English Literature

Grade IX
On Killing a Tree– Question Bank

The poem depicts a clear picture of man’s cruelty towards trees. The poet states that trees are living
things, and we should not cut them. Destroying a tree is like killing a human being. A tree does not die by
just chopping and cutting. It grows again from where it has been cut. It only dies when it is uprooted from
the ground. In the entire poem, the poet mentions the idea of how to kill a tree to make humans feel that
they are doing a heinous crime. The poem shows the destructive nature of humans and the
indestructibility of nature.

Given below is the Question Bank which has been divided into 3 sections. Answer the highlighted
questions given in the beginning.

I. Short Answer Type Questions.

1.What happens to the tree after its bark heals?

2.What are the two important stages for killing a tree?
3.How does the poet create the feelings of sadness in the poem ‘On Killing A Tree’?

II. Answer in 100-150 words:

1. What relationship does the tree have with the earth?
2. Suppose you are a tree. Write a diary entry in about 150 words describing how you were hacked and chopped and
your root was pulled out and how you are inching towards your end.

Summary
“On Killing a Tree” is a sensitive poem. The poet persuades the reader not to
destroy trees and equates it with “killing” a human being. He is explaining very
vividly the process of destruction of nature. He is emphasizing the predicament
we will eventually face, if we continue in this manner. The poet highlights a lot of
moral values. Firstly, it displays the destructive nature of humans. Secondly, it
shows that Mother Nature is inevitable and cannot be destroyed. Thirdly, the tree
Is a symbol of mankind. He says that a plant takes sunlight, water, air and
nutrients from the soil to gradually become a huge tree. It develops a strong trunk
and gets numerous leaves.
Merely cutting the trunk of the tree does not kill it. When a tree is cut, the sap
flows out just like a wounded man bleeds. Once the wound heals, new branches
and tiny leaves grow from there which grow into trees.
In order to destroy a tree, it has to be uprooted. The roots which are white in
colour and are damp due to the moisture that they get from the soil are hidden in
a pit in the Earth. These roots are the most sensitive part of the tree as they bind it
to the earth. In order to kill the tree, these roots have to be detached from the soil.
Once the roots are detached, the tree starts dying. It withers, dries up with the
action of heat and wind, twists, hardens and finally, dies

Section A
I. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
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.
(a) A sharp blow of …………. will not kill a tree.
Answer:
knife

(b) ‘It’ in the above lines refers to ……….

Answer:
a tree.

(c) A tree grows gradually taking nutrition from the soil. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) The word ‘leprous’ is relating to the disease

Answer:
‘leprosy

Question 2.
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.
(a) Humans cut and …………the bark of trees into many pieces.
Answer:
chop

(b) The barks that are cut will bleed and soon
Answer:
heal up

(c) The above lines mean that the tree will survive even after the brutal attack by man, and its branches will expand
again. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) ………….. in the above lines means ‘something very small.

Answer:
‘Miniature’

Question 3.
No,
The root is to be pulled out
Out of the anchoring earth:
It is to be roped, tied,
And pulled out-snapped out
Or pulled out entirely,
Out from the earth-cave,
And the strength of the tree exposed
The source, white and wet,
The most sensitive hidden
For years inside the earth.
(a) In order to kill a tree, it has to be ………..
Answer:
pulled out/uprooted

(b) The ………are the most sensitive and hidden part of the tree.
Answer:
roots

(c) The colour of roots of the trees is dark brown. (True/False)

Answer:
False

(d) ‘Anchoring earth’ in the above stanza implies that the …………. holds the ………..of the trees.
Answer:
‘earth; roots’

Section B
II. Short Answer Type Questions.
Question 1.
What is the effect of hacking and chopping on a tree?
Answer:
A tree cannot be killed by a simple knife attack. Hacking and chopping of a tree make the bark bleed. It is soon
healed and then it grows to its former size. It cannot be killed by these actions alone.

Question 2.
What happens to the tree after its bark heals?

Question 3.
How do the roots look like when these are pulled out?
Answer:
The real strength of the tree lies in its roots. The roots are the most sensitive part of the tree. When these are pulled
out, they are white and wet. But soon, these start to wither and become dried.

Question 4.
“Consuming the earth, rising out of it.” Explain.
Answer:
The poet conveys that a tree grows stronger in the earth. It feeds on the earth rising out of it. It gets its strength
from it. It is not easy to kill the tree by a simple jab of the knife. It is securly attached in the soil.

Question 5.
“So hack and chop. But this alone won’t do it.” What does hack and chop do to a tree?
Answer:
The poet says that it is not an easy task to kill a tree. A simple jab of the knife will not do any harm. It does not cause
much pain to it. It only wounds the bark and does not kill the tree. It will grow again.
Question 6.
“Which, if unchecked, will expand again to former size”. What will expand to its former size?
Answer:
The poet says that chopping of a tree does not kill it. It only bleeds the branches. They soon heal up and rise again. If
the miniature boughs are left unchecked, they soon expand and become a huge tree.

Question 7.
What are the two important stages for killing a tree?

Question 8.
How does the poet create the feelings of sadness in the poem ‘On Killing A Tree’?
Question 9.
What does the killing of a tree symbolize?
Answer:
The killing of a tree symbolizes the killing of a habit. Like a tree, habit grows stronger with the passing years. Jt can’t
be given up in one stroke. It takes much time to give up a habit. It has to be given up with strong determination.

Question 10.
“The strength of the tree exposed.” Explain.
Answer:
Roots are the strength of the tree. So long as the roots are safe, the tree is safe. It cannot be killed. Once the roots
are pulled out and exposed to the sun and the air, they wither and the tree is finally killed.

Question 11.
‘And then it is done,’ what does this mean?
Answer:
The tree is killed by uprooting. Its roots have to be pulled out of the earth and exposed to the sun and the air. The
roots get twisted and wither in the scorching heat. It finally kills the tree. It means if we find the core of the problem,
we may be able to solve it.

Section C
III. Long Answer Type Questions.

1. How does a tree grow up?

Answer: A tree takes years together to grow to its full size. After sprouting out from the surface of the earth from a
seed it grows gradually. Its root nurtures it by drawing nutrients from deep under the earth. Sunlight, air, and water
further nourish it. Out of its bark, tender green branches shoot out and leaves grow all over them. After a long span
of time, the tree stands so strong and sturdy that it can survive even the wounds inflicted with a knife. In fact,
chopping and hacking are not sufficient to kill it as the wounds get healed. Branches appear again even from the
stump and in due course attain their original size. As long as the root of the tree remains intact under the earth, the
tree keeps growing.

2. What relationship does the tree have with the earth?

3. What does the root of the tree look like when it is pulled out of the earth-cave? What happens to it when it is
left exposed? (MODEL)

Answer: The root of the tree is moist and white when it is pulled out of its hiding, the earth-cave. It is very tender
and delicate as it has remained concealed for years together, away from sunlight and air. The root cannot tolerate
the light and heat of the sun and the open air. When it is left exposed, it feels scorched and choked in the sun and
the air. Initially, it starts changing its colour and becomes somewhat brown. Then it starts losing its tenderness. It
becomes hard and its suppleness declines. Gradually, it withers away and becomes gnarled and twisted. Ultimately,
life is completely drained out of it and it leads to the death of the whole tree. This is how exposure robs first the root
and then the entire tree of its life.

4. What would happen if the tree is hacked and chopped?

Answer: If the tree is hacked and chopped and left as such with the root of the tree neither dugout nor injured, the
root will continue to provide nourishment to the stump of the tree. This stump will then be covered with tender
twigs that will sprout out of its surface. If these twigs are not pruned or hacked or chopped, they will keep on
growing and eventually, with the passage of time, the tree will grow to its original size. The wounded bark of the tree
will get healed and the tree will be as big as it was earlier. The threat to its life will be overcome and hacking or
chopping will fail to kill the tree. The safe root will rescue and resuscitate the tree and help it to regain its lost glory.

5. Suppose you are a tree. Write a diary entry in about 150 words describing how you were hacked and chopped
and your root was pulled out and how you are inching towards your end.

6. Trees are our lifeline. So, they must not be killed. Write your suggestions on how trees can be protected.

Answer: Trees have great importance in our life. They teach us that life is made for others. They bear fruit for others
and provide shelter to them. All creatures are equal in their eyes. Besides, trees take several years to become fully
grown up. When they are full-grown, they enhance the beauty of nature. But we are recklessly cutting down trees
for our selfish needs. We have to check this useless cutting of trees. We have to make strict rules and protect them.
The government should also come forward in this regard. The forest should be declared protected areas and people
must be encouraged to plant more trees. They should be made aware of how trees are valuable for human beings.
On the other hand, we should organise ourselves in some groups or associations and prohibit people from cutting
down trees. Moreover, everybody should develop a love for trees.

7. Write why people cut trees. Are there other alternatives to trees for them?

Answer: People have several requirements which can be fulfilled by trees. They get wood for fire and furniture from
trees. They get various kinds of medicine and fruits. The tribal people are completely dependent on trees, but they
never cut them. But the common people cut trees as they have no alternatives. But they should not cut down trees
and spoil the beauty of nature. Moreover, they should discover other sources to fulfil their needs. They should be
encouraged to use steel sheets in their doors and windows. The tribal people should be given every support to
decrease their dependence on trees. They should be made responsible to protect trees in their areas and plant more
trees. Besides, people should be made aware of the environmental problems which are created after cutting down
trees. We have to protect trees at any cost.

8. Describe the growth of a tree in detail with reference to the poem.

Answer: The poet, Gieve Patel describes how a tree grows in the first stanza of his poem “On Killing a Tree”.
According to him, the tree grows slowly consuming the earth firmly. It absorbs sunlight, air and water from nature
for years to make food with these nutrients. But a tree heals its wounds by hacking and chopping to rise miniature
boughs into full size itself again. Thus, a tree grows slowly by absorbing years of sunlight, air and water.