symmery of poem on killing a tree.
written by _ gieve Patel.
class 9
poem 8
Answers
This poem paints a vivid and brutal picture of what is involved in killing a tree, but I think there can be a deeper meaning as well. The poet uses strong images to show that it takes quite a bit of doing to kill a tree. It is not enough to merely hack it with an ax. One must pull it up by the roots too eliminate it. Only then will it die in the “scorching and choking sun and air.” A full-grown tree has taken a long time to get to its present state. It has been fed by the earth for years, absorbing “sunlight, air, water” and if one merely “hacks and chops” off the branches, it will grow back. No. What needs to be done is to pull it out by the roots, separate it from its source of nourishment, the earth. How to do that? Tie a rope around it, pull it out completely, expose its strength (the roots), and let the “strength” dry up and die.
There are all sorts of things that this could be compared to, I think. For one thing, in Christian theology, there are many references to “the vine and the branches”. Christians believe that Jesus is the vine, and his people are the branches. When the branches are disconnected from the vine, they die. They do not have enough strength on their own to survive. In Native American beliefs, when the people are removed from their land, they cannot live. The land nourishes them and is their “root”.
Or, what if we are talking about a human being? Let’s say the “root” is love. What would happen to us if love were removed from our lives? What if it were a love that had been growing for a long time? A few little “stabs or hacks” would not destroy that love, something drastic would have to be done, perhaps betrayal, and then the love would die because the trust, which is the root of the love.
Explanation
It takes much time to kill a tree,
Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it. It has grown
Slowly consuming the earth,
Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
Years of sunlight, air, water,
And out of its leprous hide
Sprouting leaves.
Jab: sudden rough blow
Leprous hide: discoloured bark
A simple cut does not destroy a tree. A tree grows gradually, it is rooted in the soil. A plant takes nutrition from the soil to grow into a big tree. The tree is firmly bound with the soil. It takes in sunlight, water and air to grow into a strong trunk and have numerous leaves.
So hack and chop
But this alone won't do it.
Not so much pain will do it.
The bleeding bark will heal
And from close to the ground
Will rise curled green twigs,
Miniature boughs
Which if unchecked will expand again
To former size.
Hack: cut roughly by striking heavy blows
Humans cut and chop the bark of trees into many pieces but that is not sufficient to destroy the tree. The point of the tree which gets cut gives out sap just like a human being bleeds. Gradually, this would heals and from there new branches start growing again.