Answer the following questions

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: