Class 11 NCERT Solutions eNGLISH 

Woven Words Poetry Chapter 10

felling of the banyan tree

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM 

1. Identify the lines that reveal the critical tone of the poet towards the felling of the tree.

✔️ 20 words:

The lines “Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say / But he massacred them all” show the poet’s critical tone.

✔️ 40 words:

The poet criticizes his father’s actions in the lines “Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say / But he massacred them all.” These lines show the poet’s sadness and disapproval of the destruction of trees, especially the killing of the banyan tree.

✔️ 60 words:

The lines “Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say / But he massacred them all” show the poet's deep sadness and criticism of the act. By using the word "massacred," the poet conveys his strong feelings against cutting down the trees, especially the banyan tree, which was ancient and meaningful. This shows the conflict between tradition and modern change.

✔️ 80 words:

The critical tone of the poet is reflected in the lines, “Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say / But he massacred them all.” Here, the poet uses the word “massacred,” showing his strong disapproval of his father’s harsh decision. The use of sacred and massacre highlights the contrast between love for nature and human cruelty. It reflects the poet’s pain and criticism of the insensitive destruction of nature’s beauty and heritage.

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2. Identify the words that help you understand the nature of the poet’s father.

✔️ 20 words:

The words “ordered,” “massacred,” and “removed” show the father’s commanding, practical, and ruthless nature towards the trees and tenants.

✔️ 40 words:

The father’s personality is shown through words like “ordered,” “massacred,” and “removed.” These words show that he was authoritative, practical, and had no emotional attachment to the trees. He prioritized human needs over nature, showing his firm and insensitive side.

✔️ 60 words:

The poet uses words like “ordered,” “massacred,” and “removed” to show his father’s harsh and practical personality. His father didn’t value emotions or traditions. He gave strict orders, cut down trees ruthlessly, and didn’t hesitate to remove the tenants. This reveals that the father focused more on practical living and modern thinking than respecting nature or cultural beliefs.

✔️ 80 words:

The nature of the poet’s father is reflected through words like “ordered,” “massacred,” and “removed.” These words show his commanding, practical, and emotionless approach to life. He showed no concern for the sacredness of trees or the feelings of his family. His actions reflected modern practicality and authority, focusing on clearing land for personal use. The father symbolizes human progress that ignores emotional and cultural ties with nature.

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3. ‘Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say’— what does the poet imply by this line?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet shows his grandmother’s belief that trees are holy and deserve respect. Cutting them down is seen as wrong.

✔️ 40 words:

This line shows that the poet’s grandmother saw trees as sacred and valuable. She believed cutting them was a sin. The poet highlights the old values of respecting nature, contrasting them with the father’s modern thinking that disregarded such beliefs.

✔️ 60 words:

The poet uses this line to present his grandmother’s deep respect for nature. She saw trees as sacred and part of life’s spiritual balance. By mentioning her words, the poet highlights the difference between her traditional beliefs and his father’s modern, ruthless attitude. It also shows how modern actions often disrespect the wisdom and values of earlier generations.

✔️ 80 words:

The poet, through this line, recalls his grandmother’s belief that trees were sacred and should not be harmed. It reflects the traditional respect for nature and the understanding that nature holds spiritual importance. The poet contrasts this belief with his father’s practical, insensitive actions, showing the clash between the old way of living in harmony with nature and the modern mindset of exploiting it for personal gain. This highlights the cultural and emotional loss caused by modernization.

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4. ‘No trees except the one which grows and seethes in one’s dreams’— why is the phrase ‘grows and seethes’ used?

✔️ 20 words:

The phrase shows how the memory of the banyan tree grows strongly in the poet’s dreams, creating emotional restlessness.

✔️ 40 words:

“Grows and seethes” means that the memory of the banyan tree keeps growing and disturbing the poet’s mind. Though the tree is physically gone, it lives in his dreams. This shows his emotional pain and inner struggle over the loss.

✔️ 60 words:

The phrase “grows and seethes” shows the emotional conflict inside the poet’s mind. The banyan tree is physically gone, but its memory keeps growing and disturbing him emotionally. This phrase means the tree’s presence haunts his thoughts and feelings. Even in Bombay, where there are no trees, the banyan tree’s memory remains alive, restless, and painful in his dreams.

✔️ 80 words:

The phrase “grows and seethes” powerfully describes the way the banyan tree’s memory lives on in the poet’s subconscious mind. Though the tree has been cut down, its image keeps growing in his dreams, creating emotional turmoil. “Seethes” suggests restlessness and pain. The poet feels haunted by the destruction of nature, and despite living in a city without trees, the banyan tree continues to affect his thoughts, showing his deep emotional connection to it.

5. How does the banyan tree stand out as different from other trees? What details of the tree does the poet highlight in the poem?

✔️ 20 words:

The banyan tree was the largest, oldest tree with deep roots and thick branches. Its aerial roots and age made it special.

✔️ 40 words:

The banyan tree was much taller and older than other trees. It had a huge trunk, about fifty feet in circumference, and long, scraggy aerial roots. The poet highlights its massive size, deep roots, and its two-hundred-year-old age, making it unique.

✔️ 60 words:

The banyan tree stood out because of its great age, height, and strong roots. Its trunk was fifty feet in circumference and aerial roots fell thirty feet to the ground. Other trees were easily cut down, but this tree resisted removal. Its ancient rings revealed its two-hundred-year-old history. The poet highlights these details to show its strength and emotional significance.

✔️ 80 words:

The banyan tree was different from other trees because of its grand size, ancient roots, and deep connection to the land. It stood three times taller than their house and had a fifty-foot-wide trunk. Its long aerial roots dropped from thirty feet above. The poet describes it as a symbol of life, history, and strength. Even though other trees were removed quickly, this tree resisted. Its two-hundred-year history revealed its deep bond with nature and the poet’s memories.

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6. What does the reference to raw mythology imply?

✔️ 20 words:

“Raw mythology” refers to the ancient, powerful stories hidden in the banyan tree’s age and its deep connection with life.

✔️ 40 words:

The phrase “raw mythology” suggests that the banyan tree held ancient secrets and stories. Its two-hundred-year-old rings represented nature’s untold history. Watching the tree’s destruction felt like watching the end of a mythological story full of life’s meaning and power.

✔️ 60 words:

“Raw mythology” refers to the natural legends and hidden stories present in the banyan tree. The tree’s two-hundred-year-old rings revealed the silent stories of the past. Its deep roots and massive size made it like a mythical figure in the poet’s life. Watching its destruction felt like destroying a living myth, an ancient connection between humans and nature.

✔️ 80 words:

The reference to “raw mythology” means that the banyan tree symbolized ancient, powerful stories of nature. Its two-hundred-year-old rings were like the hidden history of life itself. The tree stood like a timeless myth, deeply rooted in human lives and emotions. When the tree was cut down, it felt as if an ancient legend was being destroyed before their eyes. The phrase highlights the poet’s belief in the sacredness and timeless importance of the banyan tree.

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7. ‘Whose roots lay deeper than our lives’— what aspect of human behaviour does this line reflect?

✔️ 20 words:

This line shows how humans sometimes destroy things older and deeper than their own lives, ignoring nature’s strength and importance.

✔️ 40 words:

The line reflects human arrogance and short-sightedness. People often feel superior to nature and try to control it, ignoring its deep, lasting presence. The banyan tree’s roots symbolize history and strength that go beyond human lives, but humans selfishly destroy it.

✔️ 60 words:

The line reflects human ignorance and arrogance. People think they can control everything, even nature. But the banyan tree’s deep roots show that nature is older, stronger, and more deeply connected to life than humans realize. Despite this, people destroy trees and natural surroundings without understanding their importance and history, showing human insensitivity and disrespect towards nature.

✔️ 80 words:

This line reflects human selfishness and ignorance. Humans often destroy ancient and meaningful parts of nature, believing their needs are more important. The banyan tree’s deep roots, which were older and stronger than human lives, represent nature’s timeless presence. By cutting down the tree, the poet’s father ignored this deep connection and focused only on his short-term goals. This shows how human actions can be thoughtless, harming nature without realizing its deeper, lasting importance in our lives.

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8. Comment on the contemporary concern that the poem echoes.

✔️ 20 words:

The poem highlights today’s concern about deforestation, showing how people destroy nature for development, ignoring its beauty and importance.

✔️ 40 words:

The poem reflects the modern concern of deforestation and urbanization. People cut down trees for development, forgetting their sacredness and environmental value. It shows the conflict between tradition and modern progress and warns us about the loss of nature in our lives.

✔️ 60 words:

This poem echoes the contemporary concern of environmental destruction due to rapid urbanization. In the name of progress, people destroy ancient trees and natural surroundings without caring for their value. The poet shows how cutting down trees like the banyan leads to emotional and cultural loss. It warns society to respect nature, preserve it, and balance development with environmental care.

✔️ 80 words:

The poem strongly reflects the contemporary concern of environmental destruction caused by urbanization and modernization. It highlights how human beings, in their rush for development, cut down trees and damage nature without thinking of its sacredness and value. The banyan tree’s felling symbolizes the loss of cultural, emotional, and ecological balance. Through this poem, the poet warns modern society to be more mindful and sensitive towards preserving the environment while pursuing progress, ensuring that nature and life co-exist peacefully.

EXTRA QUESTIONS 

Q1. Who is the poet of ‘Felling of the Banyan Tree’?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet of “Felling of the Banyan Tree” is Dilip Chitre. He wrote poetry in both Marathi and English.

✔️ 40 words:

Dilip Chitre is the poet of “Felling of the Banyan Tree.” He was a famous Indian poet who wrote in Marathi and English. His poems reflect deep thoughts about life, nature, and human emotions, showing a sensitive and thoughtful mind.

✔️ 60 words:

Dilip Chitre, the poet of “Felling of the Banyan Tree,” was an Indian writer who expressed his feelings in Marathi and English. His works often explore deep subjects like nature, culture, and human relationships. Through this poem, he talks about the loss of nature due to modernization. His poetry is thoughtful, sensitive, and filled with emotional and philosophical meanings.

✔️ 80 words:

The poem “Felling of the Banyan Tree” was written by Dilip Chitre, an important Indian poet known for his works in both Marathi and English. Chitre often expressed his deep concern for nature, culture, and modern life’s impact on traditions. In this poem, he describes his sadness at the destruction of an ancient banyan tree, symbolizing the loss of natural heritage. His sensitive writing highlights the emotional pain caused by modernization and changing human attitudes toward nature and tradition.

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Q2. What message does the poet give through this poem?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet warns against cutting down trees and destroying nature. He asks people to respect nature’s beauty and importance.

✔️ 40 words:

Through this poem, the poet gives a message to protect nature. He shows how cutting down trees destroys both the environment and emotional connections. He wants people to realize that trees are not just wood but living beings connected to human life.

✔️ 60 words:

The poet’s message in this poem is about saving nature from human destruction. He criticizes how people cut down trees without realizing their importance in our lives. Trees are living things that give us shade, peace, and life. Their destruction brings emotional pain and environmental loss. The poet urges us to protect trees and respect our connection to nature and tradition.

✔️ 80 words:

In “Felling of the Banyan Tree,” the poet gives a powerful message about the need to protect trees and nature. He shows how modern people, like his father, destroy ancient trees without caring about their cultural and emotional value. The poet believes trees are sacred and hold life’s deep meaning. By cutting them down, humans harm not only the environment but also their emotional roots. He encourages people to be more caring, sensitive, and responsible towards nature.

Q3. What was the banyan tree’s size and age according to the poem?

✔️ 20 words:

The banyan tree was three times taller than their house. Its trunk was fifty feet wide and two hundred years old.

✔️ 40 words:

The banyan tree was huge and ancient. It stood three times taller than the house and had a trunk circumference of fifty feet. When cut, its rings showed it was two hundred years old, revealing its deep connection with nature and history.

✔️ 60 words:

In the poem, the banyan tree’s size and age are highlighted with great detail. It was three times as tall as the house and its trunk measured fifty feet in circumference. After cutting it, the tree revealed two hundred growth rings, showing how old and significant it was. The tree symbolized strength, history, and nature’s deep roots in human life.

✔️ 80 words:

The banyan tree described in the poem was a magnificent, ancient tree. It towered three times higher than their house and had a trunk fifty feet wide. Its aerial roots stretched thirty feet down. When the tree was cut down, the poet and his family saw its growth rings, which showed it had lived for two hundred years. This impressive size and age made the banyan tree not just a plant, but a living monument of history, life, and nature’s strength.

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Q4. Why did the poet’s father want to remove the banyan tree?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet’s father wanted to remove the banyan tree to clear the land and make space, showing a practical mindset.

✔️ 40 words:

The poet’s father saw the banyan tree as an obstacle in clearing the land. He ordered its removal to make the area usable for human needs. His actions showed a practical and modern mindset, ignoring the emotional and cultural value of the tree.

✔️ 60 words:

The poet’s father ordered the banyan tree’s removal because he wanted to clear the land for practical purposes. He saw the tree as a problem standing in the way of progress. Unlike the grandmother, who saw the tree as sacred, the father focused on utility and ignored its emotional or environmental value. His decision shows the conflict between tradition and modern development.

✔️ 80 words:

The poet’s father wanted to remove the banyan tree as part of clearing the land where they lived. He viewed the tree as an obstacle that prevented development and better use of the space. Unlike the grandmother, who considered the tree sacred, the father prioritized practicality and progress over emotion and tradition. His decision reflected the modern human attitude of removing nature for personal convenience without caring about its spiritual, cultural, or environmental significance.

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Q5. What emotions did the poet feel while watching the tree being cut?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet felt both terror and fascination. He was deeply disturbed by the tree’s destruction but could not stop watching.

✔️ 40 words:

The poet’s emotions were mixed. He felt scared, helpless, and sad while watching the tree being chopped down. Yet, he was also fascinated by the history hidden in its rings, showing a strange blend of horror and wonder at the ancient tree’s fall.

✔️ 60 words:

While the banyan tree was being cut down, the poet felt a mixture of terror, sadness, and fascination. He was horrified to see something so old and sacred destroyed so cruelly. Yet, he was strangely attracted to the sight of the tree’s two-hundred-year-old rings, revealing nature’s history. These emotions reflected his conflict between love for nature and witnessing its brutal destruction.

✔️ 80 words:

The poet experienced conflicting emotions while watching the banyan tree being cut down. He felt deep sorrow, helplessness, and terror at the sight of such a majestic, ancient tree being destroyed. However, he also couldn’t look away, feeling a strange fascination as the tree’s history was revealed in its two-hundred-year-old rings. This mixture of horror and wonder shows the poet’s deep emotional connection with the tree and his painful realization of human cruelty toward nature.

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Q6. How does the poem contrast the grandmother’s and the father’s views on trees?

✔️ 20 words:

The grandmother respected trees as sacred, while the father saw them as obstacles and ordered their removal without any emotional thought.

✔️ 40 words:

The poem shows a clear contrast: the grandmother considered trees sacred and deserving respect, believing felling them was a crime. In contrast, the father viewed trees practically, as problems blocking land clearance. He prioritized human needs over nature’s spiritual and emotional value.

✔️ 60 words:

The poem contrasts two generations. The grandmother respected trees as sacred, part of life’s spiritual connection. She believed cutting them was a sin. On the other hand, the father had a practical mindset. He saw trees as obstacles to progress and ordered their removal. This difference reflects the conflict between traditional beliefs that cherish nature and modern attitudes that value human convenience over environmental respect.

✔️ 80 words:

The grandmother and the father represent two contrasting perspectives on nature. The grandmother respected trees, considering them sacred and an essential part of life’s spiritual balance. She believed cutting them was a crime against nature. In contrast, the father approached the trees practically, seeing them as barriers to progress and land development. His decision to cut them down reflects a modern, utilitarian view that disregards emotional and spiritual connections to nature. This contrast highlights the conflict between tradition and modernity.

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Q7. What is the significance of the tree’s aerial roots in the poem?

✔️ 20 words:

The aerial roots show the banyan tree’s age, strength, and uniqueness. They symbolize life’s connection between earth and sky.

✔️ 40 words:

The tree’s aerial roots symbolize the banyan’s greatness and age. Falling from thirty feet, they show its majestic presence. The roots connect the earth and sky, representing life’s deep ties with nature. Their cutting marks a painful separation from nature’s beauty.

✔️ 60 words:

In the poem, the banyan tree’s aerial roots highlight its ancient and majestic nature. These roots, hanging from thirty feet high, symbolized the tree’s deep connection with the earth and sky. They represented life, strength, and natural beauty. Cutting them down was like breaking an ancient bond between humans and nature. Their removal reflects human insensitivity toward something old, grand, and meaningful.

✔️ 80 words:

The banyan tree’s aerial roots play a symbolic role in the poem, showing the tree’s magnificence and its ancient bond with nature. Hanging thirty feet above the ground, these roots reflected life’s continuous connection between the earth and sky. They represented not only the physical strength of the tree but also the spiritual link between nature and human life. When these roots were cut, it symbolized the tragic loss of life’s harmony with nature, leaving only emptiness behind.

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Q8. How did nature react when the banyan tree was being cut down?

✔️ 20 words:

When the banyan tree was cut, birds and insects left the tree, showing how nature loses its home and peace.

✔️ 40 words:

As the banyan tree was being chopped down, birds and insects left their homes. This showed how human actions force nature to abandon its shelter. The peaceful lives of these creatures were destroyed, reflecting the damage humans cause when they harm nature.

✔️ 60 words:

Nature reacted with sadness and loss when the banyan tree was cut down. The birds and insects that lived in the tree left, losing their homes and peaceful shelter. This departure symbolizes how nature is forced to flee when humans destroy trees. It reflects the larger environmental damage caused by deforestation, where countless lives are disturbed for human progress and comfort.

✔️ 80 words:

When the banyan tree was being cut, nature responded by retreating. Birds flew away, and insects left the tree, abandoning their safe homes. Their departure represents the displacement and destruction of wildlife caused by human activities. The peaceful harmony of life that existed around the banyan tree was disturbed forever. This reaction symbolizes how human cruelty toward nature destroys not only trees but also the delicate balance of life, leaving emptiness and silence in its place.

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Q9. Where did the poet’s family move after cutting the banyan tree?

✔️ 20 words:

After cutting the banyan tree, the poet’s family moved from Baroda to Bombay, a city with no such large trees.

✔️ 40 words:

The poet’s family left Baroda and moved to Bombay after cutting down the banyan tree. Bombay, unlike Baroda, had no such big trees. The poet sadly remembers that only the banyan tree remains alive in his dreams, not in reality.

✔️ 60 words:

After cutting down the banyan tree, the poet’s family moved from Baroda to Bombay. Bombay was a busy city without trees like the banyan. The poet missed the peaceful connection with nature he had in Baroda. Though physically gone, the banyan tree lived in his dreams. This move symbolized the shift from a natural, peaceful life to a busy, lifeless city life.

✔️ 80 words:

Following the destruction of the banyan tree, the poet’s family left their home in Baroda and shifted to Bombay, a city full of concrete but lacking in greenery. In Bombay, the poet could not find trees like the banyan and deeply missed the comfort and peace they once brought. For him, the banyan tree survived only in his dreams, symbolizing how urban life often replaces nature, leaving people with only memories of the beautiful, peaceful, natural world they once knew.

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Q10. What does the banyan tree symbolize in the poem?

✔️ 20 words:

The banyan tree symbolizes tradition, nature’s strength, and life’s deep roots. Its destruction shows human cruelty toward heritage and environment.

✔️ 40 words:

In the poem, the banyan tree stands for tradition, strength, and the deep connection between nature and human life. Its ancient roots symbolize history and culture. Cutting it down represents the destruction of nature, emotional ties, and the cultural values of life.

✔️ 60 words:

The banyan tree in the poem symbolizes tradition, environmental beauty, and life’s strong foundations. Its age and strength represent cultural history and nature’s timeless presence. Cutting down the tree symbolizes the human desire for modern progress at the cost of destroying sacred connections with nature and heritage. The poet highlights how insensitive actions destroy not only the environment but also human emotions.

✔️ 80 words:

In the poem, the banyan tree is a powerful symbol of nature’s endurance, cultural heritage, and emotional strength. Its ancient roots, size, and history represent the deep connections humans share with the environment. The tree’s removal reflects the conflict between modern human progress and age-old traditions. Its felling symbolizes the loss of spiritual connection with nature, showing how modernization often brings emotional emptiness. The poet uses the banyan tree to emphasize the importance of respecting nature’s beauty and wisdom.

Q11. What crime did the grandmother believe was being committed?

✔️ 20 words:

The grandmother believed cutting trees was a crime against nature. She thought trees were sacred and deserved love and respect.

✔️ 40 words:

According to the grandmother, cutting trees was not just an action but a crime. She considered trees sacred and believed harming them broke moral and spiritual rules. Her belief reflected traditional values where nature and trees are deeply respected as life-giving forces.

✔️ 60 words:

The grandmother viewed the felling of trees as a serious crime against nature. She believed that trees were sacred and harming them was against spiritual beliefs. For her, trees were part of life’s balance and cutting them disturbed harmony. This belief shows the difference between traditional wisdom, which respects nature, and modern practical thinking, which often ignores such emotional and spiritual values.

✔️ 80 words:

In the poem, the grandmother strongly believed that cutting down trees was a crime against both nature and tradition. She saw trees as sacred, life-giving elements that should be protected, not destroyed. According to her, harming trees was like breaking a moral law, disrespecting the earth and spiritual beliefs. Her words highlight the wisdom of older generations who lived in harmony with nature. This contrasts sharply with the father’s modern, practical attitude that disregarded such emotional and environmental concerns.

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Q12. Why is the banyan tree described as a ‘problem’?

✔️ 20 words:

The banyan tree is called a “problem” because its huge roots and size made it difficult to remove from the land.

✔️ 40 words:

The banyan tree was a “problem” because it was huge, strong, and deeply rooted. Unlike other trees, it couldn’t be easily cut down. Its presence blocked land clearance, making it an obstacle to the father’s plan for development and construction.

✔️ 60 words:

The poet describes the banyan tree as a “problem” because of its massive size and deep roots. While other trees were easily removed, the banyan tree’s strong foundation resisted destruction. It stood as a challenge to his father’s plan of clearing the land. The word “problem” shows the conflict between nature’s strength and human attempts to control it for personal or practical purposes.

✔️ 80 words:

The banyan tree is described as a “problem” because it was much larger, older, and stronger than the other trees on the land. Its deep roots, which went far below the ground, made it hard to remove. Unlike the smaller trees, this one resisted human efforts, standing as a powerful symbol of nature’s strength. To the father, who wanted to clear the land quickly, it was an obstacle in his path. The tree’s presence challenged human control over nature.

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Q13. What does the poet mean by “rings of two hundred years”?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet refers to the tree’s growth rings, which showed it had lived for two hundred years, symbolizing its long history.

✔️ 40 words:

“Rings of two hundred years” refers to the circular rings inside the tree trunk, revealing its age. Each ring represents a year of growth. These rings show that the banyan tree lived for two centuries, silently witnessing the passage of time and history.

✔️ 60 words:

The poet mentions “rings of two hundred years” to describe the banyan tree’s great age. When the trunk was cut, the rings inside showed that the tree had lived for over two centuries. These rings symbolized the tree’s long journey through time. They revealed the tree’s history, survival, and deep connection with life, making its destruction even more tragic.

✔️ 80 words:

The phrase “rings of two hundred years” refers to the growth rings seen in the banyan tree’s trunk after it was cut down. Each ring represented a year of the tree’s life, meaning the tree had been alive for over two centuries. This powerful image showed how ancient and meaningful the banyan tree was. It had silently witnessed generations of life around it. Cutting down such an old tree symbolized the loss of both history and a living part of nature.

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Q14. Why does the poet say “we watched in terror and fascination”?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet and his family felt shocked and amazed watching the ancient banyan tree being destroyed, revealing its hidden history.

✔️ 40 words:

The poet and his family felt a mixture of fear and wonder. They were terrified by the destruction of something sacred and ancient but fascinated by the tree’s age and history revealed during the process. This shows their emotional conflict toward the event.

✔️ 60 words:

When the banyan tree was being cut, the poet and his family watched with mixed feelings. They felt terror at the violent destruction of such an old, sacred tree. But at the same time, they were fascinated by the sight of its two-hundred-year-old rings. These emotions reflect their sadness at the loss of the tree and wonder at the deep history it carried within.

✔️ 80 words:

The poet uses the phrase “we watched in terror and fascination” to describe the emotional conflict he and his family experienced. They were horrified by the violent act of cutting down such an ancient, sacred tree, something they had emotionally connected with for generations. Yet, as the tree fell, they were fascinated by the hidden history revealed in its two-hundred-year-old rings. This moment reflected the painful realization of losing something beautiful and timeless, mixed with the wonder of seeing nature’s ancient life story.

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Q15. What does the poet miss about Baroda after moving to Bombay?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet misses the natural beauty of Baroda, especially the banyan tree and the peaceful life surrounded by greenery.

✔️ 40 words:

After moving to Bombay, the poet misses Baroda’s peaceful, green environment. He especially misses the banyan tree, which represented his childhood memories and connection with nature. In Bombay, a city of buildings, he finds no such trees, only memories in dreams.

✔️ 60 words:

The poet deeply misses Baroda’s natural surroundings after moving to Bombay. In Baroda, he had grown up with the banyan tree and peaceful greenery around him. In contrast, Bombay was a crowded city with no trees or natural beauty. The banyan tree, which once stood tall in his yard, remained alive only in his dreams, showing how much he longed for his childhood environment.

✔️ 80 words:

After his family moved to Bombay, the poet missed the calm and green surroundings of Baroda. In Baroda, he had lived close to nature, with the banyan tree being a symbol of peace, history, and childhood memories. Bombay, in contrast, was a busy city without the comfort of trees or open spaces. The banyan tree lived on only in his dreams, symbolizing his longing for a life filled with nature, peace, and the strong emotional bond he shared with his childhood home.

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Q16. Explain the meaning of “looking for the ground to strike.”

✔️ 20 words:

The phrase means the banyan tree’s aerial roots are searching for soil, symbolizing a longing for stability and belonging.

✔️ 40 words:

“Looking for the ground to strike” describes the banyan tree’s aerial roots searching for the earth. Symbolically, it reflects the poet’s longing for roots and belonging. Even after the tree’s destruction, its presence continues to search for emotional and spiritual grounding.

✔️ 60 words:

The phrase “looking for the ground to strike” refers to the banyan tree’s aerial roots hanging in the air, trying to touch the ground and grow. Symbolically, it shows the poet’s emotional search for connection and stability. Although the tree was destroyed physically, it remained alive in his dreams, still searching for the lost ground, representing his longing for nature and his past.

✔️ 80 words:

The phrase “looking for the ground to strike” describes the banyan tree’s aerial roots, which hung from the branches and searched for soil to grow in. This image symbolizes a longing for stability, connection, and belonging. Even after the tree was destroyed, the poet imagined its roots in his dreams, still seeking the earth they once touched. This reflects his own emotional struggle—seeking comfort and peace in the chaotic, treeless city of Bombay where nature’s beauty and personal peace were missing.

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Q17. How does the poem reflect the theme of urbanization?

✔️ 20 words:

The poem shows how urbanization destroys nature. Old trees are cut down to clear land for buildings and city life.

✔️ 40 words:

The poem reflects urbanization by showing how human development leads to deforestation. Ancient trees are seen as obstacles and removed for progress. The poet criticizes this modern mindset where natural beauty is sacrificed to make way for cities like Bombay, full of buildings.

✔️ 60 words:

Urbanization is a major theme in the poem. The poet shows how the old banyan tree, full of life and history, is cut down to clear land for human development. Afterward, the family moves to Bombay, a city with no trees. This shows how urbanization destroys nature, removes peaceful surroundings, and replaces beauty with lifeless concrete jungles where emotional and environmental connections are lost.

✔️ 80 words:

The poem clearly reflects the harmful effects of urbanization. It shows how people destroy natural surroundings in the name of progress. The banyan tree, rich in history and beauty, was cut down because it blocked human development. Later, the family moved to Bombay, a city without trees, where concrete replaced greenery. Through this, the poet criticizes how urbanization ignores emotional bonds with nature and values only modern comforts, leaving people longing for the peace and beauty that nature once gave.

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Q18. What is the tone of the poem?

✔️ 20 words:

The tone of the poem is sad and critical. The poet shows sorrow over nature’s destruction and criticizes human cruelty.

✔️ 40 words:

The poem has a sad, reflective, and critical tone. The poet expresses sorrow over the destruction of the banyan tree. He also criticizes human insensitivity towards nature, showing how people value progress over life’s emotional and environmental beauty.

✔️ 60 words:

The tone of the poem is deeply emotional and critical. The poet feels sorrow watching the banyan tree’s destruction and is upset by human carelessness toward nature. He expresses a reflective sadness about how modernization replaces natural beauty with lifeless cities. The poet’s words criticize those who forget the sacredness of trees and nature, losing emotional and spiritual connections in the process of urbanization.

✔️ 80 words:

The poem’s tone is sorrowful, reflective, and critical. The poet is emotionally hurt by the cutting down of the banyan tree, which he saw as a symbol of life and tradition. His words carry sadness for the loss of nature and frustration toward the modern mindset that values development over emotional and spiritual beauty. Through a blend of personal sadness and social criticism, the poet makes readers feel the emotional pain caused by human cruelty toward nature.

Q19. How is the banyan tree a symbol of cultural and emotional roots?

✔️ 20 words:

The banyan tree represents cultural roots, tradition, and emotional attachment. Its deep roots show life’s connection with history and family values.

✔️ 40 words:

The banyan tree symbolizes strong cultural and emotional roots. Its age reflects history and family traditions. For the poet, it connects his childhood memories, family beliefs, and nature’s sacredness. Cutting it down shows how modern people destroy these deep emotional and cultural ties.

✔️ 60 words:

In the poem, the banyan tree is a powerful symbol of cultural and emotional roots. Its deep roots represent the poet’s connection with his family’s traditions and values. The tree also carries emotional meaning, holding memories of his childhood and life’s peace. Destroying the banyan tree reflects how modernization breaks these deep connections, showing human loss of emotional warmth and cultural identity with nature.

✔️ 80 words:

The banyan tree stands as a strong symbol of cultural and emotional roots in the poet’s life. Its deep roots represent not just its physical strength but also the long-standing traditions, family values, and peaceful childhood memories associated with it. The poet connects this tree with his heritage and emotional safety. When it was cut down, it was not just the loss of a tree but the destruction of his emotional ties and cultural foundation, showing how modernization erases such meaningful bonds.

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Q20. Why does the poet call the cutting of the tree a “slaughter”?

✔️ 20 words:

The poet uses “slaughter” to show the cruelty of cutting the tree. It compares the act to killing a living being.

✔️ 40 words:

The poet calls it a “slaughter” because cutting down the banyan tree felt like killing a living creature. The tree had life, history, and emotional value. Using this strong word highlights the cruel, violent, and heartless nature of destroying something so sacred.

✔️ 60 words:

The word “slaughter” shows the poet’s deep pain and anger toward the destruction of the banyan tree. He compares the cutting of the tree to killing a living being. This word expresses that the tree was not just wood but a life form filled with history, peace, and sacredness. Calling it a slaughter highlights the brutality and insensitivity of human actions against nature.

✔️ 80 words:

The poet describes the cutting of the banyan tree as a “slaughter” to emphasize the cruelty and heartlessness of the act. He feels that trees, like animals or humans, are living beings with their own life, history, and sacredness. Using the word “slaughter” shows how painful and violent it was to witness the destruction of something so ancient and meaningful. The poet wants readers to understand that cutting down trees is not just removal but an act of violence against nature’s life.