(On Killing a Tree)

Why does it take ‘much time to kill a tree’? How is the tree finally killed?

Since birth, the tree slowly consumes the nutrients from the earth. It has been absorbing sunlight, air and water so as to grow to its full size. The words which suggest a tree’s life and activity are

as follows: consuming the earth, rising out of it, feeding Upon its crust, absorbing sunlight, air, water for years and sprouting leaves. • It is not easy to kill a tree because it has deep roots. So, a stab of the knife or hacking and chopping the tree cannot kill it. To kill a tree the root has to be pulled out. It has to be scorched and choked in the sun and air so that it becomes brown, hard, twisted and dry. Only then does a tree die? So it takes much time and effort to kill a tree.

“And out of its leprous hide/Sprouting leaves.”-What does the expression ‘leprous hide’ refer to? What does ‘its leprous hide’ bear? What is the significance of the expression? Bring out the irony suggested here.

Describe in detail the growth of a tree, as stated in the first stanza of the poem, ‘On Killing a Tree.

“So hack and chop/But this alone won’t do it.”-What does ‘it’ refer to? Why won’t hacking and chopping do it?

How does the tree in ‘On Killing a Tree’ heal itself?

“But this alone won’t do it.”-What does this’ refer to? Why won’t this be able to do it? What is to be done to do’it completely?

“No, / The root is to be pulled out—”—What does the word “No’ suggest? What are the methods used by man to completely destroy a tree?

“The source, white and wet, /The most sensitive, hidden” What does the word ‘source’ refer to here? How does the poet describe the root and its function?

Explain: “And then it is done”.

How does the poet describe the killing of a tree in the poem, ‘On Killing a Tree’?

Why does the poet describe the killing of a tree in such graphie detail?

What is the message of the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’ according to you? Explain.

‘On Killing a Tree’ is an ironical poem.- Justify.