“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.

• Leaves grow from its ‘leprous hide! 

• The poet here personifies the tree by describing its bark as ‘leprous. He uses a medical term to personify the tree.

• The expression is ironical. Leprosy usually eats away the body and hampers normal growth. But here, the leprous hide is a source of growth. It bears the leaves that produce food. It is not a symbol (image) of decay (fr), but of growing life. This kind of image certainly makes the poem a modern one.