A. *Memorize the first two stanzas of the poem.
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
leperous hide
Sprouting
leaves.
So hack and
chop
But this alone
wont do it.
Not so much
pain will do it.
The bleeding
bark will heal
And from close
to the ground
Will rise curled
green twigs,
Miniature
boughs
Which if
unchecked will expand again
To former size.
B. Read the following lines from the poem and answer the
questions in a sentence or two.
1.
It takes much time to kill a
tree,
Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it.
i. Can
a ‘simple jab of the knife’ kill a tree?
No, a simple jab of the knife
cannot kill a tree.
ii. Why
does it take much time to kill a tree?
Because the tree is very
strong and its root is deep in the earth.
2. It has grown
Slowly consuming the earth,
Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
i. How
has the tree grown?
The tree has grown slowly.
ii. What
does the tree feed from the crust?
The tree feeds water from
the crust.
3. And out of its
leprous hide
Sprouting leaves.
i. What
does the phrase ‘leprous hide’ mean?
'Leperous hide' means the
bark of the tree. It has rough skin with scales.
ii. What
comes out of the leprous hide?
Tiny leaves comes out of
the leperous hide.
4.The bleeding bark will heal
And from close to the ground
Will rise curled green twigs,
Miniature boughs
i. What
will happen to the bleeding bark?
The bleeding bark will
heal.
ii. What
will rise from close to the ground?
The curled green twigs will
rise from close to the ground.
5. The root is to
be pulled out –
Out of the anchoring earth;
i. Why
should the root be pulled out?
The root should be pulled
out to dry it and kill the tree.
ii. What
does ‘anchoring earth’ mean?
'Anchoring earth' means
fixing the tree firmly inside the earth (like a ship in the sea).
C. Based
on the understanding of the poem,
write down the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks.
The poet explains the process of killing a tree. A
lot of work has to be done in order to kill it completely. It cannot be
accomplished by merely cutting it with knife. The tree has grown strong
with the help of the earth, sunlight, water for countless years. Even the branch of the
tree gives rise to boughs. The bough sprouts new twigs and leaves.
In a short period, they grow into a new tree. So, to kill a tree completely,
one should take out its roots completely from the soil. Then they should be
exposed to the sun and air. Only then the tree will be completely killed.
D. Based on the understanding of the poem, answer the
following questions in a sentence or two.
1. What
is the poem about?
Answer:
The poem is about the killing of a tree.
2. What
are the lessons to be learnt from the poem?
Answer: We
must grow trees and protect them. We must not kill the trees. We must be
eco-friendly.
3. What
are the life sources needed for a tree to grow?
Answer:
The sources needed for a tree to grow are the earth, the sunlight, the air and
water.
4. What
does the poet mean by ‘bleeding bark’?
Answer: By
bleeding bark, the poet means that the bark bleeds when it is cut with a knife.
5. Why
does the poet say ‘No’ in the beginning of the third stanza?
Answer: It
is not so easy to kill a tree. The root must be pulled out. Thus the poet say
'No' to all the wood cutter.
6. How
should the root be pulled out?
Answer:
The root should be roped, tied and pulled out of the anchoring earth.
7. What
is hidden inside the earth for years?
Answer:
The roots are hidden inside the earth for years.
8. What
finally happens to the tree in this poem?
Answer:
The tree is totally exposed to the sunlight and air. Thus it is killed
completely.
E. Answer the following questions in about 80-100 words.
1. How
does the poet bring out the pain of the tree?
Title : On killing a tree
Poet : Dr. Gieve Patel
Character : Tree, wood cutter
Theme : "Thou shall not kill" (even a tree)
The poet compares the killing of a tree with the killing of a
man. The poet imagines the feeling of the pain by the tree. A tree has life and
it is sensitive. A sharp knife must give some severe pain to the tree. It is
hard to cut. The bark of the tree bleeds when the cut is deep. The tree endures
pain but still it has life. The root of the tree is like the heart of man. A
man dies only when the heart is damaged. Like wise a tree struggles to hold its
life until it is uprooted. The root has anchored in the earth and stands
straight and firm on the earth. The tree undergoes all unspeakable pain when it
is felled. Though it does not cry but mankind may try to feel and be kind to
it.
“Killing a tree is
like killing a man”
2. ‘A
tree doesn’t grow in a day.’ Explain it with reference to the poem.
Title : On killing a tree
Poet : Dr. Gieve Patel
Character : Tree, wood cutter
Theme : "Thou shall not kill" (even a tree)
Trees are the bigger plants. They live long. The trees have a
long span of life. Any plant that grows over night may not live long. The trees
with lower density grow faster than the trees with greater density. Insects
cannot easily damage the latter ones. Some trees are slow growers which take
20-30 years. Some are fast growers and they take 10-15 years. As the saying
goes, "It's worth, the wait", they do eventually. Trees grow slowly
but steadily. Their roots go very deep anchoring the earth. The trunk of it is
very strong with many branches and leaves. Their uses are many but many fail to
know. Certain trees take a few decades to grow. Thus it is clear that a tree
cannot grow in a day.
“Rome was not built
in a day”
3. Why
do you think the poet describes the act of cutting a tree? What effect does it
have on you as a reader?
Title : On killing a tree
Poet : Dr. Gieve Patel
Character : Tree, wood cutter
Theme : "Thou shall not kill" (even a tree)
The killing of a tree is a cruel act. The poet has made us
realise that felling of a tree is killing it. The word "Killing" is
very effectively and earnestly used in the poem. A man dies when the heart is
affected. Similarly a tree becomes lifeless when its root is removed from the
earth. The root of a tree is compared to the heart of a man. The poem teaches a
lesson to the readers that we must be kind towards any living thing, either a
tree or man. Killing a tree means killing a human being. Thus it is clear that
the poet wants the readers to be kind to living things. As readers we must feel
the pain for killing the tree.
“Let us not fell
the trees before they fall”
COMMON PARAGRAPH
PARAGRAPH FOR
TOPPERS:
Synopsis:
• Introduction
• Killing is not easy
• Cut tree grows
• Strong tree
• Death of the tree
• Conclusion
Introduction:
"On killing a tree" describes the difficulty of
cutting down a tree. The poet writes about nature, strong and life time of the
tree.
Killing is not
easy:
The poet tells us that killing a tree is not easy. It takes
time. It takes in years of sunlight, water and air. The tree has many branches
and the leaves are lengthy.
Cut tree it grows:
The part of the tree is wounded. It will heal. New branches will
grow again. New barks are fresh and grow gradually.
The root:
The root is the source of tree. The root is hidden in the earth.
The root is sensitive. If the root is wet and white, the tree becomes weak.
Death of the tree:
The tree is exposed to sunlight and air. The root becomes dry
and hardened. Then finally the tree is dead.
Conclusion:
The poet brings the focussing of destruction of trees and
deforestation. The poet draws our attention to "No trees, No life".
PARAGRAPH FOR
AVERAGE STUDENTS:
The poet tell us that killing a tree is not easy. It takes time.
It takes in year of sunlight, water and air. The trees has many branches and
the leaves are lengthy. The part of the tree is wounded. New branches will grow
again. The root is the source of tree. The root is hidden in the earth. The
root is dry, the tree becomes weak. Then finally the tree is dead.
PARAGRAPH FOR LATE
BLOOMERS:
• The poet tells us that killing the tree.
• It is not easy.
• It takes time.
• The tree has many branches and leaves.
• The part of the tree is wounded.
• New branches will grow again.
• The root is the source of tree.
• The root is dry, the tree becomes weak.
• Then finally the tree is dead.
F. Complete the table by identifying lines, against the
poetic devices from the poem.
Solution:
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