Poet :-GIEVE Poet :-GIEVE PATELPATEL

ON KILLING A TREE

ABHIJEETABHIJEET&&

SOPHIASOPHIA

PRESENTED BYPRESENTED BY

ABOUT THE POETThis poem is written by Gieve Patel.

He lives in Mumbai and practices Medicine.

He writes poems and plays in English. His poems appeared in the Illustrated Weekly of India.

This is the best known poem by Gieve Patel. The poet compares the trees to human beings. According to him trees also have the right to live like any other creature. But he is pained to see that it is the human being only who kills the trees with utmost cruelty The poet has all sympathy for the trees . You must have observed people cutting down trees . But can you imagine that they can even kill a tree? Let’s see what the poet says on killing a tree.

IT TAKES MUCH TIME TO KILL A TREEIT TAKES MUCH TIME TO KILL A TREENOT A SIMPLE JAB OF THE KNIFENOT A SIMPLE JAB OF THE KNIFE

WILL DO IT.IT HAS GROWNWILL DO IT.IT HAS GROWN

SLOWLY CONSUMING THE EARTH,SLOWLY CONSUMING THE EARTH,RISING OUT OF IT,FEEDINGRISING OUT OF IT,FEEDING

UPON ITS CRUST , ABSORBINGUPON ITS CRUST , ABSORBING

YEARS OF SUNLIGHT,AIR,WATERAND OUT OF ITS LEPROUS HIDE

SPROUTING LEAVES

SO HACK AND CHOPSO HACK AND CHOPBUT THIS ALONE WON’T DO IT.BUT THIS ALONE WON’T DO IT.NOT SO MUCH PAIN WILL DO ITNOT SO MUCH PAIN WILL DO IT

THE BLEEDING BARK WILL HEALTHE BLEEDING BARK WILL HEALAND FROM CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND FROM CLOSE TO THE GROUND WILL RISE CURLED GREEN TWIGS WILL RISE CURLED GREEN TWIGS

MINIATURE BOUGHSMINIATURE BOUGHSWHICH IF UNCHECKED WILL EXPAND WHICH IF UNCHECKED WILL EXPAND

AGAIN TO FORMER SIZE. AGAIN TO FORMER SIZE.

NO,NO,THE ROOT IS TO BE PULLED OUT-THE ROOT IS TO BE PULLED OUT-OUT OF THE ANCHORING EARTH;OUT OF THE ANCHORING EARTH;

IT IS TO BE ROPED,TIED,IT IS TO BE ROPED,TIED,AND PULLED OUT-SNAPPED OUTAND PULLED OUT-SNAPPED OUT

OR PULLED OUT ENTIRELYOR PULLED OUT ENTIRELY

OUT FROM THE EARTH –CAVE,OUT FROM THE EARTH –CAVE,AND THE STRENTH OF THE TREE EXPOSEDAND THE STRENTH OF THE TREE EXPOSED

THE SOURCE,WHITE AND WET.THE SOURCE,WHITE AND WET.

THE MOST SENSITIVE,HIDDENTHE MOST SENSITIVE,HIDDENFOR YEARS INSIDE THE EARTH.FOR YEARS INSIDE THE EARTH.

THEN THE MATTERTHEN THE MATTER

OF SCORCHING AND CHOKINGOF SCORCHING AND CHOKINGIN SUN AND AIR,IN SUN AND AIR,

BROWNING, HARDENINGBROWNING, HARDENING

TWISTING, WITHERING,AND THEN IT IS DONE

HENCE A TREE IS KILLED

SYNOPSISIn the poem, “On Killing a Tree” by Gieve Patel, the poet

wants to tell us difference between the cutting of trees and killing of trees. According to him cutting is the type of trimming which is required from time to time for the proper growth of trees but, it will take too much time to kill a tree. It is not just a simple jab: a quick stab or blow: to do the job. The tree grows slowly by getting its nourishment from the earth, finally the strength of this tree is exposed when its roots are completely pulled out with the help of a rope or they are snapped out cruelly .After that they are hardened, twisted and withered and then at last the tree is killed

IT HAS BEEN NOTICED THAT TREES ARE USED AS FUEL OR TIMBER WHILE THE CLEARED LAND IS USED FOR ‘SETTLEMENT’ .THE REMOVAL OF TREES WITHOUT SUFFICIENT REFORESTATION HAS RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO HABITAT AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS.IT HAD ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE ATMOSPHERE ,IT ALSO CAUSES SOIL EROSION , AND IT ALSO EFFECT THE WATER CYCLE.

AFTER EFFECT OF KILLING TREES

Timber is used as fuel Timber is used as fuel and constructing the and constructing the buildings buildings

The top layer of the The top layer of the earth which is fertile earth which is fertile washed away in the washed away in the absence of the treesabsence of the trees

Biodiversity is the degree Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life. of variation of life. Different species residing Different species residing in forest area get lost due in forest area get lost due to the loss of their habitat.to the loss of their habitat.

Water cycle is disturbed in the absence of trees. In water cycle there are only a few processes that gives back to the atmosphere such as transpiration, expiration and evaporation. Transpiration is the process by which water is loss from the trees to the atmosphere. If trees are killed , there will be less of water returning in the atmosphere

AGRICULTUREAGRICULTURE

As we know that trees bring rain As we know that trees bring rain if we kill the tree there is if we kill the tree there is adverse impact on agriculture. adverse impact on agriculture. It causes economic hard ships It causes economic hard ships and misery to the farmers and and misery to the farmers and humans. Bad rain fall leads to humans. Bad rain fall leads to major decline in food major decline in food production.production.

ATMOSPHERIC CHANGEATMOSPHERIC CHANGE

Do you think that killing of trees Do you think that killing of trees result in a climate change? Yes. result in a climate change? Yes. You are correct. Every thing You are correct. Every thing about our life tied to the climate about our life tied to the climate such as food, production, water such as food, production, water supplies health and well being supplies health and well being etc. etc.

MOVEMENTS FOR SAVING TREES

1.CHIPKO MOVEMENT

2.RAKSHA SUTRA MOVEMENT

The chipko movement was started by Sunderlal Bahuguna. This was first initiated by Amrita Devi while protesting against a King's men to cut the tree. This movement inspired the people for hugging trees to protect them from being fallen.

CHIPKO CHIPKO MOVEMENTMOVEMENT

RAKSHA SUTRA MOVEMENT

THE PEOPLE OF THE UTTRAKHAND HILLS OF UTTAR PRADESH HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT THE FORE FRONT OF FOREST PROTECTION MOVEMENT THEY PROTESTED THE FOREST POLICY OF BRITISH.

RECENTLY IN TEHRI A GROUP OF SOCIAL WORKERS AND WOMEN ACTIVITIES INITIATED ACTION PROGRAMME TO CHECK THE INCREASING TREE FELLING ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREST CORPORATION.

SLOGAN

SAVE TREE

SLOGANS

• Save mother earth by saving trees.

• Plant a tree, plant a tree, so that next generation can get air for free.

MESSAGE OF THE POEM

The trees feel pain, grief , sufferings The trees feel pain, grief , sufferings sorrows and joys as sensitively as sorrows and joys as sensitively as human beings, so we should never human beings, so we should never even think of hurting them . The poet even think of hurting them . The poet wants to remind us that we have not wants to remind us that we have not inherited these green trees for our inherited these green trees for our future generation , so we have to future generation , so we have to conserve trees as a legacy for future. conserve trees as a legacy for future.

Save trees

Trees are very Trees are very important for our important for our survival in many survival in many ways. They clean ways. They clean the soil by filtering the soil by filtering sewage and sewage and chemicals used in chemicals used in farms. They help farms. They help control noise control noise pollution and pollution and reduce flash reduce flash flooding.flooding.

IMPORTANCE OF TREESIMPORTANCE OF TREES

Trees absorb carbon dioxide which contributes Trees absorb carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. They also clean the air by to global warming. They also clean the air by absorbing pollutants like carbon monoxide absorbing pollutants like carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide. They also help to lower and sulphur dioxide. They also help to lower temperatures. They give shade during the temperatures. They give shade during the summer and act as windbreaks during winter summer and act as windbreaks during winter if they are located on the windward side.if they are located on the windward side.

LET US ALL PLEDGE,

THE CHILDREN OF MOTHER EARTH

WE’LL GROW TREES,

TO INCREASE ITS WORTH.

GREENERY IS A PRECIOUS JEWEL,

LET US CARVE IT TO KEEP ALL WELL.