Question

One killing a tree. Write the meanings of the stanza's of the poem.

Answer 1

Name of the poem - On Killing a Tree

By - Gieve Patel

Here is you answer

Stanza 1-  

It takes much……..sprouting leaves.

$\begin{tabular}{c l c | l}\sf Words & \sf Meanings \\ \cline{1-2}\sf jab & \sf To hit something forcefully \\ \sf Feeding upon &\sf to derive nutrition from \\ \sf Leprous hide & \sf discoloured bark of the tree \\ \sf sprouting & \sf giving rise/birth to\\ \end{tabular}$

Explanation of stanza 1 -

In this first stanza poet wants to tell that how we human cut tree for our own greed. It is easy to cut tree as a simple jab of knife is enough  to wipe out its existence. Years of absorption of sunlight, air and water  from which the Earth has made its growth so perfect that  a jab of knife won't do much. It will come out with leaves again and will grow as ever.

Stanza 2

So hack and chop..........To former size.

$\begin{tabular}{c l c | l}\sf Words & \sf Meanings \\ \cline{1-2} \sf hack& \sf cutting with heavy blows \\ \sf chop& \sf cut in piece\\ \sf curled& \sf with twists and graceful moves\\ \sf twigs& \sf tenderly leaves\\ \sf boughs& \sf branches\\ \sf expand& \sf grow in an enormous way\\ \end{tabular}$

Explanation of stanza 2 -

Here, poet tells about different ways of cutting trees. As the jab of knife was not sufficient, the poet advise us to hit the tree severely by hacking and chopping. But it will be not enough to kill it. It will provide pain to the tree. The bark will leak out with its liquid, but over a times it will get healed itself. The tree will be alive with the help of its fighting spirit. It will grow new leaves and boughs. It is not that easy to kill a tree.

Stanza 3

No, the root is............inside the earth.

$\begin{tabular}{c l c | l}\sf Words & \sf Meanings \\ \cline{1-2} \sf anchoring Earth & \sf trees are held securely with the\\ \sf & \sf help of roots in the Earth\\ \sf snapped out & \sf chapped out\\ \sf Earth-cave & \sf the inside of Earth\\ \end{tabular}$

Explanation of stanza 3 -

To kill a tree its roots should be pulled out from the Earth. The main strength of the tree is its roots. To do this, we need to rope the roots , then pull it off from the ground. When roots are out they are exposed to atmosphere and sun. This is the actual start of the death of the tree as the roots of the tree is exposed out from the Earth.

Stanza 4

Then the matter.........then it is done.

$\begin{tabular}{c l c | l}\sf Words & \sf Meanings \\ \cline{1-2} \sf scorching and choking& \sf drying of trees when uprooted\\ \sf browning& \sf colour gradually getting brown\\ \sf withering& \sf the process of decaying\\ \end{tabular}$

Explanation of stanza 4 -

When the roots of the tree are uprooted and exposed out, the sun starts decaying it up by its heat. The heat makes roots choked in the air. Heat makes it brown as it was white before and hardens by soaking all the moisture content. It starts twisting from its actual shape. Finally the tree gives up and dies.

The poet tells how the tree suffers from pain and how harsh our attitude for the ones is which is the beneath of our lives.