On Killing a Tree is a beautiful poem written by Gieve Patel. This is a descriptive approach on On Killing a Tree Long Question Answer and through this, we can easily get complete preparation. Important broad questions and answers will help you surely to do good in your examination.
On Killing a Tree Long Question Answer
1. How does a tree offer resistance to its destruction? How does its resistance fail? (H.S. 2017)
Ans. In the poem “On Killing a Tree”, Gieve Patel describes that the killing of a tree is not an easy task. A simple jab of knife can harm a human and animal body; but a tree can resist a blow of knife. The life of a tree is very strong because it has grown up slowly taking in all the necessary elements from soil and absorbing air, water and sunlight for many years. Even when a tree gets extreme pain from hacking and chopping and sap oozes from the wound like blood of animals, it recovers and grows up. Small leaves and branches grow from the stem near the ground. If the small branches are unstopped, they grow to form a full fledged tree of former big size. In this way a tree resists destruction.
A tree’s resistance fails when destroying forces take deliberate measures to kill it completely. The roots of a tree are first tied with ropes and then they are pulled out or snapped out. The root is the most sensitive part of tree’ life. It is the source of life. So in order to destroy a tree, roots are kept open in the sun and air for scorching and choking. Then browning, hardening, twisting and withering follow to kill the life of a tree. This cruel process leads to the failure of a tree’s resistance and the death of a tree.
2. Justify the title of the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’ ? (H.S. 2016)
Ans- William Shakespeare has made an interesting comment- ” What is there in a name? “. He has given emphasize on the content of any literary work. In this way the title of ‘On Killing a Tree’ can be analysed. It is a satirical poem that expresses the poet’s anger against the deliberate and cold-blooded killing of a tree by man. He narrates ironically how man’s effort to kill a tree by jabbing it or even by hacking and chopping it mercilessly totally prove failure. He then narrates the ruthless precision with which man kills a tree by uprooting it and exposing its tender roots to the harsh sun and air for scorching and hardening.
So the title ‘On Killing a Tree’ gives emphasis on this ironical spirit of the poem as the readers get a lesson through an unexpected shock at the end. On the basis of ironical presentation, the title is aptly justified.
On Killing a Tree Long Question Answer
3. “And then it is done”-What is done? How? What does the word then’ convey? What components of nature assist the process?
Ans. By the above expression extracted from “On Killing a Tree”, the complete destruction of the tree is mentioned.
The killing of a tree is not an easy task as a simple jab of knife, hacking or chopping prove fruitless in the annihilation of tree. But in order to do that successfully, roots must be pulled out from the earth cave. Then the uprooted tree is placed in the open air and the sun for its complete destruction. Roots are scorched and choked.
The ruthless continuing process of destruction is continued through browning hardening twisting and withering until the tree is finally killed.
The end of the process of complete killing of a tree is signified by the word ‘then’.
Root which is the most sensitive part of a tree is left open in the sun and air for scorching and choking. After that they become browned and hard. These natural components help the process of complete destruction of tree by twisting and withering the roots.
- TEXTUAL QUESTIONS ANSWERS FROM THE EYES HAVE IT
- SAQ FROM THE EYES HAVE IT
- MCQ FROM THE EYES HAVE IT
- LEELA’S FRIEND SUMMARY
- COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE – ANALYSIS
4. “So hack and chop” -What does ‘hack’ mean? What does ‘chop’ mean? What do hack and chop do to a tree? Why do “hack and chop” not kill a tree?
Ans. The word ‘hack’ means causing an injury.
The word ‘chop’ means to cut into pieces.
Hack and chop cause pain to a tree and make the bark of it to ooze out sap. They do not kill a tree.
In order to kill a tree it has to be fully uprooted at first. Then the root has to be scorched in the sun and choked in the air. As a result the root becomes brown in colour, hard in feeling, twisted in shape and withered in appearance. Hacking and chopping do not produce these effects. So “hack and chop” are said not to kill a tree.
On Killing a Tree Long Question Answer
5. Bring out the Substance of the poem?
The observation of Patel about his poetic vocation: “I believe a work of art must be born in a state of inner necessity” suggests his pragmatism. His support of the Green Peace Movement mixed with his pragmatism has given the poem “On Killing a Tree” a unique charm. Moreover the interest of his mother had a special charm to him.
Therefore it is not unlikely that Patel would realize the role of trees in human life and write an impressive poem on it. In the poem under review Patel says that like
sunlight, air and water to grow up. Thus it becomes a part of nature. Since then it numerous ways. However human beings being insensitive of the service cut it. Even after felling it rebuilds itself slowly but steadily. So in order to kill a tree it has to be fully uprooted. Then the white and wet root has to be scorched and choked in the sun
and air respectively. As a result the root becomes brown in complexion, hard in feeling and twisted in appearance. Then the act of killing a tree becomes complete.
6. “Which if unchecked will expand again”. What is referred to as Which’? Into what will it expand again? comment on the life-force of the described being.
Ans. ‘Which’ is referred to here as the tree which is brutally destroyed by human beings.
If the growth of the tree is not checked it will grow up again from its miniature boughs to its former size.
The tree has grown-up silently from its seed. The seed spreads its roots silently by feeding upon the earth’s crust absorbing the sunlight, air, water of the earth for year after year. So a ‘Simple jab of Knife’ or ‘hacking’ or Chopping cannot destroy its life-force. It is not an easy task to destroy it. Even new branches can come out from the chopped tree. If the growth of this miniature bough is not checked it can grow up in its former size. The life force is strong enough to resist the destruction.
7. How is man’s cruelty to nature revealed in the poem “On Killing A Tree”?
Ans Gieve Patel represents the ceremonial task of killing a tree. A tree grows on the earth by eating and drinking its sunlight, air and water. He gets blows repeatedly to destroy it. But the tree does not express its pain and its bleeding bark heals its wound. If the growth of the tree is not checked, it will grow up again from its miniature boughs to its former size. So, the poet expresses that the tree should be uprooted from its anchoring earth’. It is to be tightly roped and pulled out from the earth-cave. While uprooting the tree, its strength will be exposed. At the end the hidden part of the tree will come out as it is the most sensitive part lying inside the earth for long years. The scorching, choking, browning, hardening, twisting and withering of the tree will finally complete the destruction of the tree.