On Killing A Tree Summary, Explanation, Word meanings Class 9

CBSE Class 9 English Poem 7 On Killing A Tree Summary, Line by Line Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings and Literary Devices from Beehive Book

On Killing A Tree – Here is the Class 9 English Beehive Book Poem 7 On Killing A Tree Summary and Detailed explanation of the Lesson along with meanings of difficult words. Also, the explanation is followed by the literary devices used in the Poem

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On Killing A Tree

By Gieve Patel

On Killing a Tree Class 9 Video Explanation

On Killing a Tree Introduction

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.
A tree does not die by merely cutting because it regrows from where it is cut. If it has to be destroyed, then it has to be uprooted.

On Killing a Tree Summary

On Killing a Tree 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 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 color 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.

On Killing a Tree Summary in Hindi

ऑन किलिंग ए ट्री एक संवेदनशील कविता है। कवि पाठक को पेड़ों को नष्ट न करने के लिए राजी करता है और इसे एक इंसान की “हत्या” के साथ जोड़ता है। उनका कहना है कि एक पौधा मिट्टी से सूरज की रोशनी, पानी, हवा और पोषक तत्व लेकर धीरे-धीरे एक विशाल पेड़ बन जाता है। यह एक मजबूत टेहना विकसित करता है और कई पत्ते प्राप्त करता है।

केवल पेड़ के तने को काटने से उसकी मृत्यु नहीं होती। जब किसी पेड़ को काटा जाता है तो उसका रस वैसे ही बहता है जैसे घायल व्यक्ति का खून बहता है। एक बार घाव भर जाने के बाद, वहाँ से नई शाखाएँ और छोटे पत्ते उगते हैं जो पेड़ों में विकसित होते हैं।

एक पेड़ को नष्ट करने के लिए, उसे उखाड़ना होगा। जड़ें जो सफेद रंग की होती हैं और मिट्टी से मिलने वाली नमी के कारण नम होती हैं, वे पृथ्वी के एक गड्ढे में छिपी होती हैं। ये जड़ें पेड़ का सबसे संवेदनशील हिस्सा होती हैं क्योंकि ये इसे धरती से बांधती हैं। पेड़ को मारने के लिए इन जड़ों को मिट्टी से अलग करना पड़ता है।
एक बार जब जड़ें अलग हो जाती हैं, तो पेड़ मरने लगता है, सूख जाता है, गर्मी और हवा की क्रिया से सूख जाता है, मुरझा जाता है, सख्त हो जाता है और अंत में मर जाता है।

On Killing a Tree Poem Explanation

Poem :
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.

Word Meaning:
Jab: sudden rough blow
Leprous hide: discolored bark

Explanation of the Poem: TA 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.

Poem :
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.

Word Meaning:
Hack: cut roughly by striking heavy blows

Explanation of the Poem: THumans 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 heals and from there new branches start growing again.

Poem :
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.

Word Meaning:
Anchoring earth: trees are held securely with the help of the roots in the earth
Snapped out: chopped out

Explanation of the Poem: TThe 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.

Poem :
Then the matter
Of scorching and choking
In sun and air,
Browning, hardening,
Twisting, withering,
And then it is done.

Word Meaning:
Scorching and choking: the drying up of the tree after being uprooted

Explanation of the Poem: TOnce the tree has been uprooted, then gradually it withers and dries up with the action of heat and wind. The trunk will become brown, twist and will harden. Finally, the tree will die this way.

On Killing a Tree Literary Devices

1. No rhyme scheme is there in the poem. It is written in free verse. There is no rhyme or rhythm.
2. Enjambment: When one sentence continues into two or more lines.
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.

The most sensitive, hidden
For years inside the earth.

3. Metaphor : indirect comparison
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 – the sap coming out of tree where it is cut is compared to the bleeding from the wound in a human’s body.

4. Alliteration: repetition of a consonant sound in 2 or more closely places words.
Bleeding bark – ‘b’ sound
White and wet – ‘w’ sound

5. Repetition: a word or sentence is repeated to lay emphasis on it.
‘Pulled out’ is repeated

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