Beehive Poem On Killing a Tree - CBSE Test Papers

CBSE Class 9 English Language and Literature
Beehive Poem Chapter-8 On killing a Tree
Test Paper-01
Read the following passages and answer the questions:
  1. 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
    1. Why it takes much time to kill a tree?
    2. Why can’t a simple jibe of knife kill a tree?
    3. Who is the poet of the poem?
    4. How has the tree grown?
  2. So hack and chop
    But this alone wont do it.
    Not so much pain will do it.
    The bleeding bark will heal
    1. Why ‘this alone won’t do’?
    2. How will bleeding bark heal?
    3. What does ‘bark’ mean?
    4. Why ‘Not so much pain will do it’?
Answer the following questions in about 30 words:
  1. Why does the poet write such a poem?
  2. Do you think, the poet is describing the way to kill a tree, or there is something else in his mind?
  3. What is the contemplation of the poet when he says, ‘Not so much pain will do it’?
  4. What are the circumstances that compelled the poet to write such a poem?
  5. What do you understand by the lines ‘Rising out of it, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years of sunlight, air, water’.
  6. Do we need to kill trees in the present scenario?
Answer the following questions in about 100 words:
  1. Justify the title of the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’.
  2. Is this poem ironical or is it a satire on modernization?
CBSE Class 9 English Language and Literature
Beehive Poem Chapter-8 On killing a Tree
Test Paper-01
Answers
    1. It takes much time to kill a tree because it has taken a good number of years feeding on the earth to grow big.
    2. A simple jab of knife can’t kill a tree because it has become big and strong over the time.
    3. The poet of the poem is Gieve Patel.
    4. The tree has grown big feeding on the earth’s crust taking nutrition from earth, water, air etc.
    1. The poet says that ‘this alone won’t do’ because the tree will not get killed with chopping and hacking alone.
    2. The bleeding bark heal with the time as the sap would cover it and new bark would reappear.
    3. ‘bark’ means the skin at the stem or as the top layer of the roots.
    4. The poet says that ‘Not so much pain will do it’ because the tree wouldn’t die of little pain. It needs to be inflicted with more pain and deprivation of air & water to roots.
  3. The poet writes such a poem to compare the killing of a tree with that of a human being. As little wounds to a man don’t kill him similarly, small strokes of axe wouldn’t kill a tree.
  4. Although the poet is describing the way to kill a tree, but in his mind he is thinking about the nature. The nature wants us to be friend with the trees as they resurrect the nature. Killing a tree would deprive us of oxygen, shade, greenery and protection of soil from erosion.
  5. The contemplation of the poet when he says, ‘Not so much pain will do it’ is that little sufferings would not deter the tree from re-sprouting as like human it recovers from small pains and sours.
  6. The development of countries leads to construct industries and factories for development of mankind. Rising population also brings extra pressure on nature. Thus these were the circumstances that compelled the poet to write such a poem.
  7. The tree is rising out of the earth, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years of sunlight, air, water’ thus growing on the generosity of the nature. However, it slowly steals nourishment from earth, food from sunlight through photosynthesis and air to gain strength and vigor.
  8. No, we don’t need to kill trees in the present scenario, rather we should protect trees as we see the threat of global warming and drifting seasons, erratic rainfall etc.
  9. 'The tile of the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’ is very appropriate as the poet tries to bring in a relationship between the tree and human being. He says that as a man grows on the love, affection of his parents, similarly tree grows on the love and affection of mother earth and father nature. With such strength, it is not easy to kill a tree. We need brutal force to kill a tree as a single jab of knife or hacking and chopping would anything. To drain out the strength of the tree, one needs to expose its roots to the harsh scorching sun light and the rough air.
  10. This poem is not only ironical, but it also is a satire on modernization. It is ironical as we keep on talking about saving tree and growing more trees but simultaneously we keep felling them to construct buildings to house growing population and setting up industries to help modernization. All over the world we are propagating to save trees and on the other hand don’t even blink an eye when trees are felled to help clear lands in the name of construction or development. Let’s be clear whether we want to save environment, or we want to go for development. We need to bring a balance between the two or develop such ways and means to modernize without compromising on nature.