“On Killing a Tree” is a perfect poem to show the real picture of modern society where trees are being cut down unnecessarily without any hesitation. People are not thinking about their future. They don’t have any sympathy for nature. In the poem “On Killing a Tree”, it is shown how a tree is killed. Let’s discuss 38 Questions and their answers.
On Killing A Tree – Short Questions and Answers
1. Who wrote the poem, ‘On Killing A tree”?
Indian poet Gieve Patel wrote the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’.
2. Why does it take much time to kill a tree?
It takes much time to kill a tree as the tree is deep-rooted and needs a lot of effort to destroy it.
3. How, according to Gieve Patel, has the tree grown?
The tree has grown slowly by consuming the earth, feeding off its crust, and absorbing years of sunlight, air, and water.
4. What looks like a ‘leprous hide’?
A tree’s bark looks like a ‘leprous hide’.
5. How does Patel describe the tree?
The author of ‘On Killing a Tree’, Gieve Patel, describes the hide of the tree as ‘leprous’.
6. What would not kill the tree alone?
Hacking and chopping alone would not kill the tree.
7. What does the phrase, ‘bleeding bark’, suggest?
The phrase ‘bleeding bark’ suggests that the tree also bleeds like a human being when it is chopped.
8. What is the future of miniature boughs?
Miniature boughs expand again to the former size. It is the future of miniature boughs.
9. How does the poet point out the resilience of nature?
The poet points out the resilience of nature by showing how the bleeding bark of the tree heals its wound and bounces back to its former size.
10. ‘The root is to be pulled out.’ – Why is it necessary for the root to be pulled out?
It is necessary for the root to be pulled out, as the uprooting of a tree can kill it.
11. What does the phrase ‘earth cave’ refer to?
The phrase ‘earth cave’ refers to the gaping hole in the earth when the roots are pulled out.
12. What does the poet describe by ‘The source, white and wet’?
By using the expression ‘The source, white and wet, ‘ the poet, Gieve Patel, describes the roots of a tree.
13. What are the steps to be followed after uprooting for the complete annihilation of a tree?
The steps to be followed after uprooting the tree are scorching and choking in the sun and air, then browning, hardening, twisting, and withering.
14. What human activity is really ironical in Gieve Patel’s poem, ‘On Killing a Tree’?
The fact that man destroys nature that nourishes human civilization is really ironical.
15. What scorch and choke the tree after it is pulled out?
After the tree is pulled out, the sun and air scorch and choke the tree.
16. What does the poet mean by ‘It takes much time to kill a tree’?
By the statement ‘It takes much time to kill a tree,’ the poet means to say that killing a tree is not a simple or easy task.
17. What does the expression ‘leprous hide’, in Gieve Patel’s poem ‘On Killing a Tree’, refer to?
In Gieve Patel’s poem,’On Killing a Tree,’ the expression ‘leprous hide’ refers to the pale and rough bark of a tree.
18. How does a tree grow?
As pointed out by Gieve Patel in his poem ‘On Killing a Tree,’ a tree grows slowly by consuming the nutrients from the earth and absorbing sunlight, air, and water for years.
19. What term does Gieve Patel employ to highlight the suffering of a tree?
Gieve Patel uses the term ‘bleeding’ to highlight the suffering of the tree.
20. What is the function of the curled green twigs?
The function of the curled green twigs is to rise from close to the ground and expand again.
21. “It is to be roped”-What is to be roped?
The tree is to be roped.
22. What is referred to as ‘the strength of the tree’ in the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’?
The root of the tree is referred to as ‘the strength of the tree’ in the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’.
23. What remains ‘hidden / For years inside the earth’?
The roots of a tree remain ‘hidden / For years inside the earth’.
24. What do you mean by ‘a simple jab of the knife’?
The phrase ‘a simple jab of the knife’ means only a quick stab with a knife.
25. Why can’t a simple jab of the knife kill a tree?
A simple jab of the knife cannot kill the tree as it has grown by consuming nutrients from the earth, and it is deep-rooted.
26. What does the expression ‘consuming the earth’ mean in ‘On Killing a Tree’?
The expression ‘consuming the earth’ means using up the resources of the earth, absorbing water and minerals from the soil.
27. What does ‘crust’ mean?
The word ‘crust’ means the top layer of the earth.
28. What does the poet mean to say by the expression, ‘But this alone won’t do it’?
By the expression ‘But this alone won’t do it,’ the poet means to say that simply hacking and chopping cannot kill a tree.
29. What does the poet mean by ‘Not so much pain will do it.’?
By the quoted expression, the poet means that hacking and chopping can inflict much pain to the tree but will not be able to kill it.
30. What would happen if the development of miniature boughs of a chopped tree is not checked?
If the development of miniature boughs of a chopped tree is not checked, they will expand into a full-grown tree of the former size.
31. “No, / The root is to be pulled out” – What does the word ‘No’ suggest here?
Here, the word ‘No’ suggests that all the violent steps of knife-jabbing, hacking, and chopping cannot kill a tree completely.
32. What does the phrase, ‘anchoring earth’ mean?
The phrase, ‘anchoring earth,’ suggests that the roots of the tree have sunk firmly into the earth, holding the tree securely.
33. Explain the image suggested by ‘anchoring earth’?
As an anchor keeps a boat or ship firmly in one place in the water, the roots of a tree hold it firmly fixed in the earth.
34. When does the strength of a tree get exposed?
When a tree is pulled out of the earth after being tied with a rope, its strength gets exposed.
35. In what verse form is the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’ written?
The poem, ‘On Killing a Tree, ‘ is written in free verse.
36. What type of poem is ‘On Killing a Tree’?
‘On Killing a Tree’ is an ironical poem, written in free verse.
37. How is the role of the nourishing sun reversed after the tree is uprooted?
After the tree is uprooted, the role of the nourishing sun is reversed to a destructive force.
38. What are the processes helped by the sun and air?
Scorching and choking of a tree are the processes helped by the sun and air.
Suggestion for you
1. On Killing a Tree – Summary
2. On Killing a Tree – Questions and Answers