Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • On Killing A Tree

    Uploaded by

    Esther Abraham
    1K views8 pages
    The poem "On Killing A Tree" by Gieve Patel discusses how difficult it is to truly kill a tree. It can regrow from cuts, so to destroy it, one must uproot it entirely. The poet equates trees to humans to convey they should not be cut. Real strength lies in a tree's roots, so to kill it, one must completely remove the roots from the earth. However, the roots must also be dried in the sun to sever their connection to nutrients in the ground, otherwise the tree may survive being uprooted. The poet aims to create awareness that trees are living creatures deserving protection, like animals.

    Original Description:

    Original Title

    On-Killing-A-Tree

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    The poem "On Killing A Tree" by Gieve Patel discusses how difficult it is to truly kill a tree. It can regrow from cuts, so to destroy it, one must uproot it entirely. The poet equates trees to humans to convey they should not be cut. Real strength lies in a tree's roots, so to kill it, one must completely remove the roots from the earth. However, the roots must also be dried in the sun to sever their connection to nutrients in the ground, otherwise the tree may survive being uprooted. The poet aims to create awareness that trees are living creatures deserving protection, like animals.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    1K views8 pages

    On Killing A Tree

    Uploaded by

    Esther Abraham
    The poem "On Killing A Tree" by Gieve Patel discusses how difficult it is to truly kill a tree. It can regrow from cuts, so to destroy it, one must uproot it entirely. The poet equates trees to humans to convey they should not be cut. Real strength lies in a tree's roots, so to kill it, one must completely remove the roots from the earth. However, the roots must also be dried in the sun to sever their connection to nutrients in the ground, otherwise the tree may survive being uprooted. The poet aims to create awareness that trees are living creatures deserving protection, like animals.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 8

    Before You Read :

    a. Have ever tried chopping a dead tree?


    b. Have you seen an uprooted tree?
    c. How long can the roots of a big tree grow?
    On Killing A Tree
    Gieve Patel
    (1940)

    OBJECTIVES :
    • Critical Appreciation of the poem
    • Identifying Figure of Speech, Rhyme Scheme
    • Developing the skills of recitation
    • How to write a poem
    • Enhancing Vocabulary
    On Killing A Tree
    Gieve Patel
    (1940)

    Gieve Patel is an Indian poet, playwright,


    painter, as well as a practising physician. He
    belongs to a group of writers who have
    subscribed themselves to the 'Green
    Movement' which is involved in an effort to
    protect the environment. His poems speak of
    deep concerns for nature and expose man's
    cruelty to it.
    On Killing A Tree
    Gieve Patel

    Introduction :
    The poet reveals that it is difficult to kill a tree by merely cutting it because
    it regrows from where it is cut. If it has to be destroyed, then it has to be
    uprooted. The poet sensitizes the reader and highlights the fact that trees are
    living things. He equates trees with humans to convey that trees should not
    be cut because destroying trees is just like killing a human being. The poet
    insists time and again that it is not as easy to kill a tree as we think it to be.
    He reveals that real strength of a tree lies in its roots. So the poet suggests
    that to kill a tree, it has to completely uprooted. He then advises not to be
    complacent even after uprooting the tree as it may not die if the roots are
    connected to the earth. So the roots are to be dried under the sun thereby,
    snapping away the supply of nutrients.

    It is to create an awareness in the minds of people that


    trees are as much living creatures as animals.
    On Killing A Tree
    Gieve Patel
    Theme – Human attitude towards nature

    Speaker – A narrator (may be the poet himself)

    Figure of Speech
    Alliteration: Bleeding bark - ‘b’ sound, White and wet - ‘w’ sound

    Metaphor : Leprous hide - the uneven colour of the surface of the trunk of a tree
    is compared to the skin of a person suffering from leprosy. Bleeding bark

    Repetition: ‘Pulled out’ is repeated

    Enjambment (End-stop is the Antonym) : A sentence in a poem continues to the


    next line without any punctuation mark. (to attain pace or speed, to convey
    multiple ideas)

    Scheme : Free-verse
    On Killing A Tree
    Gieve Patel

    Word Meaning
    Jab: sudden rough blow
    Leprous hide: discoloured bark
    Hack : cut roughly by striking heavy blows
    Anchoring earth: trees are held securely with the help of the roots in the
    earth
    Snapped out: chopped out
    Scorching and the drying up of the tree after being uprooted
    choking:
    On Killing A Tree
    Gieve Patel

    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. 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 heal and from there new branches
    start growing again. The poet says that in order to kill the tree, it has to be uprooted.
    One has to separate the tree from the Earth which supports it. The roots of the tree bind
    the tree with the soil in the pit of the Earth. From there, the most sensitive and hidden
    part of the tree - the roots have to be detached. The roots are white in colour and are
    damp. The poet says that in order to kill the tree, it has to be uprooted. One has to
    separate the tree from the Earth which supports it. The roots of the tree bind the tree
    with the soil in the pit of the Earth. From there, the most sensitive and hidden part of
    the tree - the roots have to be detached. The roots are white in colour and are damp.
    Save Trees
    Save Life

    You might also like