GRADE IX

SUBJECT: ENGLISH

HANDOUTS

ON KILLING A TREE
Poet Gieve patel
Theme condemnation of the human callousness in chopping down trees
to grow crops- passionate plea not to cut down trees.
Summary The poet explains how a tree would be killed.To kill a tree its roots
have to pulled out.The root is the source of tree's life, must be
pulled out to harm the tree mortally.
Poetic devices Imagery, personification, alliteration, repetition, enjambment

Gieve Patel is a poet, painter, and environmentalist in addition to being a poet. In

his poem ‘On Killing a Tree,’ he expresses significant concern for nature and
man’s horrible habit of chopping down trees for selfish motives.

THEME: “On Killing a Tree” is a condemnation of the human callousness in chopping

down trees to grow crops, build cities and make products. Although the poem presents
itself as a guide on how to kill a tree, it is actually passionate plea not to cut down trees.
The poem also applauds the sturdiness and resilience of trees in that they take all kinds
of attacks and wounds in their stride but refuse to die. They may be wounded, scarred
or maimed, but they bounce back into life by healing themselves in due course of time.
One wonders if human beings can ever have that kind of attitude to life.
TITLE:The title of the poem is simple and appropriate as it contains the major concern
of the poet – merciless and callous felling of trees. It indicates appropriately that the
poem is about the process of killing of the tree. The entire poem explains the view that
killing a tree is not a simple, short or easy process. Trees have tremendous strength
and a great instinct for survival.
MESSAGE: The poem conveys the message that trees are living beings just like any
other form of life. They have strong survival instincts and can withstand any type of
assault, trauma or crisis. It is not easy to kill them, for they have a never-say-die attitude
to life.
POETIC DEVICES
Imagery: 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.
Personification: Bleeding bark — the wounded bark is represented as bleeding.
Alliteration: The bleeding bark will heal; The source, white and wet.
Repetition: 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.
Enjambment: Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
Years of sunlight, air, water,

SUMMARY
The poem "On Killing a Tree" compares the process of cutting down trees to committing
an act of murder. The poet presents this view in an ironic and sarcastic tone. The pain
experienced by trees while being killed dominates the mood of the poem. The poem
opens with the statement that killing a tree takes a lot of time. It cannot be done merely
by a stab of the knife because the tree grows up to be very strong over period of time,
gradually drawing nourishment from the earth, the sun, the air, and the water. Its bark
looks dull and discoloured yet fresh leaves keep emerging from it. A tree cannot be
destroyed with a tuw cuts and blows. The pain caused by the hacking and chopping is
not enough to kill it. Its injured and mutilated bark would repair after some time and tender,
green twigs will rise up from its hacked base. If these small boughs are not cut, they will
soon attain the original size of the tree. According to the poet, the actual process that can
kill a tree involves cruelty and ruthlessness. The root of the tree is to be pulled out from
the earth which is holding it securely. It is to be ripped up by forceful pulling and snapping.
This root. is the true strength of the tree. It is sensitive to heat and light as it remains
concealed under the surface of the earth for years. Hence, it is to be left exposed till it
dries up and stops drawing nutrients from the soil for the tree. When left exposed to sun
and air, the root gradually dries, withers and hardens. Life drains. out of it and the tree is
finally killed.

KEY POINTS

 It is not easy to kill a tree. It takes much time.

 A tree grows on earth, feeds on its crust, absorbs years of sun light, air and
water.
 ‘Hack and chop’ does not kill tree. It wounds the barks and makes them bleed.
 The real strength of the tree lies in its roots.
 The roots are the most sensitive parts of the tree.
 When the roots are pulled out they are white and wet.
 The sun and the air harden and wither the exposed roots of the tree and kill it.
EXPLANATION
STANZA 1
In this stanza the poet remarks that the process of the full growth of a tree is slow and
steady. It consumes the nutrients from the earth, the sunlight, the air and the water and
grows so strong that it cannot be killed easily. The stanza opens with the poet's
statement that killing a tree is a long process which consumes a lot of time. The wounds
inflicted on it with a knife or an axe cannot cause its death. The tree draws its
nourishment from nature which makes it so strong that it develops amazing self-healing
powers. The bark of its trunk is discoloured like the skin of a person suffering from
leprosy, still new leaves and branches sprout from it.

STANZA 2
n these lines the poet addresses a person who is trying to kill a tree. The poet
emphatically states that attacking a tree and cutting off its trunk or branches cannot
cause its death. The powerful blows of the axe can only give pain and scars to the tree
but not put an end to its life. The injured trunk with the sap oozing from its wounded
bark will certainly heal with time. Even if the whole of the trunk is hacked, the stump
close to the ground will sprout again and small, green curled branches will appear.
These branches, if not hacked again, will grow till they attain the original size of the tree.
Therefore, hacking may harm a tree for some time but the tree has the potential to heal
itself and regenerate.

STANZA 3
The poet describes the actual process that can kill a tree. As axing or chopping cannot
end the life of a tree, it is the root, deep under the surface of the earth that needs to be
attacked. The root is held tightly and supported by the nourishing earth and is not easy
to destroy. It has to be either pulled out with great force or to be cut into pieces and then
taken out of the depth of the earth. For pulling it out, people have to tie it firmly with
ropes and then apply great force to completely uproot it. In fact, the real strength of a
tree lies in its root which remains wet and white deep undo the earth. However, it cannot
tolerate exposure to the sunlight or heat.

STANZA 4
The poet, in this stanza, describes how an uprooted tree ultimately dies. The scorching
heat of the sun and exposure to the air smother the root of the tree. However, it does
not die at once; it grows brown; its soft, white wood hardens; the hardened root gets
twisted and eventually it withers away absolutely, completing the process of tree's
death.

REFERENCE TO CONTEXT
Read each of the the following extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1.It takes much time to kill a tree, Not a simple jab of the knife
Slowly consuming the earth, Rising out of it, feeding
Will do it. It has grown And out of its leprous hide
Upon its crust, absorbing Years of sunlight, air, water,
Sprouting leaves.

(i) Why is a jab of knife not enough to kill a tree?

(ii) How has the tree grown to its size?
(iii) Which poetic device has been employed in the stanza?
(iv) What does 'leprous hide' mean?
(v) What is the significance of the first line in the extract?

Ans. (i) A simple jab of knife is not enough to kill a tree because the tree has grown to a
size that it won't get affected by a small cut from a knife and its roots go deep down into
the earth.
(ii) The tree has used the resources from the earth like sunlight, air, water and
nourishment from the soil for a long time to grown to its full size.
(iii) Metaphor is used in the stanza.
(iv) 'Leprous hide' is a metaphorical expression that conveys the idea that just as
leprosy causes discolouring and distorment of the skin of a leper, the bark of the tree
too has an uneven texture and colour.
(v) “It takes much time to kill a tree signifies that life cannot be easily drawn out of a tree
with one single blow. Just as it has taken time to grow, the process of killing it would
also be time consuming and complicated.

2. Or pulled out entirely, 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.

(i) Explain the term 'earth-cave'.

(ii) How can the strength of the tree be exposed?
(iii) Why did the poet address 'root' as the most sensitive part of the tree?
(iv) Why is the source of tree 'white and wet??
(v) Find a word in the extract to complete the following - Entirely: Partially : : ………..
Weakness.

Ans. (i) The earth-cave' is used to depict how Mother Earth has kept the roots of the
tree secured and has given life to the tree by hiding the source of its life.
(ii) The strength of the tree can be exposed if the roots are taken out of earth and left
open in the surrounding.
(iii) The poet addressed 'root' as the most sensitive part of the tree because it
strengthens the tree but when unearthed the tree cannot survive.
(iv) The source of the tree is white and wet because the roots have never been exposed
to sunlight, also they are full of water making them wet.
(v) Entirely: Partially :: Strength: Weakness

2 MARKERS

Q1. 'What will happen if the miniature boughs are left 'unchecked"?
'Unchecked' here means left free to grow without any harm or danger. If left
‘unchecked', the new, green, delicate branches from the stump of a tree will expand
and regain their original size.
Q2. "No, The root is to be pulled out." Why has the poet started this stanza with
"No"? What does he mean by this?
The poet uses 'No' to emphasize the fact that merely hacking and chopping are not
sufficient for killing a tree. They can make it bleed, and cause pain. But killing a tree
requires more ruthlessness and much more effort.
Q3. How is the exposed root affected by the sun and air?
Sun and air start drawing life out of the exposed root. It becomes discoloured, dry and
hard. It starts withering and becomes gnarled and twisted. Devoid of all its moisture, it
gradually becomes lifeless and the process of killing the tree is completed.
Q4. What is meant by 'years of sunlight, air and water'?
Years of sunlight, air and water means that the tree takes years together to grow up
fully. In this course of time it draws energy from sunlight, air and water.
Q5. Why has the tree's 'hide' been called leprous?
The bark of the tree is uneven in texture and colour. Leprosy also robs the skin of the
leper of its colour and evenness. Hence, the poet has drawn a metaphorical comparison
between the discoloured bark of a tree and the diseased skin.
Q6. What is the role of hacking and chopping in killing a tree?
Hacking and chopping wound the body of a tree causing it great pain. They peal the
bark of the tree and it appears to be bleeding when the sap oozes out. However, this
pain or bleeding does not manage to kill the tree.
Q7. What is the meaning of "anchoring earth" and "earth cave"?
"Anchoring earth". means the earth which gives a firm grip to the tree and keeps it
from falling. Just as a ship anchored in the sea stays in its place securely and steadily,
similarly the tree stands secure and stable with the support of the earth.
"Earth cave" refers to the depth under the earth where the root of a tree remains
sheltered safely for years. It is firmly attached to this point and a cave like hollow is
created when the root is pulled out.
Q8. How is the root of the tree to be pulled out? What is the result of this pulling?
The root of the tree is to be tied to a rope and pulled out with a great force. This pulling
results in creating a cave-like hollow in the earth and exposes the root to the vagaries of
weather that eventually cause the death of the tree.
Q9. What message is conveyed by this poem?
The poem conveys the message that human beings have destructive temperament
towards nature, but Mother nature has regenerative powers and cannot be destroyed
easily. It has the ability to resurrect itself. Also, the tree teaches us that mere physical
assaults cannot ruin us. As long as our root, our soul, is intact we can rise again.
Q10. How is the problem of deforestation raised in the poem?
Deforestation can be said the important theme of the poem. In our time's deforestation
has become a major issue. Forests are being cleared off to make doors, windows,
furniture and fuel. This act has adversely affected our ecosystem. The poet seems to be
an environmentalist and his urge to save trees is felt in the whole poem
5 MARKERS
Q1. How does a tree grow up?
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.
Q2. What relationship does the tree have with the earth?
A tree has a deep relationship with the earth. It owes its very existence to the earth. The
seed germinates in the womb of 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 the 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 roots of the tree
concealed, protecting it from exposure to the sunlight and the 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.
Q3. What does the root of the tree look like when it is pulled out of the earth-
cave? What happens to it when it is left exposed?
The root of the tree is moist anti-white when it is pulled out of its hiding, the earth-cave.
It is very tender and delicate as it has remained concealed for years together, away
from sunlight and air. The root cannot tolerate the light and heat of the sun and the open
air. When it is left exposed, it feels scorched and choked in the sun and the air Initially, it
starts changing its colour and becomes somewhat brown. Then it starts losing its
tenderness. It becomes hard and its suppleness declines. Gradually, it w away and
becomes gnarled and twisted. Ultimately, life is completely drained out of it and it leads
to the death of the whole This is how exposure robs first the root and then the entire
tree of its life.

Q4. What would happen if the tree is hacked and chopped?

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 up 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.
Q5. What relationship does the tree have with the earth?
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 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 roots of the tree
Abre concealed, protecting it from exposure to the sunlight and the 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.
Q6. Why do people cut trees? Suggest other alternatives to trees.
People have several requirements which can be fulfilled by trees. They get wood for fire
and furniture from trees. The various kinds of medicine and fruits. The tribal people are
completely dependent on trees, but they never cut them. But anon people cut trees as
they have no alternatives. But they should not cut down trees and spoil the beauty of
nature. Moreover, they should discover other sources to fulfil their needs. They should
be encouraged to use steel sheets in their doors and windows. The tribal people should
be given every support to decrease their dependence on trees. They should be made
responsible to protect trees in their areas and plant more trees. Besides people should
be made aware of the environmental problems which are created after cutting down
trees. We have to protect trees at any cost.