(A1) () Find proof from the poem for the following.
(a) The poet has mentioned different seasons.
(b) The poet's minute observations of the steady growth of the cherry tree.
(c) The colour imagery in the poem.
(d) The struggle of the cherry tree for survival
Answers
Answer:
- That small, the cherry, grown by me. SUMMERY: Cherry Tree is a poem about the ecstasy of the poet over a cherry plant which he has seeded eight years ago. In the poem, Bond expresses his wonder at the ways of nature and how it takes care of itself to survive against all odds.
Answer:
The best way to present evidence from a poem is by either quoting words or phrases directly from the text or by expressing the same in your own words.
(i) Find proof:
(a) The poet has mentioned different seasons.
The poet mentions ‘that summer near the end of May’, ‘monsoon blight’ and ‘Next spring’. Thus, there are direct references to the summer, monsoon and spring seasons. The poet seems to use Kashmir to refer to winters, but it is not very clear.
(b) The poet's minute observations of the steady growth of the cherry .
The poet has described the growth of the cherry tree in great detail, comparing it to a ‘five months child’, who is ‘very small’ and ‘lost’. He even notices that the leaves have been eaten by the goats and that grass cutter has split the plant into two halves.
He is aware of how the ‘monsoon blight’ has affected the health of the plant. The poet witnesses ‘three new shoots’ growing upwards. Finally, he comes face to face with a full grown dark, ‘six feet high’ cherry tree.
(c) The colour imagery in the poem.
The colour imagery includes the poet’s description of the cherry tree as ‘my own dark cherry’, the description of a berry as ‘jeweled in the sun’ (which suggests redness and lustre), the ‘pink’ blossoms, the ‘blue sky’ and the ‘dappled green’(of the tree).
(d) The struggle of the cherry tree for survival.
The cherry tree had to fight for survival in terms of finding enough water (when the poet forgot to water it), sufficient sunlight (for the tree seemed to lust for light and air and sun) and being safe from the goats, the weather and the grass cutter’s blade.
(ii) True or False.
(a) The cherry tree did not take long to grow. False.
The cherry tree took eight long years to grow. ‘Eight year have passed’.(b) Birds and insects were benefitted from the tree. True.
The tree was home to many species, including insects and birds. The finches flew in and out of the tree, the bees enjoyed drinking the ‘nector from each bloom’ while the poet reports that he enjoyed the company of the ‘moon-moths and singing crickets’.
(c) The poet was exalted at the sight of the cherry tree. True.
In fact, the sight of the tree made him feel ‘richer’ and gave him a sense of pride, for he calls it ‘my own dark cherry’.
(d) The poem has an underlying message about the importance of trees. True.
The fact the insects, birds and poets enjoyed the tree shows the importance of the tree in the ecology. Towards the end of the poem, the poet even ‘praised Night and Stars and tree’, thus expressing his gratitude for the tree.
(e) The poet repents planting the cherry tree. False.
On the contrary, the poet is grateful for the cherry tree that has ‘grown’ by him, keeping him company.
Explanation: