Appreciation of the Poem On Killing a Tree

“Earth is all that we have in common”: We forget this simple principle. Knowingly and unknowingly we pave way for the funeral of our own earth. Killing a Tree is a simple act but when it is done in a macroscopic level, it is highly destructive to nature. Indian poet Gieve Patel discusses this idea in his poem “On Killing a Tree”.

He begins the poem by declaring that killing a tree is not a simple task but says: “It takes much time to kill a tree/Not a simple jab of knife will do it”. He then discusses the tree as a thief who without permission, consumed the earth, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years of sunlight, air water etc. The poet cleverly tries to present the existence of tree itself as a sinful act. From the very beginning itself, we can understand that the poet is equating the life of the tree with the life of a human being. Just like human being who is an emotional being, the poet treats the tree also in the same manner.

            In the advance stanzas, the poet suggests some measures to exterminate (destroy completely) the tree. He suggests us to hack and chop (cutting into pieces), just like butchers do. We have heard that “Tree is a magic machine that sucks carbon out of the air and builds itself”. Reiterating (repeating) this fear of magic machine, the poet asks us to check the growth of ‘miniature boughs’ which if unchecked will help the tree grow back to its former size. Here, the poet stresses on the ability of the tree to exfoliate (grow by unfolding leaves). At the same time we are reminded that the tree will find all possible ways to survive. Expressions like sprouting boughs, heal, absorbing, feeding and expanding denote ability of the tree to survive.  

            In order to delineate (describe in vivid detail), the cruelty and egoistic nature of human beings, the poet continues to say that the root has to be pulled out from the earth’s cave in which it lived like a ferocious animal. Poet declares that this white and wet part is the most sensitive but strong part of the tree which can only be destroyed through a series of activities like scorching, choking, browning, hardening, twisting and withering. The  poet has used many poetic devices aptly to create a wholesome experience of the poem. We find personification in lines: bleeding bark will heal, and out its leprous hide. Alliteration is used in the line bleeding bark will heal.             This exquisitely wonderful poem successfully depicts the cruelty of human beings done toward nature. In this context of massive destruction of nature, it is time we began movements like Chipko, Appiko and Fridays for Future etc. to save our planet.

-Anjoe-