A. Answer the following questions.
1. What are the hardships the cherry tree faced while growing?
2. Why is the tree referred to as a small, five months child?
3. What did the speaker see on his return from Kashmir?
4. How does the poet describe the cherry blossoms?
5. Name the visitors to the cherry tree?
(poem: The cherry tree)
(poet: Ruskin bond)
Answers
Explanation:
Ans 1- The difficulties that the cherry tree face in growing up were that- it was not watered. It was suppressed by the tall, wild grass. Goats ate it's leaves. Grass cutter scythe it and split it apart.
Ans 2- It was very small, five months child,
Lost in the tall grass running wild”.
These lines accurately describe the status of the cherry plant as compared to its surroundings. So, while some plants, like the cherry plant in its younger days are small, there are other plants, like the grass which are tall. This shows the variety in nature.
Ans 4- The poet describes just how delicate the cherry blossoms are. They fall even when the mildest of breeze blows, which is the gentlest type of breeze that can make anyone fall asleep. This imagery of the poet lying on the ground and peeking at the sky through the leaves is simple yet beautiful.
Ans 5- One day he found a bright green praying mantis perched on a branch, peering at him with bulging eyes. Rakesh let it remain there; it was the cherry tree's first visitor. The next visitor was a hairy caterpillar, who started making a meal of the leaves. Rakesh removed it quickly and dropped it on a heap of dry leaves.