JKBOSE 9th Class English Solutions chapter – 13 ON KILLING A TREE

In this poem, the poet uses the tree as a symbol of some deep-rooted evil. In order to kill a tree, it has to be pulled out from its root. Similarly, to kill an evil, it has to be uprooted from its source. A chopped tree can sprout again, similarly a half-buried evil can spring up again.

The poet says that it takes much time to kill a tree. It can’t be done with a simple jab of the knife. The tree has grown slowly by consuming nutritious elements from the earth. It feeds upon the earth’s crust and rises out of it. For years, it keeps absorbing the sunlight, air and water. Leaves sprout out of its hide which looks as if stricken with leprosy.

The simple jab of a knife can’t kill a tree. It should, therefore, be hacked and chopped. But even this alone won’t kill the tree. Its bleeding bark will heal very soon. Curled green twigs will begin to rise from near the ground from where it has been chopped and hacked. These twigs will again grow into the size of former boughs if they are left unchecked.

In order to kill the tree, its root has to be pulled out from the earth which acts as its anchor. It has to be tied with a rope and pulled out with a powerful snap. It has to be pulled out entirely from the earth where it has formed a cave for itself. The root of the tree is its real strength. It is white and wet, and is the most sensitive part of the tree. It has been hidden inside the earth for years. In order to kill the tree, the source has to be pulled out and brought in the open.

After the root of the tree has been pulled out, it should be left in the sun and the air to dry. It should be left there to scorch and choke. It should be left there until it browns, hardens, twists and withers. Only then the tree can be said to be really killed.

इस कविता में कवि पेड़ को एक गहरी जड़ों वाली बुराई के प्रतीक चिन्ह के रूप में इस्तेमाल करता है। किसी पेड़ को मारने के लिए इसे इसकी जड़ से उखाड़ना होता है। इसी प्रकार किसी बुराई को मारने के लिए इसे इसके स्रोत से समाप्त करना होता है। एक कटा हुआ पेड़ फिर से अंकुरित हो सकता है; उसी प्रकार एक आधी दबी बुराई फिर से पनप सकती है ।

कवि कहता है कि एक पेड़ को मारने के लिए बहुत समय लगता है। ऐसा चाकू की मात्र एक चुभन के द्वारा नहीं किया जा सकता। पेड़ धरती के पौष्टिक तत्त्वों का उपभोग करके धीरे-धीरे बड़ा होता है । यह धरती की ऊपरी परत का आहार करता है और इसी में से उगता है। अनेक वर्षों तक यह सूर्य के प्रकाश को, हवा तथा पानी को चूसता रहता है। इसकी छाल में से पत्ते निकलने लगते हैं; और यह छाल ऐसे प्रतीत होती है मानो कुष्ठ रोग का शिकार हुई पड़ी हो ।

एक चाकू की साधारण चुभन से एक पेड़ को नहीं मारा जा सकता। इसलिए इसे भारी चोटें लगा कर काटना चाहिए और इसके टुकड़े-टुकड़े कर दिए जाने चाहिएं। किन्तु केवल इतना करने से भी पेड़ मारा नहीं जाएगा। इसकी घायल छाल बहुत जल्द ठीक हो जाएगी। कुण्डलाकार हरी-हरी टहनियां धरती के समीप से फिर उगने लगेंगी जहां से इसे काटा और टुकड़े-टुकड़े किया गया है। यह टहनियां दोबारा पहले वाली डालों का आकार धारण कर लेंगी यदि उन्हें बेरोक छोड़ दिया गया ।

पेड़ को मारने के लिए इसकी जड़ को धरती में से उखाड़ कर बाहर निकालना होता है जहां से इसे स्थिरता और सहारा मिला होता है। इसे एक रस्से के साथ बांध कर ज़ोरदार झटके से बाहर निकालना होता है। इसे धरती में से पूरी तरह बाहर निकालना होता है जहां इसने अपने लिए एक गुफा बना ली होती है। पेड़ की जड़ इसकी वास्तविक ताकत होती है। यह गीली और सफ़ेद होती है तथा पेड़ का सबसे संवेदनशील भाग होती है। यह अनेक वर्षों से धरती के अन्दर छिपी होती है। पेड़ को मारने के लिए शक्ति के इस स्रोत को उखाड़ कर बाहर निकालना ज़रूरी होता है।

जब पेड़ की जड़ उखाड़ कर बाहर निकाल ली गई हो, इसे सूखने के लिए धूप में और हवा में छोड़ दिया जाना चाहिए। इसे वहां झुलसने के लिए और दम घुटने के लिए छोड़ दिया जाना चाहिए। इसे वहां तब तक पड़े रहना देना चाहिए जब तक यह भूरे रंग की नहीं हो जाती, सूख कर अकड़ नहीं जाती, बल नहीं खा जाती और मुरझा नहीं जाती। केवल तभी पेड़ को वास्तव में मरा हुआ कहा जा सकता है।

The poet paints the tree as a parasite and as an ugly growth. The tree consumes the earth. It eats up the earth’s nutritious elements. It feeds upon the earth’s crust. In other words, it destroys the earth’s fertility. Leaves sprout out of its leprous hide. In other words, smaller evils keep issuing from a bigger evil. Huge evils can’t be undone by small blows. They will grow again and again and come to their former size. And tree is a symbol of such evil. Thus by using the tree as a symbol of some deep-rooted evil, the poet explains that we can’t end an evil until and unless its very source is found out, exposed and destroyed. The same can be said of an evil. To kill an evil, its source has to be rooted out. All life has to be drained out of it till it is completely dead. No chance should be left of its sprouting again.

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 an And out of its leprous hide

Sprouting leaves.

Explanation : It takes much time to kill a tree. It can’t be done with a simple jab of the knife. The tree has grown slowly by consuming nutritious elements from the earth. It feeds upon the earth’s crust and rises out of it. For years, it keeps absorbing the sunlight, air and water. Leaves sprout out of its hide which looks as if stricken with leprosy.

All the descriptions given by the poet paint the tree as a parasite and an ugly growth. The tree consumes the earth. It eats up the earth’s nutritious elements. It feeds upon the earth’s crust. In other words, it destroys the earth’s fertility. Leaves sprout out of its leprous hide. In other words, smaller evils keep issuing from a bigger evil. Thus the tree has been used as the symbol of some big evil from which more and more evils ensue.

1. Name the poem and the poet.

2. Does it take much time to kill a tree ?

3. What, according to the poet, will not kill a tree ?

4. What does a tree consume ?

5. What does the bark of a tree look like ?

1. The name of the poem is ‘On Killing a Tree’ and the poet is Gieve Patel.

2. Yes, it takes much time to kill a tree.

3. A simple jab of the knife.

4. The earth.

5. It looks like leprous hide.

So hack and chop

But this alone won’t 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.

Explanation : The simple jab of a knife can’t kill a tree. It should, therefore, be hacked and chopped. But even this alone won’t kill the tree. Its bleeding bark will heal very soon. Curled green twigs will begin to rise from near the ground from where it has been chopped and hacked. These twigs will again grow into the size of former boughs if they are left unchecked.

Here again, the tree continues as the symbol of some huge deep-rooted evilHuge evils can’t be undone by small blows. They will grow again and come to their former size.

1. What can’t hacking and chopping do ?

2. What will happen to the bleeding bark ?

3. What will rise from close to the ground ?

4. What does the poet want to show in these lines ?

1. It can’t kill a tree.

2. It will heal very soon.

3. New twigs will rise from close to the ground.

4. The poet wants to show that it is not easy to kill a tree.

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.

Explanation : In order to kill the tree, its root has to be pulled out from earth which acts as its anchor. It has to be tied with a rope and pulled out powerful snap. It has to be pulled out entirely from the earth where it has itself.

(A) (i) What has to be pulled out to kill a tree ?

(ii) Where does the strength of a tree lie ?

(iii) What anchors the root of a tree ?

(B) Choose the most appropriate options:

(i) The word ‘anchoring in the passage is ……. .

(a) a present participle (b) a gerund (c) in present continuous (d) an adjective.

(ii) To kill a tree, its root has to be ……… .

(a) roped (b) tied (c) pulled out of the earth (d) all of these three.

(iii) The thing strongly supporting the tree is……… .

(a) the earth (b) the anchor (c) a strong rope (d) all of the three.

(C) What has to be done to the root in order to kill the tree ?

(A) (i) To kill a tree with certainty, its root has to be pulled out of the earth.

(ii) The strength of a tree lies in its root which is embedded in the earth.

(iii) It is the earth that anchors the root of a tree.

(B) (i) (d) an adjective (ii) (d) all of these three (iii) (a) the earth.

(C) The root is to be roped, tied and pulled out of the earth which has so far w supported it strongly.

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.

Explanation : The root of the tree is its real strength. It is white and wetthe most sensitive part of the tree. It has been hidden inside the earth for five bot001-geeb squid pro sreds of smoo has rise Bor arfgoed and is years. In order to kill the tree, the source has to be pulled out and brought in the open. Thus by using the tree as a symbol of a deep-rooted evil, the poet explains that we can’t end an evil until and unless its very source is found out, exposed and destroyed.

1. What has the root formed under the earth ?

2. How is the strength of the tree exposed ?

3. What is the most sensitive part of a tree ?

4. Where does the root remain hidden for years ?

1. It has formed a cave under the earth.

2. By pulling out its root.

3. Its root.

4. It remains hidden inside the earth.

Then the matter

of scorching and choking

In sun and air,

Browning, hardening,

Twisting, withering,

And then it is done.

Explanation : After the root of the tree has been pulled out, it should be left in the sun and the air to dry. It should be left there to scorch and choke. It should be left there until it browns, hardens, twists and withers. Only then the tree can be said to be really killed.

The same can be said of an evil. To kill an evil, its source has to be rooted out. All life and strength has to be drained out of it till it is completely dead. No chance should be left of its sprouting again.

(A) (i) What should be done after pulling the root out of the earth ?

(ii) What will happen to the roots when they are pulled out ?

(iii) When can you say that a tree has been killed ?

(B) Choose the most appropriate options:

(i) The root has to be ……….. after pulling it out of the earth.

(a) scorched (b) choked (c) both (a) and (b) (d) dried.

(ii) The letters ‘-en’ in the word, ‘harden’, form…….. .

(a) a prefix (b) an emphasis (c) a combination (d) a suffix.

(iii) The killing of a tree is confirmed by the ……. of the root.

(a) complete withering (b) scorching (c) browning (d) hardening.

(C) Give the meaning of the expression – ‘And then it is done’.

(A) (i) After the root has been pulled out of the earth, it is to be scorched and

choked in sun and air.

(ii) The roots then will go through browning, hardening, twisting and withering.

(iii) We can say so only after the root has completely withered away and lost all its sap.

(B) (i) (c) both (a) and (b) (ii) (d) a suffix (iii) (a) complete withering.

(C) This expression means that (you can be sure that) the tree has finally been killed.

Ans.— It is true that growth of a tree is a long process. But the killing of a tree can’t be said to be a long process. It depends on how we are trying to kill it. We can kill it with one stroke if we take it out from the roots. But if we chop its branches or tear its bark, it can begin to grow again after some time.

Ans.— The tree has fed upon the crust of the earth. It has absorbed the sunlight, air and water for years. Thus it has grown slowly into a huge size.

Ans.— The bleeding bark’ means that part of the tree where it has been chopped and the sap is oozing from there. The bark bleeds when the tree is hacked or chopped.

Ans.— It signifies that a tree can’t be killed even by hacking or chopping. It has to be add uprooted completely.

Ans.— By earth-cave, the poet means the cave-like part of the earth which holds the roots of the tree.

Ans.— To kill a tree, it has to be uprooted completely. It should then be left to wither in the sun. Only then can it be killed.

Ans.— The poet has employed a satirical style. He means to say that trees will continue to grow in spite of man’s all efforts to kill them. He satirically says that in order to kill a tree completely, it has to be pulled out from the roots. But should men be so cruel and thoughtless! That is the question.

Ans.— The following words and images in the poem are suggestive of violence :

1.kill a tree

2. jab of the knife

3. hack and chop

4. the bleeding bark

5. pulled out

6. roped, tied

7. snapped out

8. strength of the tree exposed

9. scorching and choking

10. browning, hardening, twisting, withering.”

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