On Killing a Tree - Beehive - Class 9 - CBSE English

Gieve Patel is an Indian poet, playwright, and practicing doctor. He was born in Mumbai in 1940 and received his medical degree from Grant Medical College. Patel's poetry often deals with themes of nature, the human condition, and the relationship between the two. He is known for his concise and evocative use of language and imagery, as seen in his poem "On Killing a Tree." Patel has published several collections of poetry and his work has been translated into several languages. In addition to his writing, he has also been active in the theatre community as a playwright and director.

Gieve Patel's poem "On Killing a Tree" is a powerful meditation on the slow, consuming process of nature and the difficulty of destroying it. The poem begins with the assertion that a simple jab of a knife will not be enough to kill a tree. Instead, the tree has grown slowly over time, consuming the earth and absorbing years of sunlight, air, and water. From its leprous hide, leaves have sprouted, and its bleeding bark will eventually heal.

However, if one were to succeed in killing the tree, the process of its destruction would be a long and arduous one. Green twigs would rise from close to the ground, and the source of the tree's strength, hidden for years inside the earth, would be exposed. The matter of scorching and choking in sun and air would then cause the tree to brown, harden, twist, wither, and die.

The poem is a powerful metaphor for the resilience of nature and the difficulty of destroying it. It suggests that even the act of killing a single tree requires a significant amount of effort and time, and that nature always finds a way to continue on. The poem's vivid imagery and concise language make it a powerful meditation on the beauty and fragility of the natural world.

Nature's Resilience

The poem highlights nature's ability to survive and endure despite efforts to destroy it. The tree is described as slowly consuming the earth and absorbing years of sunlight, air, and water. Even when it is cut down, the tree is shown to have hidden reserves of strength that allow it to sprout new growth. This theme suggests that nature is powerful and enduring, and that humans must be careful not to underestimate its resilience.

Human Impotence

The poem suggests that humans are unable ...............................

The Tree

The tree in the poem is a symbol of nature, representing its strength, resilience, and beauty. The tree is depicted as having absorbed years of sunlight, air, and water, and rising out of the earth through its crust. The tree is also shown as having a will and life of its own, despite human efforts to destroy it.

The Knife

The knife in the poem symbolizes.......................................

Imagery

The poem makes use of vivid and evocative imagery throughout. Examples include the description of the tree as "slowly consuming the earth," "absorbing years of sunlight, air, water," and "sprouting leaves from its leprous hide." These images create a powerful impression of the tree's strength and resilience.

Metaphor

The poem makes use of metaphor to describe.........................

jab: sudden rough blow

leprous hide: discoloured bark

hack: cut roughly by striking heavy blows