Gieve Patel

ON KILLING A TREE
jab (n)
GLOSSARY miniature (adj)
-a quick sharp blow -very small of its kind

consume (v) anchor (v)

-eat up -moor (a ship) to the sea-bottom with an anchor

crust (n) snap (v)

-outermost layer (of a planet) -break suddenly and completely

leperous (adj) expose(v)

-affected by leprosy leper -making something visible by uncovering it

sprout (v) Scorching (adj)

-(of plants) put out shoots -very hot

hack (V) choking (adj)

-cut with rough or heavy blows -making it difficult to breathe
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
1. What can you infer from the words 'bleeding bark'?
When a tree is cut, it gives out its sap just like a human being
bleeds from a wound. The poet tries to personify the tree.

2. What will happen if boughs are unchecked?

If the boughs are unchecked, they will grow up to their former
size.

3. What was done to the roots at last?

At last the roots were pulled out entirely out of its earth-cave.

4. How does the poet describe the life-source of the tree?

The tree is fermily fixed within the soil with the help of its root.
It takes in sunlight,water and air from nature and grows strong.
 5. Prepare an appreciation of the given lines from the poem 'On Killing a
Tree' focusing on the theme and the poetic devices.
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 leperous hide
Sprouting leaves.
Ans:-
In this touching poem the poet Gieve Patel says that killing a tree is
not an easy job. It will take much time. A single sharp blow with a
knife cannot kill a tree because it has grown very strong by
consuming sun- light, air and water from nature.
A cut may cause the bark to bleed but it will naturally heal itself
immediately and from close to the earth new green twigs and little
boughs will spring up and grow again into its former size.
So, in order to kill a tree completely the root is to be pulled out
entirely out of its earth-cave because it is the root that anchors
the tree to the earth. The white and wet root will dry out in the
scorching heat and tree will breathe its last for ever. The poet has
used many poetic devices to create a wholesome expe- rience of the
poem. We find personification in lines: The bleeding bark will heal,
And out its leperous hide. Alliteration is used in the line The
bleeding bark will heal. This poem depicts the cruelty of human
beings done toward nature.
6. Read the following lines 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,
i. What does the word 'No' suggest
here?
ii. What should be done to kill a tree
completely?
iii. What does the 'earth-cave' mean
here?
iv. How is the strength of the tree
exposed?
V. What is referred to as the 'anchor'
of the tree?
Ans:
i. 'No' here suggests that it is not easy
to kill a tree.
ii. To kill a tree completely, it should be
pulled out entirely from the earth-cave.
iii. The 'earth-cave' means the hollow that
remains after the tree has been pulled out
from the earth.
iv. By pulling out the roots from the
earth, the strength of the tree is
exposed.
V. The earth is referred to as the anchor
of the tree.
 7. Read the following lines from the poem 'On Killing a Tree' 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
Miniature boughs
Which if unchecked will expand again
To former size
i. What does the phrase 'bleeding bark'
indicate?
ii.From where do green twigs grow up?
iii.What happens if boughs are not checked?
iv.Pick out an example of alliteration from
these lines.
v.Which lines show that man's efforts are
not enough to destroy a tree completely?
vi.The tree seems not worried about the
blows inflicted on it by man. Why
vii. How does the tree react to the cruelty
done to it by man?
Ans:
i.The phrase indicates that when we cut a tree,
it bleeds just as a human being bleeds from his
wound.
ii.Green twigs grow up from the stump close to
the ground.
iii.If boughs are not checked, they will expand
again to former size.
iv.bleeding bark
v.So hack and chop
But this alone wont do it
vi.Because the bleeding bark will heal.
vii.From the stump will rise curled green twigs
and boughs which will expand again to former
size.
THANK YOU!
KRISHNA P SURESH
ADI SANKARA COLLEGE KALADY
(ENGLISH)