“On Killing a Tree” is a powerful and thought-provoking poem written by Gieve Patel, an acclaimed Indian poet, playwright, and physician. The poem is included in the NCERT Class 9 English Beehive textbook (Poem 8) and is a prescribed text for students of the ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Class 9 English curriculum. Through vivid imagery and a deeply ironic tone, the poem highlights the remarkable resilience of trees and the immense effort required to destroy them completely. It carries a strong environmental message, urging readers to respect nature and understand the deep roots — both physical and symbolic — that connect trees to life on Earth.
The Poem — On Killing a Tree
by Gieve Patel
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 easily.
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.
Summary / Central Idea
Summary in English
In “On Killing a Tree,” Gieve Patel describes the extraordinarily difficult process of killing a tree. The poem opens by asserting that killing a tree is not a quick or simple task — a mere jab of a knife is not enough. The tree has spent years growing, drawing nourishment from the earth, sunlight, air, and water, becoming strong and deeply rooted.
Even if one hacks and chops at the tree, that is not sufficient. The bark, though wounded and “bleeding,” will heal itself. New green twigs will sprout from near the base and, if left unchecked, will grow back to the tree’s original size. This stanza emphasises the tree’s extraordinary power of regeneration and survival.
The poet then reveals the only sure way to kill a tree: pulling out the root entirely from the earth. The root — described as white, wet, and sensitive — is the true source of the tree’s life and strength. It must be roped, tied, and yanked out completely from what the poet calls the “earth-cave.” Once exposed to sun and air, the root scorches, browns, hardens, twists, and withers. Only then is the tree truly dead.
On a deeper level, the poem is an environmental protest. Patel uses a detached, almost clinical tone — as if giving instructions — to highlight how human beings thoughtlessly destroy nature. The tree becomes a symbol of all living things that have deep connections to the earth, and the poem warns us that destroying such life is neither easy nor consequence-free.
Central Idea
The central idea of the poem is that a tree cannot be killed easily. It has grown for years by drawing nourishment from the earth and has immense power to regenerate. The only way to truly kill a tree is to uproot it completely so that its source of life is exposed and destroyed. Beneath this literal description lies a powerful environmental message: trees are living beings with deep roots in the earth, and destroying them requires deliberate, violent effort — something humanity must reflect upon seriously.
Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1 — The Tree’s Long Growth
“It takes much time to kill a tree, / Not a simple jab of the knife / Will do it…”
The poem opens with a blunt, matter-of-fact statement: killing a tree takes a long time. A single stab with a knife is not enough. The poet then explains why — the tree has spent years growing slowly. It has been “consuming the earth,” feeding on the soil’s crust, and absorbing sunlight, air, and water over a long period. The phrase “leprous hide” refers to the rough, cracked, discoloured bark of the tree, comparing it to the skin of a person with leprosy. Despite this rough exterior, the tree continues to sprout fresh green leaves, showing its vitality and life force. This stanza establishes the tree’s deep connection with the earth and its remarkable life-sustaining capacity.
Stanza 2 — Hacking Is Not Enough
“So hack and chop / But this alone won’t do it. / Not so easily…”
In the second stanza, the poet acknowledges that people may hack and chop at a tree, but this will not kill it. The tree’s bark may “bleed” (a metaphor comparing the sap oozing from a cut to blood), but it will heal. New curled green twigs will sprout from near the base of the tree. These are described as “miniature boughs” — tiny branches that, if left unchecked, will gradually grow back to the tree’s former full size. This stanza highlights the tree’s incredible regenerative power. The use of the word “bleeding” personifies the tree, making the reader feel that the tree is a living, suffering being — much like a human or animal being attacked.
Stanza 3 — The Root Must Be Pulled Out
“No, / The root is to be pulled out — / Out of the anchoring earth…”
The third stanza begins with a firm “No,” indicating that hacking and chopping are not the answer. The only sure method is to pull out the root entirely. The root is described as being “anchored” in the earth — held firmly in the ground. To destroy the tree, one must rope it, tie it, and pull the root out completely from the “earth-cave” (the hollow space in the soil where the root was embedded). The poet describes the exposed root as “white and wet” and “the most sensitive” part, hidden for years deep inside the earth. This is the tree’s true source of strength and life. Exposing it is the key to destroying the tree. The language here becomes almost violent and procedural, echoing the cold, calculated way humans destroy nature.
Stanza 4 — The Final Destruction
“Then the matter / Of scorching and choking / In sun and air…”
The final stanza describes what happens once the root is uprooted and exposed. The very elements that once nourished the tree — sun and air — now become agents of its destruction. The exposed root scorches in the heat, chokes without the shelter of the earth, browns, hardens, twists, and withers. The series of present participles (“browning, hardening, twisting, withering”) creates a vivid, almost painful image of slow death. The poem ends simply: “And then it is done.” The matter-of-fact ending is chilling — the poet has laid out the process of destruction as if it were a routine task, forcing the reader to confront the cold reality of how humans eliminate nature.
Thinking about the Poem (Textbook Questions)
Q1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Answer: No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree. This is because a tree has spent many years growing slowly by consuming the earth — feeding on the soil’s crust and absorbing sunlight, air, and water over a long period. It has developed a tough bark and deep roots that give it immense strength and resilience. A single knife wound is far too superficial to destroy a being that has established such a deep and complex relationship with the earth. Even if the bark is cut, it will heal, and new shoots will sprout from near the base.
Q2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List the factors that have contributed to its growth.
Answer: The tree has grown to its full size slowly over many years. The following factors have contributed to its growth:
- Earth / Soil: The tree has been “consuming the earth,” drawing minerals and nutrients from the soil’s crust.
- Sunlight: It has absorbed years of sunlight, which it uses for photosynthesis.
- Air: The tree has absorbed air (carbon dioxide) from its surroundings.
- Water: It has drawn water from the ground through its roots.
These four elements — earth, sunlight, air, and water — have combined over the years to give the tree its size, strength, and deeply rooted character.
Q3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?
Answer: “Bleeding bark” is a metaphor. When a tree is hacked or chopped, sap oozes out from the wound in the bark. The poet compares this sap to blood, saying the bark “bleeds.” It is the act of hacking and chopping at the tree — an attempt to cut it down — that makes the bark bleed. The use of this metaphor personifies the tree, suggesting it feels pain just like a living creature when it is wounded. It also evokes sympathy in the reader for the tree.
Q4. The poet says “hack and chop / But this alone won’t do it.” What is the poet suggesting will not be enough to kill the tree?
Answer: The poet suggests that merely hacking and chopping at a tree — cutting its branches, trunk, or bark — will not be enough to kill it. Even after such damage, the tree has an extraordinary ability to heal and regenerate. The wounded bark will heal over time, and new green twigs and miniature branches will sprout from near the base of the tree. If left unchecked, these new growths will expand and eventually grow the tree back to its full original size. To truly kill the tree, one must go much further — to the root.
Q5. What is the role of the sun and the air in the killing of a tree?
Answer: Ironically, the sun and air — which were once the tree’s sources of nourishment and life — become the instruments of its death after the root is uprooted. Once the root is pulled out of the earth and exposed, it is no longer sheltered and nourished by the soil. In this exposed state, the sun scorches the root and the air chokes it. The root, which was described as white and wet and sensitive, begins to brown, harden, twist, and wither under the harsh effects of sun and air. Thus, the very elements that sustained the tree throughout its life become the agents of its final destruction once the root is torn out.
Q6. What is the “strength of the tree”? Why is it “hidden”?
Answer: The “strength of the tree” refers to its root — the source of all its nourishment, life, and regenerative power. The root is described as “white and wet” and “the most sensitive” part of the tree. It is the foundation upon which the entire tree stands and grows. It is “hidden” because it lies deep inside the earth, buried and protected within what the poet calls the “earth-cave.” For years, the root has remained unseen beneath the surface, quietly anchoring the tree and drawing nutrients from the soil. Its hidden nature makes it difficult to reach and destroy, which is why killing a tree takes so much time and effort.
Q7. What does “anchoring earth” mean in the context of the poem?
Answer: “Anchoring earth” refers to the earth (soil) that holds the tree’s roots firmly in place, just as an anchor keeps a ship steady in water. The earth grips the roots tightly, providing the tree with stability and support. The word “anchoring” suggests that the earth performs the function of securing the tree so that it cannot be easily dislodged. To kill the tree, this anchoring must be broken — the roots must be roped and pulled out entirely from the earth’s grip.
Additional Questions and Answers
Short Answer Questions
Q1. Who is the poet of “On Killing a Tree”? What is the central theme of the poem?
Answer: The poet of “On Killing a Tree” is Gieve Patel, an Indian poet, playwright, and physician. The central theme of the poem is the remarkable resilience of trees and the immense effort required to destroy them completely. On a deeper level, the poem is an environmental protest against the thoughtless destruction of nature by human beings.
Q2. What does the phrase “leprous hide” refer to in the poem?
Answer: The phrase “leprous hide” refers to the rough, cracked, and discoloured outer bark of the tree. The poet compares the tree’s bark to the skin of a person suffering from leprosy — a disease that causes the skin to become rough and discoloured. Despite this unattractive exterior, the tree is full of life and continues to sprout fresh green leaves, underlining its vitality.
Q3. How does the tree regenerate after being hacked?
Answer: After being hacked and chopped, the tree does not die. The “bleeding bark” heals itself, and new curled green twigs sprout from near the ground — close to the base of the tree. These tiny branches, which the poet calls “miniature boughs,” will gradually expand if left unchecked and grow back to the tree’s original full size. This ability to regenerate shows the tree’s extraordinary survival instinct.
Q4. What is the significance of the word “No” at the beginning of the third stanza?
Answer: The word “No” at the beginning of the third stanza is emphatic and decisive. It signals a firm rejection of the idea that hacking and chopping are enough to kill a tree. The poet uses this single word as a turning point in the poem — moving from what does NOT work (cutting the bark) to what actually does work (pulling out the root). It also gives the poem a conversational, direct tone, almost as if the poet is correcting a common misconception.
Q5. How does the poet describe the root of the tree?
Answer: The poet describes the root of the tree as “white and wet” and “the most sensitive” part of the tree. It is hidden deep inside the earth — inside what the poet calls the “earth-cave” — and has been sheltered there for years. The root is the source of the tree’s life and strength. It is so sensitive that once it is exposed to sun and air, it cannot survive and quickly browns, hardens, twists, and withers.
Q6. Why does the poet use a series of present participles in the last stanza?
Answer: In the final stanza, the poet uses a series of present participles — “scorching,” “choking,” “browning,” “hardening,” “twisting,” “withering” — to create a vivid and almost painful image of the slow, progressive death of the uprooted tree. These words suggest an ongoing, continuous process of dying rather than a sudden end. Each participle adds to the sense of the tree’s gradual deterioration, making the reader feel the agony of its destruction.
Q7. What tone does the poet use in this poem? What effect does it create?
Answer: The poet uses a detached, clinical, and almost instructional tone throughout the poem — as if he is giving a step-by-step guide on how to kill a tree. This matter-of-fact tone is deeply ironic. By presenting the destruction of a tree so coldly and without emotion, the poet actually forces the reader to confront the horror of the act. The contrast between the calm, procedural tone and the violent content of the poem creates a powerful effect, making the reader reflect on how carelessly humans destroy nature.
Q8. What message does the poet convey through “On Killing a Tree”?
Answer: The poet conveys a strong environmental message through this poem. He highlights the deep connection between trees and the earth, and the immense vitality and resilience of trees. By describing in careful detail just how difficult it is to kill a tree, the poet makes the reader aware of the violence involved in deforestation. The poem urges readers to respect trees and nature, and to think seriously before destroying living things that have spent years growing and contributing to the environment.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. Describe in detail the process by which a tree can be completely killed, as described in the poem “On Killing a Tree.”
Answer: In the poem “On Killing a Tree,” Gieve Patel describes the complete process of killing a tree across four stanzas.
First, the poet establishes that killing a tree is not simple. The tree has spent years growing slowly by consuming the earth’s nutrients, absorbing sunlight, air, and water. It has developed a tough bark (the “leprous hide”) from which leaves continue to sprout.
Second, the poet explains that hacking and chopping at the tree is not enough. Even if the bark is wounded and “bleeds,” it will heal. New green twigs, described as “miniature boughs,” will sprout from near the ground and, if unchecked, will grow back to the original size.
Third, the poet reveals the only effective method: pulling out the root entirely. The root must be roped, tied, and yanked out completely from the “earth-cave” — the deep hollow in the soil where it was anchored. The exposed root is white, wet, and extremely sensitive, having been sheltered underground for years.
Finally, once the root is exposed to the sun and air, the process of final destruction begins. The root scorches, chokes, browns, hardens, twists, and withers. Only when all this has happened is the tree truly killed. The poem ends with the chilling words “And then it is done,” underlining the cold finality of the act.
Q2. “On Killing a Tree” is an environmental protest poem. Discuss.
Answer: On one level, “On Killing a Tree” by Gieve Patel reads like a practical guide to killing a tree. But on a deeper level, it is a powerful protest against the thoughtless destruction of nature by human beings.
The poem begins by emphasising how long it has taken a tree to grow — years of absorbing sunlight, air, water, and earth. This establishes the tree as a living being with a long history and deep roots. The use of human-like characteristics — the bark “bleeds,” the root is “sensitive” and hidden like something precious — personifies the tree and evokes sympathy in the reader.
The poet’s use of a clinical, instructional tone is deeply ironic. By writing about the killing of a tree the way one might write a recipe or a manual, Patel forces us to confront how casually and deliberately humans destroy nature. The detailed description of every step — hacking, uprooting, exposing to sun and air — makes the act seem like a calculated murder.
Furthermore, the poem reminds us that trees are not so easily destroyed. They have an extraordinary will to survive and regenerate. The fact that humans must go to such extreme lengths — even pulling out the root — to kill a tree speaks to nature’s resilience. Yet the poem also warns that with enough effort and violence, even this resilience can be overcome.
Thus, “On Killing a Tree” is indeed an environmental protest poem that uses irony, personification, and vivid imagery to make a compelling case for the preservation of trees and, by extension, all of nature.
Q3. Discuss the literary devices used in “On Killing a Tree” by Gieve Patel.
Answer: Gieve Patel uses several important literary devices in “On Killing a Tree” to convey his message effectively:
1. Metaphor: “Bleeding bark” is a metaphor comparing the sap that oozes from a cut tree to blood. It personifies the tree, suggesting it feels pain. “Leprous hide” is a metaphor comparing the rough bark to leprosy-affected skin.
2. Personification: Throughout the poem, the tree is given human qualities. The bark “bleeds,” the root is “sensitive,” and the tree has a hidden “strength.” This makes the reader empathise with the tree as a living, suffering being.
3. Irony: The poem’s most striking device is its ironic tone. The poet writes about killing a tree in a calm, detached, almost instructional voice — as if it were a routine task. This irony forces the reader to confront the violence of deforestation.
4. Imagery: The poem is rich in visual imagery — “curled green twigs,” “white and wet” roots, and the browning, hardening, twisting root create strong mental pictures of the tree’s life and death.
5. Alliteration: Phrases like “Browning, hardening” and “scorching and choking” use the repetition of consonant sounds to create a rhythmic, almost harsh effect.
6. Repetition / Anaphora: The repeated use of “Out” (“Out of the anchoring earth… pulled out entirely… out from the earth-cave”) emphasises the forceful, violent act of uprooting.
7. Free Verse: The poem does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or metre. This gives it a conversational, direct quality that suits its subject — a matter-of-fact description of how to kill a tree.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Who is the author of the poem “On Killing a Tree”?
(a) Rabindranath Tagore (b) Gieve Patel (c) Robert Frost (d) Walt Whitman
Answer: (b) Gieve Patel
Q2. What does “bleeding bark” refer to in the poem?
(a) The bark catching fire (b) The red colour of the bark (c) Sap oozing from a cut in the bark (d) The bark falling off
Answer: (c) Sap oozing from a cut in the bark
Q3. According to the poem, what is the only sure way to kill a tree?
(a) Cutting down its branches (b) Burning it (c) Pulling out its root entirely (d) Peeling off its bark
Answer: (c) Pulling out its root entirely
Q4. How does the poet describe the root of the tree?
(a) Black and dry (b) White and wet (c) Brown and hard (d) Green and soft
Answer: (b) White and wet
Q5. What does “leprous hide” describe in the poem?
(a) The tree’s leaves (b) The tree’s roots (c) The rough, discoloured outer bark of the tree (d) The soil around the tree
Answer: (c) The rough, discoloured outer bark of the tree
Q6. What happens to new twigs that sprout after the tree is hacked?
(a) They die immediately (b) They expand and grow back to the former size if unchecked (c) They fall off (d) They turn brown
Answer: (b) They expand and grow back to the former size if unchecked
Q7. Which elements become agents of the tree’s destruction after uprooting?
(a) Water and soil (b) Sun and air (c) Rain and wind (d) Fire and ice
Answer: (b) Sun and air
Q8. The poem “On Killing a Tree” is included in which NCERT textbook?
(a) Moments (b) Words and Expressions (c) Beehive (d) Honeysuckle
Answer: (c) Beehive