Class 9 Poem 7  On Killing a Tree Extra Question 

A. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

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 leprous hide

Sprouting leaves.

Question. Which poem does this extract belong to?

Answer. It comes from Gieve Patel’s poem, “On Killing A Tree”.

Question. Can a few blows from an axe kill a tree?

Answer. No, a few blows from an axe can not kill a tree. It takes much more than that to kill a tree.

Question. How does a tree gain its strength?

Answer. A tree draws its strength from the earth’s crust by absorbing the sunlight, air and water.

Question. Where do the leaves come from?

Ans. Leaves sprout from the bark of a tree.

Question. Identify the poetic device in the first line of the poem.

Answer. Consonance (prominence of ‘t’ sound) is used in the first line of the poem.

“It takes much time to kill a tree.”

B. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

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.

Question. Which poetic device is used in the phrase, ‘bleeding bark’?

Answer. Alliteration is used in the phrase, ‘bleeding bark’

Question. What happens when a tree is cut down?

Ans. When a tree is cut down, it sprouts green curled twigs which develop into full-sized branches.

Question. What happens to the bleeding bark?

Answer. A bleeding bark heals up again and sprouts fresh twigs.

Question. What does regrowing of a hacked tree indicate?

Answer. Hacked tree indicates that nature is not easily defeated by man.

Question. What do you understand by “miniature boughs”?

Answer. Miniature boughs are new branches that sprout where a tree has been cut or hacked. If left unchecked, they will grow into a massive tree.

C. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

No,

The root is to be pulled out-

Out of the anchoring earth;

It is to be roped, tied,

And pulled out-snapped out

Or pulled out entirely,

Out from the earth-cave,

And the strength of the tree exposed

The source, white and wet,

The most sensitive, hidden

For years inside the earth.

Question. What is meant by the phrase, “anchoring earth”?

Answer. “Anchoring Earth” refers to the tree’s roots that lie within the earth and act as an anchor for the tree to grow and hold it firmly

Question. Where does the strength of the tree lie?

Answer. The strength of a tree lies in its roots.

Question. How can the root of a tree be destroyed?

Answer. Root is to be pulled out of the earth and exposed to scorching heat.

Question. Which is the most sensitive part of a tree?

Answer. Its root is the most sensitive part of a tree.

Question. Which part of the tree is wet and white?

Ans. The roots of a tree are wet and white.

D. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

Then the matter

Of scorching and choking

In sun and air,

Browning, hardening,

Twisting, withering,

And then it is done.

Question. What remains to be done to kill a tree after its root has been pulled out?

Annwer. The tree has to be dried up after being uprooted.

Question. What dries up the tree?

Answer. The hot and scorching sun dries up the tree.

Question. What happens to the tree in the sun and dry air?

Answer. The tree turns brown, hardens, twists and withers in sun and dry air.

Question. “And then it is done.” What does ‘it’ stand for?

Answer. ‘And then it is done’ means finally the tree will die.

Question. Find a word in the extract which means the same as the following words. “Blazing, Torrid, Searing”

Answer. Scorching

Question vCan a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?

Answer: No, a simple jab of knife does not have the ability to kill the tree. It has to go through various processes. If its root is not removed from the earth, it will sprout again.

Question  How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.

Answer: The tree consumes the earth, and rises out it feeding upon its crust. It absorbs years of sunlight, air and water.

Question What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?

Answer: ‘Bleeding bark’ means the twigs which are cut mercilessly. They leave a liquid substance. If any part of the human body is cut, it starts bleeding. In the same way the liquid substance comes out from the branch of a tree. The human beings’ axe makes it bleed.

Question How does a tree become strong?

Answer: A tree grows and expands gradually. Various forces of nature including the earth, help in its growth. A tree grows on earth, feeds on its crust, absorbs years of sunlight, air and water. It makes them strong.

Question Bring out the sarcasm in the poem On Killing a Tree.

Answer “On Killing a Tree” is a sarcastic poem about man’s indiscriminate destruction of trees. The tree is presented as an enemy to man. The poem begins ironically, describing the crime committed by the tree. For years, it has consumed the earth’s crust. Like a thief, it has absorbed sunlight, air and water. It has grown up like a giant. So the tree must be killed. But it is not an easy task. A simple jab of knife will not do it. From close to the ground it will rise up again. To kill it, the tree should be tied with a rope and pulled out from the anchoring earth, exposing its bleeding white root. Once the root withers and chokes, the tree will die.

Question What would happen if the tree is hacked and chopped?

Answer If the tree is hacked and chopped and left as such with the root of the tree neither dugout nor injured, the root will continue to provide nourishment to the stump of the tree. This stump will then be covered with tender twigs that will sprout out of its surface. If these twigs are not pruned or hacked or chopped, they will keep on growing and eventually, with the passage of time, the tree will grow to its original size. The wounded bark of the tree will get healed and the tree will be as big as it was earlier. The threat to its life will be overcome and hacking or chopping will fail to kill the tree. The safe root will rescue and resuscitate the tree and help it to regain its lost glory.

Question What is the theme of the poem On Killing a Tree?

Answer The main theme of the poem is deforestation. The poet emphasises that killing trees is not a simple task. Merely cutting the branches or the stem of a tree will not serve the purpose. The tree clings on to life with great tenacity, as it fights all odds and grows back again. He highlights the cruelty with which humans try and destroy trees by describing in detail the painstaking process required to destroy or kill a tree, using images of violence, as if it were a cold -blooded murder.

The roots of the tree will have to be pulled out and dried in the sun so that the tree ultimately dies. Thus, the poet seems to be revere Mother Nature and suggest that it will take a lot of effort and planning to destroy an organism rooted in nature than a simple “jab of knife.”

Question What relationship does the tree have with the earth?

Answer A tree has a deep relationship with the earth. It owes its very existence to the earth. The seed germinates in the womb of the earth and the baby plant sprouts out over the surface of the earth. The tree draws nutrients for it from the soil. It is the earth that gives it support to stand erect and protects it from falling. Giving a firm grip to its roots, the earth gives it ground to grow and assume a massive size. The earth keeps the roots of the tree concealed, protecting it from exposure to sunlight and air which can prove to be very injurious for its existence. Thus, the earth helps a tree right from its birth to its survival. Even a chopped tree grows again out of the stump and gains the original, big size because the earth supports it.

Question Justify the title of the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’.

Answer The title, ‘On Killing a Tree’ is ironical, and is apt and justified. The tree has been personified by the poet Gieve Patel. He laments the deforestation that is taking place. The poet says that the act of killing a tree is a ceremonial task. The tree grows up consuming nutrients from the soil and absorbing sun, air and water and becomes stronger.

A simple jab with a knife, or hacking and chopping cannot kill a tree, because the tree will regenerate. To kill a tree, the roots have to be pulled out of the anchoring earth, exposed to the sunlight and air for scorching and choking. The act of killing a tree becomes complete when the tree becomes completely withered and dies.

Question How does a tree grow up?

Answer A tree takes years together to grow to its full size. After sprouting out from the surface of the earth from a seed it grows gradually. Its root nurtures it by drawing nutrients from deep under the earth. Sunlight, air, and water further nourish it. Out of its bark, tender green branches shoot out and leaves grow all over them. After a long span of time, the tree stands so strong and sturdy that it can survive even the wounds inflicted with a knife. In fact, chopping and hacking are not sufficient to kill it as the wounds get healed. Branches appear again even from the stump and in due course attain their original size. As long as the root of the tree remains intact under the earth, the tree keeps growing.