On Killing A Tree Notes Poem 7 Class 9 English

Notes For All Chapters English Beehive Class 9

About the Poem

• Title: On Killing a Tree
• Poet: Gieve Patel
• Theme: The poem describes how difficult it is to kill a tree completely because it takes years to grow deep roots in the earth.
• The poet shows that a tree is a living being – strong and deeply connected with nature.

Summary of the Poem

• The poet says that killing a tree is not easy.
• A tree grows slowly by absorbing sunlight, air, and water from the earth.
• Cutting it with a knife or chopping it is not enough because the tree heals itself and grows again from its roots.
• To kill it completely, one must pull out the roots from the earth.
• Once the roots – the most sensitive and hidden part – are exposed, the tree starts drying up.
• Under the sun and air, it becomes brown, hard, twisted, and withered.
• Then, and only then, the tree dies completely.

Stanza-wise Explanation

Stanza 1

• It takes much time to kill a tree.
• A simple knife jab cannot kill it.
• It has grown slowly by taking nutrients from the earth.
• It has absorbed sunlight, air, and water for many years.
• From its bark, leaves keep sprouting.

Stanza 2

• Cutting and chopping cannot destroy a tree.
• Even if the bark bleeds, it heals again.
• Small green twigs grow near the ground.
• If they are not destroyed, they will grow into a full tree again.

Stanza 3

• The poet says “No” – because just cutting is not enough.
• The root must be pulled out from the earth.
• The tree must be tied and completely pulled out from the “anchoring earth”.

Stanza 4

• The root is the most important and sensitive part.
• When it is pulled out, the hidden strength of the tree is exposed.
• Once it is exposed to sun and air, it begins to dry up – becoming brown, hard, twisted, and withered.
• Finally, the tree is dead.