Unit 2.1 the cherry tree.

(A1) (i) Find proof from the poem for the following.

(a) The poet has mentioned different seasons.
Ans: ‘And suddenly that summer near the end of May’
‘Split it apart and a monsoon blight’
‘Next spring I watched three new shoots grow,’
These lines indicate different seasons.

(b) The poet’s minute observations of the steady growth of the cherry tree.
Ans: ‘It was very small, five months child,
Next spring I watched three new shoots grow,
The young tree struggle, upward thrust
And next year there were blossoms small
These lines indicate minute observation of of the steady growth of the cherry tree

(c) The colour imagery in the poem.
Ans: ‘And next year there were blossoms small
Pink, fragile, quick to fall’
‘And flitted through the dappled green.’
These lines indicate the colour imagery in the poem.

(d) The struggle of the cherry tree for survival.
Ans: ‘The young tree struggle, upward thrust
Its arms in a fresh fierce lust’
Lost in the tall grass running wild.
Goats ate the leaves, the grass cutter scythe.
These lines indicate the struggle of the cherry tree for survival.

(ii) State whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the false statements by finding evidence from the poem to support your remark.

(a) The cherry tree did not take long to grow.
Ans: False;
Evidence: Lines 1.It was very small, five months child,
2 I could only wait, as one

(b) Birds and insects were benefitted from the tree.
Ans: True.

(b) The poet was exalted at the sight of the cherry tree.
Ans: True

(c) The poem has an underlying message about the importance of trees.
Ans: True

(d) The poet repents planting the cherry tree.
Ans: False;
Evidence: lines: 1.And I could scarcely believe it-a berry.
Yes, I! — praised Night and Stars and tree:
That small, the cherry, grown by me.

(A2) (i) Discuss in groups, reasons / consequences / effects:

(a) The life of the cherry tree was threatened.
Because: It was very small and hide itself in tall grass. It can be eaten by Goats and cut by sythe.

(b) The cherry blossomed.
Ans: The cherry blossomed and consequences are Poet became able to take merest breath and sleepiest breeze.

(ii) A small thought, put in action, led to a great achievement. Pick out the lines from the beginning and end of the poem and explain their significance.
Ans: Beginning Line: “Must have a tree of my own,” I said,’
Significance: Poet leads us to follow plantation program as a need of Era. Poet suggests to everyone to keep at least one tree and develop it with proper care. By considering tree as my own, one surely try to protect it and nourish it till development as poet decided to do this.

Ending line: ‘That small, the cherry, grown by me.’
Significance: line indicates us about the proper caring and nourishing of the tree taken by poet. Most of the persons always decide to plant more trees but very few trees are secured and nourished. We should take promise to nourish at least one plant with complete growth. Proverb ‘ One Man One Tree’ is suggested and followed by poet.

(A3) The cherry tree has inspired the poet to compose the poem. Such poems, describing Nature or aspects of Nature are called ‘Nature poems’. Find out some expressions from the poem that bring out the elements of beauty of Nature.

Ans: given lines bring out the elements of beauty of Nature.
1.Split it apart and a monsoon blight
Shrivelled the slender stem...... Even so,
2. Next spring I watched three new shoots grow,
3. Its arms in a fresh fierce lust,
For light and air and sun.
4. And next year there were blossoms small
Pink, fragile, quick to fall.
5. Looking up through leaves at the blue
Blind sky, at the finches as they flew
And flitted through the dappled green.
6. Swiftly, and the stars turned in the sky,
And moon-moths and singing crickets and l.

(A4) (i) Read the line.

Pink, fragile, quick to fall
Notice the arrangement of the words in the line:
They move from healthy to delicate
This figure of speech is called Climax where successive words, phrases, sentences are arranged in ascending order of importance. Here, the cherry blossom turns pink, ripens and is ready to be picked.

(ii) Find out examples from the poem.

Alliteration :

Ans: 1.Its arms in a fresh fierce lust.
Explanation : Sound ‘F’ is repeated for musical effect.
2. Who watched, wandering, while Time and the rain.
Explanation : Sound ‘W’ is repeated for musical effect.
3. Swiftly, and the stars turned in the sky,
Explanation : Sound ‘S’ is repeated for musical effect

Antithesis :

Ans: 1. It was very small, five months child,
Lost in the tall grass running wild.
Explanation: words ‘small’ and ‘tall’ are opposite to each other.
2. Came back thinner, rather poor,
But richer by a cherry tree at my door.
Explanation: words ‘Poor’ and ‘Richer’ are opposite to each other.

Personification :

Ans: 1.Its arms in a fresh fierce lust. For light and air and sun.
Explanation: put forwarding arms in air is a human quality which is given to the non human object .
2. Swiftly, and the stars turned in the sky,
And moon-moths and singing crickets and l.
Explanation: turning and singings are human qualities which are given to the non human objects .

(compiled by M.R.Borkar)