tree grown to its full size? List words suggestive of its life and activity.

Ans:- The tree has grown to its full size gradually. It has grown by slowly consuming the earth. It has risen out of the earth and has fed upon its crust. It has also absorbed light, air and water for years. Leaves have sprouted out of its discoloured bark.

Q3.In the phrase ‘consuming the earth’, who consumes the earth and how?

Ans:- It is the tree that consumes the earth by drawing its nourishment from the soil through its root. The diet required by the tree lies deep inside the earth and the root sucks and absorbs nutrients and nourishes the tree.

Q4. What is meant by ‘years of sunlight, air and water’?

Ans:-Years of sunlight, air and water means that the tree takes years together to grow up fully. In this course of time, it draws energy from sunlight, air and water.

Q5.Why has the tree’s ‘hide’ been called leprous?

Ans:-The bark of the tree is uneven in texture and colour. Leprosy also robs the skin of the leper of its colour and evenness. Hence, the poet has drawn a metaphorical comparison between the discoloured bark of a tree and the diseased skin.

Q6. What is the role of hacking and chopping in killing a tree?

Ans:- Hacking and chopping wound the body of a tree causing it great pain. They peal the bark of the tree and it appears to be bleeding when the sap oozes out. However, this pain or bleeding does not manage to kill the tree.

Q7.What is the meaning of ‘bleeding bark’? What makes it bleed?

Ans:-The ‘bleeding bark stands for the sap oozing out of the tree trunk when it is attacked with a knife or an axe. The word ‘bleeding’ is metaphorically used to compare the sap to the blood from a wound of a human being. It signifies the pain of the tree.

Q8.What will rise from ‘close to the ground’? Why?

Ans:-Curled green twigs and miniature boughs will rise from the stump of the tree that is close to the ground. They will rise because the tree rejuvenates and revives itself as long as its root is intact.

Q9.’What will happen if the miniature boughs are left ‘unchecked’?

Ans:-‘Unchecked’ here means left free to grow without any harm or danger. If left ‘unchecked’, the new, green, delicate branches from the stump of a tree will expand and regain their original size.

Q 10. “No, The root is to be pulled out.” Why has the poet started this stanza with “No”? Or The poet says “No” at the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?

Ans:-The poet uses ‘No’ to emphasize the fact that merely hacking and chopping are not sufficient for killing a tree. They can injure it, make it bleed, and cause pain. But killing a tree requires more ruthlessness and much more effort.

 Q 11. What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?

 Ans:- “Anchoring earth” means the earth which gives a firm grip to the tree and keeps it from falling. Just as a ship anchored in the sea stays in its place securely and steadily, similarly the tree stands secure and stable with the support of the earth. “Earth cave” refers to the depth under the earth where the root of a tree remains sheltered safely for years. It is firmly attached to this point and a cave-like hollow is created when the root is pulled out.

 Q12. How is the root of the tree to be pulled out? What is the result of this pulling?

Ans:-The root of the tree is to be tied to a rope and pulled out with a great force. This pulling results in creating a cave-like hollow in the earth and exposes the root to the vagaries of weather that eventually cause the death of the tree.

Q13.What does the poet mean by The strength of the tree exposed”?

Ans:-The expression ‘the strength of the tree exposed’ means the root of the tree is pulled out of the earth and thrown open at the mercy of harsh weather. Root is the source of tree’s power. Once exposed to the scorching and choking sun and air, it withers away and the tree finally dies.

Q14.What is ‘the most sensitive’ part of the tree? What is it sensitive to and why?

Ans:- The root of the tree is its most sensitive part. It is sensitive to the heat and vagaries of weather on the open surface of the earth. It is so because it remains hidden safely under the earth.

Q15. How is the exposed root affected by the sun and air?

Ans:-Sun and air start drawing life out of the exposed root. It becomes discoloured, dry and hard. It starts withering and becomes gnarled and twisted. Devoid of all its moisture, it gradually becomes lifeless and the process of killing the tree is completed.

 Q16. What finally kills the tree?

 Ans:-The withering of the pulled out root finally kills the tree. The root of a tree is the source of its strength. Once it is pulled out, it can no longer nurture the tree. The root is sensitive to sunlight and air. Once exposed, it gets dehydrated, brown and twisted. Ultimately it dries up and the tree yields to death.

Q17. What message is conveyed by this poem?

Ans:-The poem conveys the message that human beings have destructive temperament towards nature, but Mother nature has regenerative powers and cannot be destroyed easily. It has the ability to resurrect itself. Also, the tree teaches us that mere physical assaults cannot ruin us. As long as our root, our soul, is intact we can rise again.