“And then it is done.”-Explain how it is done.
The tree has a life of its own and man out of greed and selfishness wants to destroy it completely. Man realises that since the tree has grown for years slowly consuming the earth, therefore it cannot be killed with a simple jab of the knife. The tree will overcome ‘hacking and chopping’ by growing small stems which will give the tree life again. So by creating a deep cavity in earth man pulls out the root which is the strength of the tree. Thereafter they further subject it to various processes for commercial purposes. They scorch and choke the tree in the sun and air, and then make it undergo the process of browning and hardening. At last, they triumphantly say that “it is done”.
“And then it is done.”-Explain how it is done.”The source, white and wet,/The most sensitive, hidden/ For years inside the earth.”—How does the poet describe the source and its functions?
In ‘On Killing a Tree’ written by Gieve Patel, the source is described as ‘white and wet’, ‘most sensitive and hidden’. The source is ‘white’ as it does not get sunlight, ‘wet’ because it soaks water from the soil. The root is ‘sensitive because a slight attack to it can affect the tree and ‘hidden’ because it always remains under the soil.
The source or the root gives strength to a tree and supplies water and minerals to the other parts of a tree, thereby helping a tree in its survival.
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