NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 8 On Killing A Tree

Thinking about the poem
(Page 111)

I.
Question 1.
Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Answer:
No, a simple jab of knife does not have the ability to kill the tree. It has to go through various processes. If its root is not removed from the earth, it will sprout again.

Question 2.
How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.
Answer:
The tree consumes the earth, and rises out it feeding upon its crust. It absorbs years of sunlight, air and water.

Question 3.
What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?
Answer: The “bleeding bark” indicates the idea where the tree has been cut. Just like humans bleed blood when they get wounded, trees release a liquid at the place where they are cut. So, the tree bleeds.

Question 4.
The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?
Answer:
‘No’ is used to emphasize the perspective that chopping or hacking will not be sufficient for killing a tree.

Question 5.
What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?
Answer: The “anchoring earth” means that the earth works as an anchor to protect the tree and saves it from getting uprooted.

“Earth cave” implies the depth of the mother earth where the tree spreads its roots and gets nurtured.

Question 6.
What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?
Answer:
The stem/root is the strength of a tree. When the tree is pulled out, its strength is exposed.

Question 7.
What finally kills the tree?
Answer:
Pulling out the tree from the mother earth and scorching and choking it in the sun and air kill the tree. It becomes brown, dry and gets hard. Eventually it dies.