The Heart Of The Tree

 

Question on ‘The Heart of the Tree’ (2)

Answer the following questions

1. Why do you think the poet uses questions to begin his poem?

The poet uses questions to begin his poem to emphasize the theme he wants to convey to the readers and make it extraordinary. It's not just a mere act of planting a tree. The poet makes one read in a different sense. He presents things as if they are unknown and very new. We are forced to think, by the poet in what he believes. Thus a simple act becomes too noble and subtle. This poetic technique is known as Hypophora.

2. Explain the line 'He plants a friend of sun and sky.'

The poet Henry Cuyler Bunner, in his beautifully written poem,”The heart of a Tree”, tells about planting trees and how they are inevitable to the harmonious existence of nature. The tree needs the sun and the sky for its life and in return nourishes them too. There is no perfect nature without the friendship of these three as they are most essential for any life forms.

3.”He plants the flag of breezes free”... What does the poet indicate by the flag of breezes?

The poet says that a man who plants a tree is not only planting a tree but he makes a free breeze possible for everyone.  A tree once planted, will grow in size covers with thick leaves, which could generate winds and breeze. The poet indirectly wanted to say that trees give out life-sustaining air. And by doing this act, the man becomes eco-friendly, thus saving the human race from pollution as well.

4. "He plants a home to heaven anigh”. What's implied in this expression?

The following expression is from the poem,” The heart of a Tree”, by the American poet Henry Cuyler Bunner. The poet says that the man who plants a tree also makes possible a shelter for thousands of birds which at the time of sunset croon beautiful songs to the young ones and the feeling is heavenly for the rest of the others. He thus becomes equal to God who is the creator of heaven.

5. What is the meaning of hushed and happy twilight?

The poet Henry Cuyler Bunner, talks about the divine act of planting a tree. He wished to see it in a different way. He says that planting a tree is next to nothing. He who plants a tree also plants thousands of invisible virtues as well. The joyful song of birds when the mother bird comes back in a quiet evening and sings is a blissful experience. It is similar to heaven. The word ‘hushed’ means a time most probably evening when all the sounds subside and in that quiet and serene eve, the mother bird sings songs which can be called as lullabies to it's your ones. The word’ twilight ‘means the time when evening gives way tonight. A golden hue pervades everywhere. The twilight is imagined as happy here but the happiness spreads everywhere.

6. What is meant by the treble of heaven's harmony?

The poem” The heart of the Tree” is about the benefits of planting a tree. The poet talks about the man who plants a tree and the changes he brings in. He makes tree the abode of happiness for many birds and the happy songs of the birds, sitting on the branches of the tree, emulates heaven. The joyful chirps of the birds replicate the sounds of joyful heaven.

7. How does one can plant cool shade and tender rain?

The poet says that those who plant a tree also plant shades and rain. The poet reminds us that the trees give us shade from the scorching heat and are responsible for the rains. So he becomes an inevitable agent in connecting all the other elements of nature.

8. He plants the glory of the plain.

Explain

The poet Henry Cuyler Bunner in his poem “The heart of the Tree“, speaks about the virtues the tree possess. They add the aesthetic glory of a plain with their leaves, flowers, and fruits, in spite of being the life nourishes. A plain surrounded by hilly rocks would seem dry like a desert if there are no trees at all

9. And plants the forest's heritage...

What do you comprehend from the above expression?

The above expression is from the poem, “The Heart of the Tree.” The poet talks about the benefits the tree causes. One who plants a tree secures the future generations by providing them a pollution free world. A tree makes more of them and turns into a forest which can be a legacy for the coming generations. Thus, he keeps aside a valuable treasure.

10. Explain, "The joy that unborn eyes shall see "

The poet Henry Cuyler Bunner says that those who plant trees are part of the process of the cycle of nature. A tree would breed thousands other trees and the forthcoming generations which are yet to born will be overjoyed to accept such a legacy.

11. What does the poet hint by ' He plants, in sap and leaf and wood

In love of home and loyalty

And far-cast thought of civic good "?

The above lines are from the poem “The heart of the Tree”. The poet goes on talking about the nobility of the man who plants a tree. He does well for the common good. He becomes an example instilling in others the need to protect nature and live in a pollution free world. Such a man thinks not only for his immediate good but for the future as well. He is a true human.

12.

“Who in the hollow of his hand

Holds all the growth of all our land.

How can one hold the growth of the land” Explain?

In the above lines, the poet speaks about the man who plants a tree could hold the growth of the land. He indirectly points out that trees are vital in the lives of people. All the growth of humankind depends on trees. Someone who plants a tree thinks much about the world and harmonious existence. Hence, he could foresee the growth of the land.

13. “A nation's growth from sea to sea

Stirs in his heart who plants a tree”... What does the poet mean by this?

The above lines indicate the importance of planting trees in building nations. The resources tree could provide for the growth of a nation is undeniable. Hence someone who plants a tree thinks about the welfare of his nation too. He is discharging his civic duties as well.

14. Find out examples for personification from the poem 'The heart of a Tree. '

Giving personal attributes to inanimate and non-living things are known as personifies. Normally abstract ideas are given such personal traits. For example, the poet personifies the tree in the line, 'a friend of sun and sky'.

15. Find out the figure of speech implied in the line 'hushed and happy twilight '

The figure of speech due in the line "hushed and happy twilight” is known as a transferred epithet. It is a figure of speech where an adjective grammatically qualifies a noun other than the person think it is actually describing.

Here twilight is not supposed to be happy, but the people surrounding it are.

16. Find out an instance of a metaphor from the poem.

Metaphors are figures of speech that compare two distinctly different things indirectly.

The branches of the tree are compared to a flag in the Line, "He plants the flag of breezes free”

17. What is alliteration? Find out an instance for the same from the poem “The heart of a tree"

The repetition of consonant sounds, at the beginning of the words, is called as alliteration. It gives a rhythmic quality to the poem. Example... "He plants a home to heaven high”. The use of metaphor lends the poem its poetic enhancements. Lines tend to be more poetic.

  The Heart of the Tree

 Extract I

What does he plant who plants a tree…………to heaven anigh.

 

1.   Who is the poet asking the questions in the first line of the extract? List any two things, according to the extract, that man will do by planting a tree.

 

The poet poses the question to the readers. One who plants a tree plants a friend of sun and sky. He plants a flag of free breeze which provides soothing, cool breeze.

 

2.  Give the meaning of the following lines:

 

He plants a friend of sun and sky;

 

He plants the flag of breezes free;

 

 The shaft of beauty, towering high;

 

He plants a home to heaven anigh;

 

The tree is portrayed as a friend of sun and sky because the tree depends on the sun to carry out the process of photosynthesis. Similarly, the tree is a friend of the sky because it takes in carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen in the air and thus purifies the air. Also transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains. The tree grows like beautiful tower and it appears that the tree has made a home closer to heaven.

 

3.    In what way are the trees friends of sun and sky? How can a man plant the flag of breezes free?

 

The tree is depicted as a friend of sun and sky because the poet feels that one day the tree will grow tall and make friendship with the sky and the sun. The tree depends on the sun to carry out the process of photosynthesis. Similarly, the tree is a friend of the sky because it takes in carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen in the air and thus purifies the air. Also transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains. The tree is a flag of free breeze for the leaves just like flags that flutter freely in the breeze flutter and provide soothing, cool breeze to us.

 

4. What is meant  by ‘shaft of beauty’? What is compared to the shaft?

 

Shaft of beauty means beam of beauty. The tree which grows high with its long narrow stem is compared to the shaft.

 

5.   What is the impact of beginning the poem with a question? What is the figure of speech used here?

 

The impact of beginning a stanza with a question is done to create curiosity and anxiety in the readers to know more about the poem. The poet has used it purposely and cleverly before every stanza. The figure of speech used is Hypophora or Antipophora it is a technique of raising a question and then immediately providing an answer to that question.

 

 Extract II

For song and mother-croon……..he plants who plants a tree.

 

1.    What is known as mother-croon of bird? Why is the song sung in a hushed voice?

 

Mother-croon is the soft song that mother bird is singing to her young one. It is sung in a hushed voice because it is sung during twilight when human activities are restricted and an atmosphere of calmness and serenity prevails.

 

2.    What is twilight? Why is it a happy twilight?

 

Twilight is the faint light  at the end of the day after the sun has gone down. It is a happy twilight because the mother-croon sings to her young ones happily, with soft and gentle voice. The bird’s high-pitched tone adds to the pleasant harmony of nature.

 

3.    What is meant by treble, heaven’s harmony? What role does the treble play in heaven’s harmony?

 

Treble is a high tone in music. Harmony is the way in which different musical notes are  played or sung together and combine to make a pleasant sound. The treble produced by the mother-croon sinks into the pleasant harmony of the universe.

 

4.    Give two examples of metonym. How is it used in the poem?

 

A friend of sun and sky. The poet feels that when we plant a tree we plant a friend of sun and sky i.e., a tree.

 

Cool shade. The poet opines that when we plant a tree we plant cool shade i.e., a tree.

 

5.    Give four functions which a tree performs on this earth.

 

A tree functions as a friend of sky and sun. It is the flag of breezes free. When we plant a tree, we make a home near to heaven. We provide a shelter to mother bird and the mother-croon is heard in the twilight from the trees we plant.

 Extract III

He plants cool shade and ……..unborn eyes shall see.

 

1.  Enumerate any three benefits of planting trees as suggested by the poet in this extract. What do the plants do to provide cool shade in a place?

 

The trees will tall and provide shade to the people as well as the trees bless us with tender rains. It will provide crops to the future generations. The plants will grow tall and the human beings and animals will find comfort and solace under the branches of trees when the Sun shines bright.

 

2.  The water evaporates, condenses and falls as rain. What role do the trees play in this process of producing rain?

 

The transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains.

 

3.   How do the last two lines of the extract explain the process of regeneration? How does the man plant the forest’s heritage?

 

After many years the old trees will  wither away and the seeds of the trees will grow into new trees and into dense forest. This is symbolic of the process of birth, death and regeneration. In this way, trees will make the plains beautiful. The forest will provide crops to the future generations. Thus the upcoming generations will reap all the benefits of the trees that are being planted now.

 

4.   How do the trees provide for the harvest of the following years?

 

Trees not only beautify environment, but purify the air and provide us with wood, timber, fruits and medicines. The one who plants a tree, plants the entire forest. This forest is thus the harvest, the future generation can enjoy.

 

5.   What do the expression, unborn eyes indicate? What will they see? Why will they rejoice?

 

Unborn eyes refers to the future generation. The unborn eyes shall see plants providing cools shade, blessing us with tender rain, regeneration of trees, beautiful plains filled with numerous trees, nature abundant with her numerous gifts like fruits, timber, etc. They will rejoice because the trees will provide them fresh and pure air, numerous gifts like fruits, timber, tender rain, etc.  The plants provide us with all essential nutrients for our body. They are main source of medicine and wood.

 Extract IV 

He plants, in sap and leaf………his heart who plants a tree.

 

1.    The poet says: “ He plants, in sap and leaf and wood.” Which figure of speech is used here? Explain its usage with two other examples from the poem.

 

Metonymy is the figure of speech used here. It is a figure of speech in which  a thing or concept is called not by its own name but rather by a metonym, that is, by the name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept. The whole poem runs on a series of metonymic  associations of a tree with its qualities. According to the poet, the one who plants a tree, plants ‘cool shade’ ‘tender rain’ ‘a friend of sun and sky’ ‘the forest’s heritage’ ‘sap and leaf and wood’ , etc.

 

2.    What is meant by ‘far-cast thought of civic good’? In what way is the planter’s work a blessing? State for whom it is a blessing.

 

Far-cast thought of civic good means foreseeing the  well-being of the city or its citizens. Planter’s work is a blessing because the human beings can get  food from the plant’s sap and leaves. Besides, he can get wood for his use. It is also a blessing for the future generations.

 

Tree plantation is indeed a blessing on the neighbourhood.

 

3.    Give the meaning of the following:

 

Who in the hollow of His hand

 

Holds all the growth of all our land

 

The man’s hand holds the future progress of mankind. Our land will become barren without trees. The growth of the universe is possible only by planting trees.

 

4.    In what way a nation’s growth depends on planting trees?

 

Wood is very important trade product and thus its import and export within countries enriches the economy of a nation. Therefore, the poet indirectly requests all human beings to plant trees for the well-being of society and its citizens.

 

5.    Comment on the appropriateness of the title of the poem The heart of the tree.

 

The heart of the tree is an appropriate  title. The heart is one of the most important organs in the entire human body. The human heart pumps  the blood, which carries all the vital materials and nutrients. Only when the heart pumps the blood, it is able to transport oxygen from one part of the body to another. Likewise, a tree has certain qualities , which are as essential as human heart, for survival. Trees absorb carbon dioxide  and give out life-giving oxygen for us to inhale; trees cause rainfall; trees are essential for the future generation; trees like human heart provide us with ‘sap and leaf and wood’, i.e., all the required  minerals, nutrients and material things. The heart here thus signifies the most important quality of the tree. It can be concluded that the title is appropriate as the poem is about trees and their importance to our survival.