Class 9 English Solutions SEBA| Poem: On Killing a Tree

 

Poem: On Killing a Tree

Class 9 English Beehive — Summary, Q&A, MCQs & Solutions

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Summary (Assamese / সাৰাংশ)

'On Killing a Tree' হ'ল জীভ পেটেল (Gieve Patel) ৰ দ্বাৰা ৰচিত এক অতি শক্তিশালী আৰু প্ৰকৃতি-সচেতনতামূলক কবিতা। এই কবিতাত কবিয়ে এক ব্যংগাত্মক (ironic) শৈলীৰ জৰিয়তে গছ কাটি ধ্বংস কৰা মানুহৰ নিষ্ঠুৰ মানসিকতাক প্ৰতিফলিত কৰিছে।

কবিয়ে কৈছে যে এডাল গছক কেৱল এখন কটাৰীৰ সামান্য আঘাতৰ (simple jab) দ্বাৰা হত্যা কৰাটো সম্ভৱ নহয়। এডাল গছে পৃথিৱীৰ বুকুত বহু বছৰ ধৰি সূৰ্যৰ পোহৰ, বায়ু আৰু পানী শোষণ কৰি লাহে লাহে ডাঙৰ-দীঘল হয়। যদি গছ এডালৰ ওপৰত কুঠাৰেৰে আঘাত কৰা হয় বা তাৰ ডাল-পালবোৰ কাটি দিয়া হয়, তেন্তে ইয়াৰ বাকলিৰ পৰা তেজৰ দৰে আঠা ওলাই যদিও গছজোপা মৰি নাযায়। কিছু সময়ৰ পিছত এই আঘাত নিৰাময় হয় আৰু তাৰ পৰা পুনৰ সৰু সৰু নতুন সেউজীয়া ডাল-পাত ওলাই গছজোপাই পূৰ্বৰ ৰূপ ঘূৰাই পায়।

কবিতাটোৰ মতে, গছ এডাল সম্পূৰ্ণৰূপে ধ্বংস কৰিবলৈ হ'লে ইয়াক শিপাৰ সৈতে পৃথিৱীৰ গহ্বৰৰ (earth cave) পৰা উভালি পেলাব লাগিব। গছৰ প্ৰকৃত শক্তি ইয়াৰ বগা আৰু সেমেকা শিপাবোৰত থাকে। যেতিয়া এই শিপাবোৰ মাটিৰ তলৰ পৰা উলিয়াই ৰ'দ আৰু বতাহত শুকুৱাই পেলোৱা হয়, তেতিয়া লাহে লাহে ই টান আৰু মটীয়া ৰং ধৰে। অৱশেষত উশাহ বন্ধ হৈ গছজোপা সম্পূৰ্ণৰূপে মৰহি যায় আৰু ইয়াৰ মৃত্যু ঘটে। এই কবিতাটোৰ জৰিয়তে কবিয়ে আমাক বনধ্বংসৰ বিৰুদ্ধে সজাগ হ'বলৈ বাৰ্তা দিছে।

Word Meaning (English → Assamese)

English Word	Assamese Meaning (অৰ্থ)
Jab	হঠাৎ কৰা আঘাত / খোঁচ
Crust	পৃথিৱীৰ উপৰিভাগ / বাকলি
Absorbing	শোষণ কৰা
Sprouting	অংকুৰিত হোৱা / পোখা মেলা
Hacking	কুঠাৰেৰে টুকুৰা-টুকুৰ কৰি কটা
Bleeding Bark	আঘাতৰ ফলত গছৰ পৰা ওলোৱা আঠা বা ৰস
Anchoring Earth	গছক খোপনি ধৰি ৰখা মাটি
Earth Cave	মাটিৰ তলৰ গহ্বৰ য'ত শিপা থাকে
Scorching	তীব্ৰ উত্তাপত শুকুৱাই পেলোৱা
Withering	মৰহি যোৱা / শুকাই যোৱা

Exact NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

Thinking about the Poem

1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?

Answer: No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree. It is because a tree takes years to grow by slowly consuming the earth and absorbing sunlight, air, and water, building up deep-rooted strength that cannot be destroyed by a single minor wound.

2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.

Answer: The tree has grown to its full size by feeding upon the earth's crust, absorbing years of sunlight, air, and water, and rising gradually out of the ground. The words suggestive of its life and activity are: consuming, rising, feeding, absorbing, and sprouting.

3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?

Answer: "Bleeding bark" refers to the oozing of a liquid sap from the area of the tree trunk where it has been wounded or cut. The cruel human actions of hacking and chopping the tree with heavy blows make it bleed.

4. The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?

Answer: By saying "No", the poet emphasizes that mere hacking, chopping, or a casual strike with a knife is absolutely not enough to kill a tree completely. The tree has a strong resilience to survive such surface-level attacks.

5. What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?

Answer: "Anchoring earth" means the soil that holds the tree's roots firmly and securely, preventing it from falling. "Earth cave" refers to the deep protective hollow or pit inside the ground where the roots lie hidden for years.

6. What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?

Answer: The true strength of a tree lies in its hidden roots. When the roots are completely pulled out of the ground, the internal life support system and the real strength of the tree are exposed to the environment.

7. What finally kills the tree?

Answer: The tree is finally killed when its pulled-out roots are subjected to scorching heat and choking air, making them brown, hard, twisted, and completely withered until all signs of life vanish.

Important MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. Who is the poet of the poem 'On Killing a Tree'?

• (A) Robert Frost
• (B) Gieve Patel
• (C) Edward Lear
• (D) Coates Kinney

Answer: (B) Gieve Patel

2. What heals the bleeding bark of a wounded tree?

• (A) Human care
• (B) Time and nature
• (C) Heavy rain
• (D) Chemical fertilizers

Answer: (B) Time and nature

3. What rises from close to the ground if a tree is only chopped at the surface?

• (A) Dead leaves
• (B) Curled green twigs
• (C) Poisonous insects
• (D) Thick dry bark

Answer: (B) Curled green twigs

4. Where does the real strength of the tree lie hidden?

• (A) In its leaves
• (B) In its branches
• (C) In its roots
• (D) In its fruits

Answer: (C) In its roots

5. How are the roots of the tree described in the poem?

• (A) Black and dry
• (B) Red and tough
• (C) White and wet
• (D) Green and soft

Answer: (C) White and wet

6. To kill a tree completely, what must be done to the root?

• (A) It must be watered daily
• (B) It must be entirely pulled out of the earth
• (C) It must be covered with more soil
• (D) It must be painted

Answer: (B) It must be entirely pulled out of the earth

7. What is the tone of the poem 'On Killing a Tree'?

• (A) Joyful and happy
• (B) Ironical and critical
• (C) Humorous
• (D) Romantic

Answer: (B) Ironical and critical

Additional Questions & Answers

Q1. Why does the poet describe the process of killing a tree in such systematic detail?

Answer: The poet describes the process of killing a tree in meticulous detail to create an ironical impact. He wants to highlight the cruelty and insensitivity of humans toward nature. By showing how tough it is to destroy a life form like a tree, he implicitly appeals to readers to stop deforestation.

Q2. What is the central theme of the poem 'On Killing a Tree'?

Answer: The central theme of the poem is man's destructive attitude toward nature and the remarkable resilience of a tree. The poem shows that nature cannot be destroyed easily; it possesses a great capacity to heal and regenerate unless humans root it out completely with planned cruelty.

Q3. Explain how the sun and air play a role in finally killing the tree.

Answer: Once the tree is uprooted, its roots are vulnerable. The sun and air, which previously gave life to the tree, now act as destructive agents. The intense heat of the sun scorches the roots, and the air chokes them, causing them to turn brown, harden, and wither away completely.