NEEU 2025 - On Killing A Tree Notes PDF

# NEEU 2025 - On Killing A Tree ## Lecture - 16 **By - Anurag Tyagi Sir** ## Topics to be Covered - Games - On Killing A Tree - NCERT Questions & Exercise ## Recap of previous Lecture - Games - Reach for the Top - NCERT Questions & Exercise ## Game Time! The image shows four puzzle pieces be...

# NEEU 2025 - On Killing A Tree ## Lecture - 16 **By - Anurag Tyagi Sir** ## Topics to be Covered - Games - On Killing A Tree - NCERT Questions & Exercise ## Recap of previous Lecture - Games - Reach for the Top - NCERT Questions & Exercise ## Game Time! The image shows four puzzle pieces being put together. Each piece has a different design: - A lightbulb with a heart rate - A cog wheel - A graph - A magnifying glass ## Game 1 The professor's explanation was so lucid that even the most complicated concepts became easy to understand. * a) Confusing * **b) Clear** * c) Dark * d) Complex ## Game 2 The timid child mustered enough courage to perform in front of a large audience. Choose the antonym of "timid": * **a) Brave** * b) Nervous * c) Afraid * d) Shy ## Game 3 Quitting the job angrily may burn bridges with your employer. * a) Improve relationships * **b) Destroy relationships permanently** * c) Face challenges * d) End a journey ## Game 4 He let the cat out of the bag about the company's new product. * a) Hide something * **b) Reveal a secret** * c) Cause confusion * d) Lose something valuable ## Topic: On Killing A Tree - The poem "On Killing a Tree" is like an instruction manual of killing a tree. - It tells its reader that trees are like living beings. They are not cut but killed properly by uprooting the roots that are stuck deeply in the soil. - Through the poem, the poet teaches us an important lesson. Firstly, it depicts the courage and strength of trees, through which it teaches us to be strong and determined. ## Killing a Tree The image shows a person with an axe chopping a tree. It takes much time to kill a tree, a strong hit or blow; stab Not a simple jab of the knife Will do it. It has grown using the resources. Slowly consuming the earth, Rising out of it, feeding to take nutrition from the top layer of soil ( पोषण ) Upon its crust, absorbing Years of sunlight, air, water, discoloured part of the bark of tree ( छाल ) And out of its leprous hide giving birth to (Sprouting) leaves. ## Word Meanings - **Jab** - to hit something forcefully or stab - **Consuming** - using the resources - **Feeding upon** - to derive nutrition from - **Crust** - the top layer of the soil - **Leprous hide** - discoloured bark of the tree - **Sprouting ** - giving rise/birth to ## Stanza 2 The image shows a person cutting a tree with an axe, and a cartoon tree with tears. to cut something roughly So hack and chop to cut something into pieces But this alone won't do it. अकेला Not so much pain will do it. Kill it ## Stanza 3 The image shows the roots of a tree, and a person pulling on a tree. No, खीच के बहार निकालना The root is to be pulled out- trees are held securely with the help of roots inside earth Out of the anchoring earth; to tie with a rope It is to be roped, tied, बाँश्चना chopped out And pulled out-snapped out Or pulled out entirely, ## Stanza 4 The image shows a withered tree and a stump among a forest of stumps. Inside of earth Out from the earth-cave, Unprotected such that it Power And the strength of the tree exposed Can be harmed Origin (roots) गीला The source, white and wet, Something that can be easily damaged The most sensitive, hidden For years inside the earth. ## Stanza 5 The image shows a patch of bare ground with mountains in the background, and a close-up of a brown stump. roots Then the matter to turn brown Browning hardening They turn hard झुलसना Of scorching and choking to turn little, withering, Suffocale; दम घुटना to turn weak & decay. In sun and air, And then it is done. the art of killing ## Message - We must not cut trees. It's very callous. - Be like trees - never quit! Have a never-say-die attitude. - Evil/ Virus should be cut-off from the roots. ## Topic: MCQs ### MCQ 1. Can a "simple jab of the knife" kill a tree? Why not? * A Yes, because the knife cuts through the tree completely. * **B No, because a tree is deeply rooted and strong.** * C Yes, because it stops the tree from growing. * D No, because sunlight and air sustain the tree. ### MCQ 2. What is the meaning of "bleeding bark"? What makes it bleed? * A The leaves falling from the tree; caused by wind. * **B The sap oozing out; caused by cutting the bark.** * C The roots getting exposed; caused by uprooting. * D The branches breaking off; caused by a storm. ### MCQ 3. What is the meaning of "anchoring earth" and "earth cave"? * **A The earth that stabilizes and shelters the tree's roots.** * B The hole dug to plant the tree initially. * C The surface where leaves collect and decompose. * D The layer of soil that blocks the sun. ### MCQ 4. What does he mean by "the strength of the tree exposed"? * A The branches growing back after being cut. * B The resilience of the bark to cuts. * **C The roots being pulled out, revealing their sensitivity.** * D The thick trunk showing signs of life. ### MCQ 5. What finally kills the tree? * A Chopping it into pieces. * B Removing its bark completely. * **C Pulling it out from its roots and letting it wither.** * D Leaving it without water for days. ### MCQ 6. What does the tree "feeding upon its crust" symbolize? * **A The tree taking nutrients from the earth.** * B The tree damaging the earth’s surface. * C The tree covering the earth completely. * D The tree surviving in harsh conditions. ### MCQ 7. What happens if the miniature boughs are left unchecked? * **A The tree will grow back to its original size.** * B The tree will remain stunted forever. * C The tree will only produce flowers. * D The tree will dry up slowly. ### MCQ 8. What does "leprous hide" refer to in the poem? * A The diseased bark of the tree. * B The tree's roots buried underground. * **C The rough, discoloured surface of the tree bark.** * D The branches covered with insects. ### MCQ 9. What is the central theme of the poem? * A Human dominance over nature * B Nature's fragility and destruction * **C The resilience and strength of nature** * D The beauty of trees ## Word Meanings - **Hack** - cutting with heavy blows - **Chop** - cut in piece - **Bleeding bark** - the secretion of the liquid from the bark it is cut with a when sharp object - **Heal** - recovering from a wound - **Curled** - with twists and graceful moves - **Twigs** - tenderly leaves - **Miniature** - tiny and small - **Boughs** - branches - **Unchecked** - not being stopped - **Expand** - to grow in an enormous way - **Former** - belonging to the earlier - **Pull out** - to take out from somewhere by force - **Anchoring earth** - trees are held securely with the help of roots in the earth - **Snapped out** - chopped out - **Earth-cave** - the inside of the earth - **Exposed** - subjected to one’s limitations - **Scorching and choking** - the drying up of the tree after being uprooted - **Browning** - the colour gradually getting brown - **Hardening** - the process of becoming hard and dry - **Twisting** - getting bent and moved - **Withering** - the process of decaying ## Explanation - The simple act of stabbing it with a knife is not enough to kill a tree. It is not an easy job to kill a tree as it has grown strong by absorbing many elements for many years. It has taken nutrients from the soil and absorbed sunlight, air and water for a long time such that many leaves had grown on it. - Herein the poet states that we need to do a lot of efforts to kill a tree. According to him a simple stab and chop won’t kill the tree completely. It would only injure the tree which would suffer the pain with its strength. With time, the injury (bleeding bark) will also heal, and the tree would grow again. Green twigs and small branches will grow again on the tree. Consequently, the tree will grow its full size and strength. - In this stanza, the poet points out the exact manner through which a tree can be killed. He states that to kill a tree completely, its roots need to be taken out of the deep soil where it is hiding inside the Earth. This root is the strength of the tree. It gives support to the theee and its most vulnerable, as well as sensitive, part. It needs to be snapped out entirely from deep inside the Earth. - Once the roots are uprooted, it will get exposed to the sun and the air. As a result, the roots start dying due to the heat. The roots become brown, and the soft surface becomes hard and dry. After some time, it loses its own shape and starts twisting. Finally, the tree will die. ## Poetic Devices - **Alliteration:** Slowly consuming, to cut something, the strength of the tree exposed, White and wet. - **Personification:** The bleeding bark will heal, leprous hide, Sprouting leaves - **Metaphor:** The bleeding bark will heal, leprous hide, Sprouting leaves - **Repetition:** pulled out - **Framgment:** Of scorching and choking ## Topic: NCERT Questions ### NCERT Question 1. Can a "simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not? **Ans.** No, a simple jab of the knife wouldn't be enough to kill a tree. A simple jab of the knife will only injure it and in due course of time it will heal itself. ### NCERT Question 2. 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 by absorbing nutrients from the soil. It had absorbed the sun, air and water for a long time. The words are consuming, rising, feeding and absorbing. ### NCERT Question 3. What is the meaning of 'bleeding bark'? What makes it bleed? **Ans.** The 'bleeding bark' refers to the bark of the tree which gives out a liquid after it is cut or hurt. Hacking and chopping the tree make its bark bleed. ### NCERT Question 4. The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this? **Ans.** The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza to highlight the fact that a tree cannot be killed merely with a jab of a knife or by hacking and chopping. ### NCERT Question 5. What is the meaning of 'anchoring earth' and 'earth cave'? **Ans.** 'Anchoring earth' refers to the soil in which the roots of the tree are kept hidden. The soil and the roots of the tree form a very tight grip, like an anchor and keeps it rooted. As a result, the tree stands firmly and deeply at a place. 'Earth cave' refers to a small region inside the ground where the roots are generally fixed. After the roots are pulled out, the area looks like a cave. ### NCERT Question 6. What does the poet mean by 'the strength of the tree exposed'? **Ans.** The strength of the tree are its roots. They keep it anchored to the earth. They are the provider of nutrients for the tree. When the tree is pulled out of the earth’s soil, these are exposed and the tree dies. ### NCERT Question 7. What finally kills the tree? **Ans.** The tree is killed, when its roots are exposed to the outside. The burning heat of the sun and air choke it. It loses all its leaves and gets brown. It twists, hardens and dries, to finally die. ## Have A Doubt? The image shows a confused cartoon man with the caption "Have a Doubt? Doubt Solving is now 10x faster." **Ask Al Guru** - Your Personal AI Tutor - App-click here - Web-click here ## Thank You The image shows a stack of books with a tree growing out of the top book. The caption is "Thank You."