In this post ‘On Killing a Tree Question Answer Class 9 English’ we are discussing the answers to all the questions from “Thinking about the Poem” (On Killing a Tree – Class 9th English, Beehive).
I want to remind you that you can also read the Summary of On Killing a Tree for a better understanding of the poem.
On Killing a Tree Thinking about the Poem
Q1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Ans. No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree. This is because a tree is deeply rooted in the soil and has grown strong over many years. Even if its bark is cut, it can heal the wound and grow new shoots again.
Q2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.
Ans. The tree has grown to its full size slowly over the years by absorbing nutrients from the earth, and sunlight, air, and water from nature.
Words that show its life and activity are: consuming the earth, rising, feeding, absorbing, sprouting leaves.
Q3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?
Ans. “Bleeding bark” means the flow of sap (juice of the tree) from the bark when it is cut or wounded. It bleeds because the tree is alive, and just like blood flows from a human body when injured, sap oozes out of the tree when it is hacked or chopped.
Q4. The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?
Ans. When the poet says “No,” he means that merely cutting or chopping the branches and trunk is not enough to kill a tree. To kill it completely, its roots must be uprooted from the soil.
Q5. What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?
Ans. Meaning of Anchoring earth: the soil that firmly holds and supports the roots of the tree.
Meaning of Earth cave: the hollow space in the ground where the roots remain hidden and protected.
Q6. What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?
Ans. The “strength of the tree exposed” means pulling out the roots—the main source of life, food, and support of the tree. Once the roots are exposed to the sun and air, the tree becomes weak and eventually dies.
Q7. What finally kills the tree?
Ans. The tree finally dies when its roots are completely uprooted from the soil and left exposed to sunlight and air. The roots dry up, harden, wither, and twist, and only then is the tree permanently killed.
View all Chapter: Class 9 English NCERT Solutions