Theme and analysis of the poem on killing a tree by Gieve Patel

The Poem

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 wont do it.

Not so much pain will do it.

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.

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Theme and analysis of the poem on killing a tree by gieve patel

The poet

          Gieve Patel is famous Indian Poet. He was born on 18 August 1940 In Mumbai. He started his education at  xavier’s High School and Grant medical College, Mumbai. Now he lives in Mumbai where he is a general physician on the other hand he is also a play writer, painter and artist .He also belongs to the group of writer who are involved in Green movement which is about to protect the environment. He wrote several books like- Mirrored, mirroring, mister Behram. And others.

Theme of the poem on killing a tree.

            Actually in this poem the poet created a ironic statement about killing a tree. He means it’s opposite. He wanted to create a kind of awareness in our minds that trees are living beings just like others. He criticized us as we destroy all the trees for agriculture, Urbanization and in industrialization. We always strike them but they take all kinds of attacks and wounds in their stride but refuse to die. And they always helps us to preserve our environment, so then we can prevent the certain disaster of our planet.

Analysis of the poem on killing a tree.

           The poem by Gieve Patel is a protest poem. It is written in stanzas of irregular length. Here the poet did not use the traditional form of poetry such as kjdsf, irregular meter or stanzas of earl kddf . Instead of that he written in free verse.

        The title indicates the ironical aspects of a tree. Trees are very generous and our best friend. But man’s selfish greed always destroys the moral quality of nature . But a simple jabbing with a knife or chopping cannot kill a tree. The selfish cruel men cuts trees in humanly. The poet ironically said it is to be uprooted and snapped out of the earth and then it is exposed in the sunlight for drying. It passes through the process of scorching, browsing  hardening, twisting and with erring.

Message of the poem on killing a tree.

In this way poet ironically points out our cruelty towards the tree. At last he wanted to mean we have to save the trees to save ourselves in this world. Otherwise we will move towards the destruction.

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