(A) (1) Write the poem 'Cherry Tree' in the form of a story.
(ii) Write in 100 words what the cherry tree in the poem symbolises.
(iii) You have studied the lesson 'The Call of the Soil' from prose 1.3. Compare
'Cherry Tree' with 'The Call of the Soil' and find out the element of joy
of nurturing for the author and the poet.
Answers
Answer:
Eight years ago, when I wanted to grow a tree for myself, I had planted a cherry seed. It was just a fleeting desire, because I watered it only once and then forgot all about it. Then one year, during summers I spotted a tiny plant growing in the exact spot where I had placed the cherry seed. I realised that cherries are very determined plants and can somehow grow without any care or attention. The sapling was like a small baby, growing in the middle of a tuft of tall wild grass. Like an uncared for child, the plant too had to face a lot of challenges. While goats chewed up the leaves, the person cutting the grass also ended up cutting the plant in half. The monsoons followed, causing blight, a disease that ruined the health of the plant further. And yet, when spring came, the plant had the strength to support three shoots. It had survived the ordeal and was now longing to reach out for its fair share of sunlight and air.
There wasn’t much I could do for the tree. So I simply sat back and waited. Over time, the rain(nature) miraculously nourished the impoverished tree. I then had to go to Kashmir for a while. When I came back, I was in a bad state. My stay in Kashmir had not gone as expected. I had lost both money and health. But when I was greeted by an impressive six feet tall dark brown cherry tree at home, I was overjoyed. Even more beautiful was the fact that the tree bore just one cherry. It shone like a gem in the sunlight. The following year the tree put forth flowers. The wind seemed to play with these delicate pink coloured blossoms. Even the mildest breeze could make them fall onto the ground.
One evening I was relaxing on the grass under the cherry tree. I looked up and saw the sky through the spaces in the leaves. The finches seemed to be enjoying too, while the bees were feasting on the nectar from the flowers. Dusk changed to night and the insects of the night like the moon moths and crickets made their presence felt. It suddenly felt that these creatures and I were all enjoying everything about nature - the beauty of the night, the light of the stars and the company of the cherry tree beside me. That one tree made me ever so grateful towards nature.
Answer:
Once
Explanation: