🌳 ON KILLING A TREE – SUMMARY
The poem “On Killing a Tree” describes how difficult it is to kill a fully grown tree. A simple cut with a knife cannot kill it because the tree grows slowly by absorbing sunlight, water and nutrients from the earth. Even if the tree is hacked and chopped, new shoots will grow again from the trunk.
To completely kill a tree, its roots must be pulled out of the earth — the source of its strength. Once the roots are exposed to sunlight and air, the tree dries, hardens, twists and finally dies.
🌳 HINDI (हिंदी सारांश)
कविता “ऑन किलिंग अ ट्री” में बताया गया है कि एक पेड़ को मारना आसान नहीं है। सिर्फ चाकू का एक छोटा वार पेड़ को नहीं मार सकता, क्योंकि पेड़ धीरे-धीरे धरती से पोषण, पानी, हवा और धूप लेकर बड़ा होता है।
अगर पेड़ को काट भी दिया जाए, तो उसकी छाल से फिर से नई शाखाएँ निकल आती हैं।
इसे सच में मारने के लिए उसकी जड़ों को जमीन से पूरी तरह उखाड़ना पड़ता है। जड़ें बाहर आकर धूप और हवा के कारण सूख जाती हैं और धीरे-धीरे पेड़ पूरी तरह मर जाता है।
🌳 TOUGH WORD MEANINGS (with Hindi)
| Word | Meaning | Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| Jab | sudden blow | तेज़ वार |
| Leprous hide | discoloured bark | बदरंग छाल |
| Hack | cut roughly | जोर से काटना |
| Bough | branch | डाल |
| Anchoring earth | earth holding roots | धरती जो जड़ों को पकड़े |
| Snapped out | pulled out suddenly | झटके से उखाड़ना |
| Scorching | burning heat | झुलसाना |
| Withering | drying up | मुरझाना |
🌳 TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS WITH EASY ANSWERS
1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Answer:
No, because a tree is deeply rooted and has grown strong over many years. A small cut cannot destroy it completely.
2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List words that show this.
Answer:
The tree grows by consuming the earth, feeding on its crust, absorbing sunlight, air and water.
Words: consuming, feeding, absorbing, rising, sprouting.
3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”?
Answer:
When the tree is cut, the bark oozes sap just like blood from a wound — this is called “bleeding bark”.
4. Why does the poet say “No” at the start of stanza 3?
Answer:
He means that cutting or chopping alone cannot kill a tree; something more must be done.
5. Meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?
Answer:
- Anchoring earth: The earth that firmly holds the roots of the tree.
- Earth cave: The hollow or space in the earth where roots lie hidden.
6. What does “the strength of the tree exposed” mean?
Answer:
It means that the roots — the main source of the tree’s strength — are pulled out and revealed.
7. What finally kills a tree?
Answer:
Uprooting the roots and letting them dry, twist and wither in the sun and air finally kills the tree.