On Killing a Tree

 

On Killing a Tree

 

Introduction

“On Killing a Tree” is a powerful and thought-provoking poem by Gieve Patel that highlights the cruelty of human beings towards nature. The poet explains that killing a tree is not an easy or simple act, as a tree symbolizes life, strength, and continuity. Through vivid imagery, the poem conveys a strong message about environmental destruction and the need to respect and protect nature.

Themes

Cruelty of Humans towards Nature

The poem shows how human beings ruthlessly destroy trees without understanding their value or pain.

Strength and Resilience of Nature

A tree represents life and endurance. Even after being cut, it struggles to survive, showing nature’s powerful will to live.

Man–Nature Conflict

The poem highlights the conflict between human greed and the natural world, where humans act as destroyers instead of protectors.

Summary

The poem “On Killing a Tree” describes the process of completely destroying a tree, but ironically aims to create awareness about the importance of trees. By equating trees with human beings, the poet highlights their strong survival instinct and resilience. He uses human attributes like pain, bleeding, and killing to show that cutting a tree is as cruel as killing a human. Through harsh words such as hacking, chopping, and scorching, the poet exposes human cruelty towards nature and urges readers to introspect and protect the environment.

Message:

Trees are important components of Earth's ecosystem. They provide not only food to humans and other living beings, but also the air and other essential material to sustain our lives.  Therefore, it is important to protect trees from being destroyed by humans. We have to realize the importance of trees in our life and should become more sensitive than ever towards the trees and the nature as our survival is completely depends on the survival of the trees.

Poetic Device:

Personification: The tree has been given some of the attributes that belongs to humans such as pain, bleeding, etc.

Enjambment: The lines in the poem run to next line without any punctuation marks.

Assonance: The sound of ‘o’ is repeated in the second line of second stanza: “But this alone wont do…”

Alliteration: “bleeding bark”

Repetition:  The words such as “Not” and “out” are repeated in the poem

Irony: The poem describes the procedure to kill the tree but in actual the poet tries to expose the humans as how cruel and insensitive they have become towards the tree.

Imagery: Vivid imagery is central to the poem, making readers visualize the tree and the process of killing it.

Additional Questions

Q1.  Answer the following questions.

(a)    How does the poet describe the tree's roots?

(b)   What is the overall mood or tone of the poem?

(c)    What is ironic about the process of killing a tree as described in the poem?

(d)   Why does the poet use personification in describing the tree? How does this influence the reader's feelings toward the act of killing a tree?

(e)   What message is Patel trying to convey about human interactions with nature through this poem

 

Q2.  Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

“It has grown

Slowly consuming the earth,

Rising out of it, feeding

Upon its crust,

Absorbing years of sunlight,

Air, water.”

 

(a)    Explain the meaning of “feeding upon its crust.”

(b)   What does “absorbing years of sunlight, air, water” indicate about the age of the tree?

(c)    Identify the poetic device used in “feeding upon its crust.”

(d)   What relationship between the tree and nature is highlighted in this stanza?

(e)   How does this stanza emphasize the importance of trees in nature?