SYMBOLISM

Figratively the cutting down of atree is compared to ahuman being. If aman's limbs are amputated or
he is stabbed with aknife hewould not die because his heart is functioning. Roots are a source of strength
for a tree in the same way a man's heart is a source which sustains him. The comparison can also be with
values which are passed on from one generation to the other. They are deep rooted and sustain mankind.
Erosion of values leads to the gradual choking of a society which can endanger mankind.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. No rhyme scheme is there in the poem. It is written in free verse. There is no rhyme or rhythm.
2. Enjambment : When one sentence continues into two or more lines.
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.
The most sensitive, hidden
For years inside the earth.
3. Metaphor : Indirect comparison
Leprous hide - The uneven colour of the surface of the trunk of a tree is compared to the skin of a
person suffering from leprosy.
Bleeding bark - The sap coming out of tree where it is cut is compared to the bleeding from the
wound in a human's body.

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U-LIKE English-lX
 Repetitionof a consonant sound in 2 or more closely
Alliteration; placed words.
-b' sOund
Bleeding
bark
W sound
'w'
a n dwet -
White word or sentence is repeated to lay emphasis on it.
: a
Repetition
Pulled
out',isrepeated.

MESSAGE
creations and the most benevolent blessings of God to humans. The tree grows and
purest
arethe its innumerable benefits to the humans, hereby, providing them with food, shelter,
nchesoutwith
2s

artistic tapestry and many more advantages beyond the intellectual capacity of humans. They
niture,
wehumansto their very core but the nappreciative man with their uncanny intentions provide no
creationand in return givethem the ruthless cut and death.
to GGod's
ypie
GievePatel, has beautifuly and sensitively drawn the barbaric side of human beings who, with
poet,
he andlust in their hearts destroy trees. He has carved out expression
,malice
wworking in contrast to the
is
how thesapling nurtured and grows to a massive tree. The years of growth and replenishment
that
t destroyed in one day. It is gradual and slow process. It has to undergo lot of painful torture
-ynnotbe degeneration and aconclusive end.
eforeitsfinal

STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION

follow :
Read the given stanzas and answer thequestions that
tree,
1. It takes much time to killa
Not a simple jab of the knife
Willdo 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.
() The poem 'On Killing aTree' is written by
(b) Gieve Patel
(a) James Kirkup
(d) William Wordsworth
(c) W.W.E. RosS
(1) The poet advocates that
(a) killing of trees is a complex job
(0) trees belong to the soil they grow in
(°) it is needed to preserve and save trees
(d) All of the above
(iii) 'A simple jab of the knife', here 'jab' refers to
(io) 'Slowly consuming the earth' means

Poetry section 301

 (a) a place to stay protected
(b) cluster of leaves
(v) leprous hide
(c) discoloured bark

(d) hidden roots in the soil

Ans. (1)-(0), (i) (d), (ii) the cutting process, (io) getting nutrition from the earth, ()-(c)
2. 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
Willrise curled green twigs,
Miniature boughs
Which if unchecked willexpand again
To former size.
No,
The root is to be pulled out -
Out of the anchoring earth;
(i) Theextract depicts
(a) the process of killing a tree (b) the misery humans give to the tree
(c) the agony of the tree to be felled (d) All of the above
(ii) The word 'hack' means
(a) hitting the tree hard
(b) cut roughly by strikingly heavy blows
(C) uprooting the tree
(d) chopping the tree into pieces
(üi) The expression that uses the poetic device of personification is
(iv) According to the poet, hacking and chopping is
(v) What will be the final blow to killa tree
permanently ?
(a) Hacking it hard (b) Chopping it into pieces
(c) Pulling its roots out (d) All of the above
Ans. ()- (d),(iü)-(6), (ii) Bleeding bark, (iv) inadequate to a
kill tree, (v) - (d)
TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS
Answer the questions in about 30-40 words :
0.1. Can a "simple jab of the knife" kill a tree ? Why not?
Ans. A simple jab of a knife cannot kill a tree
still inside the earth help the bark to because has taken it years to grow. The roots, which are
it
revive. Leaves and twigs again sprout from it. It will
grow to its original size. again

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 hasthetree grown toits full size ? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.
Thetreehas groWnto its full size by absorbing sunlight, water and air, for hundreds of years.
Iisrootshave grown deep into the earth, anchoring it firmly to the ground and providing it
nourishment

the meaning 'bleeding bark' ? What makes it bleed ?

of
is
What

nt
Bleedingbark refers to the bark of atree which has been cut by hacking and chopping, Man's
to
eforts
kill the tree by cutting it down leaves the bark bleeding
No in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by
says
poet
this ?
The
says No inthe
poet
beginning of thethird stanza to emphasise that it is not easyto kill atree.
The be killed when it is uprooted from the soil and is exposed tothe elements of sun,
treecanonly
A
and air. The roots, which are the source of strength ofthe tree, then gets burnt in the heat of
water
,hardens,shrivels and wither.
thesun,
meaningof'anchoring earth and the 'earth cave'?
isthe
os What
Anchoringearth refers to the tree
being fixed firmly tothe earth withthe help of its roots. The earth
out of it. It
Ins. which the roots of the tree remain hidden for years tillthese are pulled
cave in
actsas a
breeding ground. Thus, it has been called the 'earth-cave'.
providesthem assafe
mean by "the strength of the tree exposed' ?
Whatdoes he which were protected by the
means that when atree is uprooted from the soil, its roots, hard, and shrivel
Ans. The
poet
are exposed to the sun. Out in the open, they become can
earth for years together unable to absorb water from the soil they wither away, they
borau1se of the heat of the sun and killed.
tree is
to revive hence the
no longer help the tree
0.7. Whatfinally
kills the tree ?
out of the soil and lie exposed under the sun the tree
tree are completely pulled
ins When the roots of a
killed.
is then finally
SHORT ANSWERQUESTIONS
following questions inabout 40-50 words : ATree?
iSuerthe
convey through the poem 'On Killing and highlights the fact that
poet want to to feel pain
. What does the reader about trees having the ability andconveys that theytwoare equal.
sensitises the with human beingskilling a human being.
IS, Ihepoet compares trees
trees are living things. Hebecausedestroying trees is justlike
cut trees die by
e urges not to hackings ? much longer as trees don't
tree with few It takes order to
1Sitenough to kill a killed with few hacks and chops.attacked and managestoregrow.In
Ans. No, a tree cannot be whereitis
heals itself atthe point humans?
merely cutting as it it has to beuprooted. tree andthe blood of as the blood
of the well
aree permanently, similarity betweenthe sap beingsthe sameassapas
03. Why does the poet find a of human They are a resultof people's
blood
Ans, The tree and get attacked.
poet finds the sap of a both,thetreeandhuman
00ze out from thee point where activities. Theyalsoneed
andinsensitive thetree.
Q4. thoughtless
kill grow
the tree ? ofthe bark, etc, to
otherwise the treewill
kill peeling
What do people doto hacking,chopping, doesnotgrowagain
Ans. People usually resort to earth to ensure
it
to pull out the roots from the conditions,thetree
been cut ? favourable
Once again from the roots. when ithas earth.Under
Q5. How does a tree grow againeven insidethe
are still
Ans, When the tree has been cut,itsroots
roots.
303
of its
grows once again with the help
 Q.6. How does uprooting affect the tree ?
Ans. After uprooting, the roots lie on the ground exposed to the harsh weather. The sun and the aiv
scorch andchoke them. The roots turn brown and hard. These get twisted and weathered. Thus i
kills the tree.
Q.7. What is meant by "the earth cave' ?
Ans. The earth acts as a cave in which the roots of the tree remain hidden for years till these are pulled
out of it. It provides them safe breeding ground. Thus, it has been called the 'earth-cave'.
Q.8. What happens to the uprooted tree?
Ans. Atree is completely killed only when its roots get uprooted. The roots no longer have the power to
sustain and revive the tree killing it gradually.
Q.9. What makes the bark bleed ? How does it affect the tree?
Ans. The man's efforts to killthetree like hacking and chopping leave the bark bleeding. But the
bark heals itself. It does not kill the tree though the tree feels the pain and suffers.
bleeding
Q.10. How does the poet create an environment of sadness in the poem ?
Ans. The poet creates an environment of sadness in the poem by making the reader feel
the pain and
suffering the tree goes through in the process of hacking and chopping, in order to kill it. The bark
of the tree bleeds but heals with the help of its roots. He
emphasises how the tree has taken years
to grow from the soil after absorbing sunlight, air and water but
man
finally striking at the strength of the tree by uprooting it and exposingmercilessly
its
deciminates it by
Q.11. What is the central idea of the poem 'On strength to the sun.
Killing a Tree ?
Ans. The poem describes the significance of the roots of a tree. The
roots
mankind and society. As long as values are alive, mankind will symbolise values which sustain
remain rooted to his traditions and
peace will prevail in the society. Societies without values shall
perish just like trees with their roots
exposed.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Answer the followingquestions in about 100-120 words:
Q.1. How does Gieve Patel draw a
comparison between the cutting of trees and a human being?
Ans. Gieve Patel compares the process of
cutting
says that just as we human beings go throughdown of a tree to a human being. Figuratively, he
similarly the tree, too, takes years and years todifferent stages of life i.e., childhood, to adulthood;
grow. A tree feeds on sunlight, air and water
and a human being also needs the same.
He says just as stabbing a human
amputating its limbs may not lead to his death similarly a tree cannot be being with a knife or
pain but continues to live as it heals killed by chopping it with
an axe. The tree endures all the
strength from its roots just as human beings draw their over time. The tree draws its
when the heart stops functioning a tree also strength from their heart. They die only
Q.2. How does the poet show that it is dies when its source, i.e., the roots, are killed.
difficult tokill a tree ?
Ans. The use of the word 'No' in the
a tree. The poet says that no beginning of stanza 3 is an affirmation of the difficult task of
matter
killed. It is firmly anchored to the soilhow much a tree is hacked and chopped but still it killing
with the help of its roots which are its can not be
tree has taken its present form source of strength. The
is hacked, its bark after many years of absorbing
bleeds but heals and revives with the sunlight, water and air. When a tree
out from its bark and the tree can help of its roots. Leaves and twigs
when its roots are pulled out and again grows into its original size. The tree sprout
exposed to the harsh weather under which it can only be killed
away. shrivels and withers
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U-LIKE English-|X
 Doyouthink there is some sarcasm in the poem '0On Killing a Tree by Gieve Patel ? Why ?
sarcasticallyspeaks about man's
Yes,the
poet interference with nature. The poet mentions how
Ans. whichhavestaken years and years to grow, are being chopped by man
nees,
mentionsthat a tree has to be uprooted for killing it rather than everywhere. When the
poetn chopping parts of it reflects
sarcasm. He says whychop and hack, uproot a tree because its strength lies in its
his ensure that a tree never grows back. When he
roots. He says
man
should says that the roots are being protected
the earth he is actually conveying that Nature protects environment but man decimates it.
by
think the poem'On Killing A Tree', symbolises values in some
Doyou way ? How ?
Doym
this poem the
thecutting of the trees symbolises the routine affair of clearing forests and turning rural
Ans. In
landsinto urban lands. After uprooting the tree its roots are exposed to the harsh weather killing
it. The earth is a cave in which roots of a tree are hidden for years till they gather much needed
breedingground. Figuratively, roots symbolise moral values. They give strength to mankind. They
nstain societies. They are passed over fromn one generation to the other. They are the collective
wisdom of years and years which mankind preserves and nurtures. With the help and support of
#hese values peace and order prevails in a society. If these values are eroded mnankind, too, would
become like a rootless tree.