CLASS 6 -ON KILLING A TREE

ON KILLING A TREE

EX A1.

Q1.

A1.No, a tree cannot be destroyed quickly. A simple knife cannot kill a tree as it has grown slowly consuming the earth and absorbing years of sunlight,air and water. Its roots are deep down in the earth.

Q2.

A2.Here 'leprous hide' i.e.skin resembling that of a leper,refers to the discolored bark of the tree.

Q3.

A3.Even after the tree is hacked,its bleeding bark will heal and from close to the ground will rise curled green twigs. If they are unchecked,they will expand again to former size as the earth has anchored and protected the tree strongly and firmly.

Q4.

A4.According to the poet the most important thing to do while killing a tree is to ensure that the root ,which is its source of security and stability , is pulled out of the earth.The tree is to be tied with a rope and pulled, preferably snapped out to expose its white and wet roots.

Q5.

A5.After uprooting the tree its strength is exposed and it is only the matter of drying it in the scorching heat of the sun to render it lifeless. In the end, the tree will go through a process of browning,hardening,twisting and withering and ultimately the tree gets killed.

 

EX A2.

1.

a)After hacking or chopping a tree from close to the ground, its bark may heal and produce curled green twigs. According to the poet the growth of these twigs must be checked.

b) If the growth of these twigs is unchecked ,they will expand again to their former size and the tree will grow back.

c)The poet is very upset at the collousness of man . Beyond the physical process of killing a tree the poet hints at how modern man out of his remorseless selfishness dares to uproot nature and its very soul.

2.

a)The poet is describing the root of a tree which is the most sensitive part hidden for many years inside the earth.

b)Roots are the most vital part of the tree. As long as they remain the tree will grow again to its former size.

EX A3.

Q1.

A1.Only cutting the branches or cutting a tree's stem is not enough to kill it.

The branches and leaves will grow again. We need to pull out a tree from its roots and leave it to dry in the sun so that it is destroyed completely.
 

Q2.

A2.The tree is described as if it was a human being. Like man ,the tree has grown slowly consuming the earth,eating and drinking from it ,absorbing and soaking in innnumerable years of air,sunlight and water. The bleeding bark is compared to the discoloured skin of a man suffering from leprosy.

Q3.

A3. The poet is telling us how inhuman it is to kill a tree.The poem expresses man's ruthless determination to kill a tree.The poet hints at how modern man out of his ruthless greed dares to uproot nature and its very soul.

Q4. What is the figure of speech used in the poem?

A4.In this poem the figure of speech used is 'personification'. The poet speaks of trees as human beings,when he says that one cannot kill a tree with a jab of a knife or by hacking it ,like they would kill any human being.