2.

1 Cherry Tree
WRITE AN APPRECIATION OF THE POEM CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
About the poem, poet and title:
Cherry Tree is a narrative poem related to nature. In this poem the poet narrates how
cherry tree struggle to survived. The poet, Ruskin Bond is a nature lover. He has written
hundreds of short stories, essays, novellas and more than thirty books for children. Title
‘Cherry Tree’ indicates that how trees are important in our life.
Theme/ summary/gist of the poem:
The theme of the poem is that the poet had desire to plants and to have his own tree in
spite of many threats the tree grew and result so many birds and insects were attracted and
gave the poet abundant joy. Means those who are nurtured and cared for in life have a
better chance of success (like the cherry Tree).
Poetic style/ language, poetic devices used in the poem:
In this interesting poem poet has used rhyme scheme aa, bb, cc ………. The choice of simple
words makes the language easy to understand and enjoy. Very simple language to
understand ordinary reads can understand easily. The poetic devices used in the poem are
Alliteration and some words that rhyme. Personification is also used in the poem to
highlight the poetic effects.
Special features/ novelties/ focusing elements:
The poem has colour image many things we can take to inspire from this poem is wonderful
message are drawn. The poem is also a symbol for showing all challenges that one has to go
through in life. The poet described the journey of the cherry tree and the feature of been
able to resist all kinds of troubles in life, through all atmospheric problems brought by
natural forces.
Message/ values/ morals in the poem:
 The poem tells us to move forward towards success aims and dreams overcoming
difficulties that we find in our way.
 It has the message to persist in the struggle to achieve a goal.
 Message of hope when one can only despair.
 Message to love trees, plant trees and preserve trees.
 Trees are very important for survival of the living organisms.

Your opinion about the poem:

I like and enjoy the poem. It is a great poem which explains for better the relation between
children and plants. I could memorize my childhood memories. I can learn that - Trees are
best friends so at least one tree we can plant in our childhood stage
Write a summary of the poem using the following points:

 Title
 Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
 Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
 Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal)

Summary: Cherry Tree

The poem Cherry Tree is about the ecstasy of the poet over a plant which he has seeded
eight years ago. It took eight years to grow. In the poem, Bond expresses his wonder at the
ways of nature and how it takes care of itself to survive against all odds. Eight years ago, the
poet planted a cherry seed because he wanted to have a plant of his own. The young poet
watered it daily but was unaware of the fact that cherry plant needs other special care too
to grow into a healthy tree. Despite getting any special attention, by the end of May, the
poet saw the small cherry sapling coming out of the ground. It was a very small plant, young
and fragile, vulnerable to all kinds of external dangers. Tall wild grasses grew all around it
and ‘the goats’ ate its ‘leaves’ and then one day the grass cutter’s blade mercilessly ‘split it
apart’. Its tender stem also bravely fought the heavy monsoon and even after all these, the
poet saw new shoots growing out of it as the young tree made its struggle against nature to
survive and fiercely made an ‘upward thrust’ to get ‘light and air and sun’.

The poet could now just wait and watch while he took pleasure on seeing his small cherry
plant blossoming into a tree as ‘Time and the rain’ nourished it and like a miracle the tree
grew, too stubborn to give up. Then it was time for the poet to bid adieu to his beloved tree
as he went to Kashmir to spend a season there. The poet returned after a few months’ poor
in health and heart but was overjoyed to find a ‘six feet high’ dark cherry tree at his
doorstep. To his disbelief, he saw a small berry fruit hanging from a branch, ‘Hung from a
branch—just one! a small little pink and fragile berry that could fall at the single stir of wind.

In his ecstasy, the poet “lay on the grass” whole day at leisure to look up to the cherry tree
as the “finches” flew past and birds flocked in and out of the tree and the bees drank nectar
from each ‘bloom’. Soon it was dark, and stars lit the whole night sky and the ‘moon-moths’
and crickets sang. As the poet enjoyed the rapture of nature and felt himself akin with it, he
marvelled at his own creation, the small cherry plant that has grown into a big tree over the
span of eight years. In the ending couplet, the poet associates himself with the nature and
creator, as he takes pride for being part of it. Cherry Tree is, therefore, the poet’s
rumination about the ways of nature as it participates in the process of creation. It is the
struggle of each living object to fight and survive despite all odds.
Literary devices/poetic devices used in the poem Cherry Tree

Alliteration – Consonant sounds are repeated in successive words for melody. 

“Its arms in a fresh fierce lust” Here, the consonant sound ‘f’ is repeated pleasingly. 

“Made a miracle from green growing” Here, the consonant sound ‘g’ is repeated pleasingly. 

“Shrivelled the slender stem….” Here, the consonant sound ‘s’ is repeated pleasingly.

Antithesis – Opposite ideas/words are used together.

Example – “but cherries have a way of growing, though no one’s caring very much or
knowing.”

-Opposite idea of growing without caring is seen in the lines. “It was very small, five months
child Lost in the tall grass running wild.” –

Opposite ideas – small and tall are seen in the lines.

Climax – words, phrases, lines are arranged in ascending order of their importance.
Examples “Pink, fragile, quick to fall”

Personification – Human qualities are attributed to non-human, inanimate objects.

Example – “A Tree had come to stay” A tree is given the human quality of coming and
staying.

Vocabulary:

scythe – a tool with a long-curved blade at right angle to a long handle used to cut long
grass and grain.  

blight – a plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts 

shrivelled – dried or wrinkled or shrunken due to lack of moisture 

slender – thin, struggle – making forceful against odds

thrust – to push with a sudden impulse or force 

fierce – aggressive

lust – strong desire 

miracle – a welcoming or happy event developing by chance that cannot be explained with
reason or science 
scarcely – almost not

ripen – become or make ripe 

jewelled – adorned with jewels

blossoms – flowers that bloom on trees

fragile – weak

finches – a small passerine bird 

flitted – pass lightly, softly or rapidly 

dappled – marked with rounded dark patches 

ecstasy – a feeling of greatest happiness 

nectar – a sweet fluid secreted by flowers 

moon-moths – a large pale long green moth 

crickets – an insect, characteristic for its musical chirping sound.