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.
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.
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.
Then the matter
Of scorching
and choking
In sun and air,
Browning,
hardening,
Twisting,
withering,
And then it is done.
ABOUT THE POET: Gieve Patel is an Indian poet, playwright, painter, as
well as a practicing physician he lives in Mumbai. Gieve Patel writes in a clear and
conversational way like Philip Larkin(1922-1985). He is master of keen
observation and irony.
Patel is involved in an effort to protect the environment. His poems
speak of deep concerns for nature and expose man's cruelty to it. He expresses his concern with living beings through images of
violence. Patel’s works include poems, How Do You
Withstand (1966), Body (1976) and Mirrored Mirroring (1991). He has also
written three plays titled Princess, Savaska, and Mr Behram.
Paraphrase
of the Poem & meanings :
[1-9 lines] It takes a lot of time and strength to kill a tree
because it grows slowly and rises out of the earth by absorbing years of
sunlight air and water. So, it is really impossible to kill a tree with a
single stroke of a knife.
[10-19 lines] The tree has deep roots. They draw
necessary sap from the earth. It gives rise to tiny twigs and miniature boughs.
We hack and chop to kill a tree. But hacking and chopping are not enough
to destroy completely. The green twigs, the symptoms of endless life are sure to emerge from the bleeding bark. The
miniature boughs will grow from close to
the ground and resume to its normal size.
Here the imagery of violence like
cutting, jabbing, bleeding contrasted with the life,i.e. spreading of leaves
and branches.
[20-29 lines] The strength of a tree is its roots white and wet roots which reman hidden inside
the earth for years . It is fixed firmly and steadily in the earth. Thus to
kill a tree the roots have to be
uprooted, scorched and choked in the sun. Thus takes much time to kill a tree.
[30-35 lines] After uprooting, the roots are to be exposed to the sunlight
till they dry and turn brown. Then the breath cease and it becomes hardened, twisted and browned.
consuming the earth – as
earth is its nourishment.
Crust – the top layer of
earth
leprous hide- tree bark which
is probably rough and has marks.
Miniature – very small, a
much smaller version
Anchoring earth –
Earth cave –
Then the matter of scorching
–
And then it is done –
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.
Literary Devices
1. No rhyme scheme is there in the poem. It is written
in free verse. There is no rhyme or rhythm. Verse
Libre is the French term of Free Verse.
2. Enjambment: When one sentence continues into two or more lines or the continuation of
a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.(inverse)
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 or a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else.
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
SUMMARY: Gieve Patel’s
‘On Killing a Tree’ a sarcastic poem tells about man’s indiscriminate
destruction of trees. The poem begins ironically, describing the crime
committed by the tree. For years it has consumed the earth’s crust. Like a
thief it has absorbed sunlight, air and
water and has grown up like a giant. So the tree must be killed. But it is not
an easy task.
According to
him, it will take too much time to kill a tree. It is not just a simple jab of
a knife will do the job. The tree has grown slowly and firmly consuming the
earth. It feeds upon the crust of the earth. It takes in sunlight, air and
water and out of the trees’ leprous hide the newly formed leaves begin to
sprout.
Anyone may hack
and chop repeatedly but still this alone will not do the job. The tree might
have a feeling of pain but the bleeding bark heals all the time and from close
to the ground curled green twigs rise. If the growth is not checked, then they grow
again and grow to their former sizes.
So, to kill a tree
the root is to be pulled out. The roots are the source of life and stability. The tree is to be rope-tied and
pulled out, snapped out and pulled apart entirely from the earth cave.
Finally, the
strength of the tree will be exposed. The white and wet, the most sensitive part which has been hidden for
years inside the earth. Then it is only a matter of damaging the texture
and drying up in the sun. In the end, the tree will go through a process
of browning, hardening, twisting and
withering. Then ultimately, the complete destruction of tree is ensured. (295
words)
CRITICAL
APPRECITION: Gieve Patel’s
‘On Killing a Tree’ a sarcastic poem tells about man’s cruel and indiscriminate
destruction of trees. It may be hcalled a poem of ‘protest’. Patel is speaking
about something very different. The poem begins ironically. Here tree is
presented as a ‘Thief’ who steals sunlight, water and air from this planet, so
the ‘tree should be killed and man like
a profession killer performing the ‘assassination’ but it is harder to
kill a tree. Unless, tree is completely pulled out and goes through a through a
process of browning, hardening, twisting and withering the complete destruction
of tree is not ensured. So it is easy to understand that the poet l is not only
speaking about killing a tree. Instead, the poet is showing the difficulties
one must face when trying to bring out feelings or emotions which lie deep
inside. It is not until one can expose the emotions, for what they really are,
that one can "kill" them. The poem is really craft fully narrated. We
find a metaphorical image of strength and which is the deeply buried feelings
and emotions. Patel in his poem declares beautifully and honestly a realistic picture of man’s attitude
towards trees and nature. On killing a tree is not about the killing of a tree,
but about the endless life in a tree, our greatest friend. (224 words)
Message /
Central theme
Gieve
Patel in ‘On Killing a Tree’ gives a vivid and brutal
picture of the process of killing a tree but there is a deeper meaning which is really touching. The tree is his greatest
friend. But man is too foolish to realize the fact. Selfishness and greed lead
men to ignore the selfless contribution of trees. Trees are the part and parcel
of human civilization. But for our temporary benefits the indiscriminate
destruction is going on for years. The necessity of trees is forgotten and
survival is endangered.
Some strong images
are used to show how hard is to kill a tree . A knife is not enough to ‘assassin’
a tree. It has to be pulled out with the roots too kill it. Man’s indiscriminate
destruction of trees is sarcastically told. The poem begins ironically. Here
tree is presented as a ‘Thief’ who steals sunlight, water and air from this
planet, so the ‘tree should be killed and man like a profession killer performing the
‘assassination’ but it is harder to kill a tree and thinks of all possible ways to torture the
tree. The poem gives a realistic picture of man’s attitude towards trees and
nature.Patel keeps an ardent request to save trres from ‘assassination’. (208
words)
TITLE
The title On
Killing a Tree is out and out ironical and craft fully deals with the ironical
fate of a tree. A generous, helpful and co-operative tree is the worst victim
of human cruelty and greed. Men assassinate tree for unscrupulous interest.
Here tree is presented as a ‘Thief’ who steals sunlight, water and air from
this planet, so the ‘tree should be killed and man like a profession killer
performing the ‘assassination’ but it is harder to kill a tree. Unless, tree is
completely pulled out and goes through a through a process of browning,
hardening, twisting and withering the complete destruction of tree is not
ensured. Besides, tree is here personified and drawn as a sensitive living
organism. So, the word ‘killing’ is appropriately used before ‘a tree’.In short,
the title ironically and aptly depicts the process of killing a tree and keeps
an ardent request to stop this cruelty for the survival of this planet and
mankind. (161 words)
Q. How has the tree grown to its full size?
The tree consumes the earth, and rises out it feeding upon its crust. It absorbs fully years of sunlight, air and water.‘Bleeding bark’ means the twigs which are cut cruelly. They ooze a liquid just as a part of the human body is cut, it starts bleeding. In the same way the liquid substance comes out from the branch of a tree. The human beings’ axe makes it bleed. It is an example of personification.
It means mother Earth supports the tree allowing its roots to spread underneath. The earth protects it and nurses it providing all the essential ingredients to the tree. The phrase “earth cave” means the hole created after uprooting a tree.
Q. What is the meaning of the phrase “the strength of the tree exposed”?
The root is the sole strength of a tree and when the tree is pulled out, its strength is exposed but one has to go through series of rigorous processes.1. "It takes much time
to kill a tree" Why does it takes so much time to kill a tree?
2. "It takes much time
to kill a tree. Not a simple job of the knife. Will do it...." Why does it
takes so much time to kill a tree?
3. "Not a simple Job of
the knife will do it", There are several images of death and violence in
the poem. can you list them?
4. Why does the poet use the
word 'kill' rather than 'destory? Does it suggest his attitude to trees? What
do you think is his attitude to them?
5. Why does the poet talk
about 'killing' a tree?
6. It has grown slowly...
'The word 'grow' is suggestive of life. There were several words of the same
kind. Can you spot them? Why do you think the poet uses such words?
7. The bark of the tree is
described the 'leprous hide'. What grows from it? How is it "Ironic"
that the leprous hide sprouted leaves?
8. How much does hacking and
chopping help in destroying a tree? Why? Which words suggest that the tree is
very much a living organism?
9." So hack and chop But
this alone won't do it". What methods are generally used to kill a tree?
Do the methods can fully be worked out? What does 'it' refer to?
10. Contrast 'bleeding bark'
with 'green twigs'. What does 'blood represent? What does 'green' show? Have
you noticed the change from death to life?
11.How does the poet describe
the uprooting of a tree?
12. "The sources, white
and wet, The most sensitive, hidden for years inside the earth". What is
the source of the the tree? How is it? What is the secret of its strength?
13. "And the strength of
the tree exposed the source, white and wet, the most sensitive...." Where
does the strength of the tree lie? Why is it referred to as 'the source'? Why
is the source most sensitive one?
14. Why does the poet
describe the killing of a tree in such graphic detail?
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