NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English (Woven Words) Poetry 10 Felling of the Banyan Tree

Class : 11th

Subject : English

Chapter : 10

Chapter Name : Felling of the Banyan Tree

Q1 Identify the lines that reveal the critical tone of the poet towards the felling of the tree.

Answer. Dilip Chitre’s “Felling of the Banyan Tree” contains various lines that show the felling of
the banyan tree. Such as “Its scraggy aerial roots fell to the ground”; “Sawing them off for seven
days and the heap was huge”; “Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped”; “Insects and birds
began to leave the tree”; “We watched in terror and fascination this slaughter”.

Q2 Identify the words that help you understand the nature of the poet’s father.

Answer. “Felling of the Banyan Tree” by Dilip Chitre provides us several instances that us about
the nature and temperament of the father. The narrative tells the father was a practical man who
removed all the trees from the land while they were shifting. Certain words that can capture this
side of the father are- “the structures were demolished”; “but he massacred them all”; “My father
ordered it to be removed”.

Q3 ‘Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say’— what does the poet imply by this line?

Answer. According to mythology, some trees are considered sacred. There have been many
beliefs neem tree, banyan, sheoga, tulsi, oudumber. The banyan tree is the most sacred of
these and the removing of a banyan tree is considered to be a sin as it was supposed to be
worshipped in the holy scriptures. Through the line “Trees are sacred my grandmother used to

say”, the narrator is mainly referring to the religious beliefs, ideas, and faith of people mentioned
in the folk tales.

Q4 ‘No trees except the one which grows and seethes in one’s dreams’— why is the phrase
‘grows and seethes’ used?

Answer. When the poet shifts to Baroda he sees a banyan tree that takes him back to the
memory of the tree that his father had chopped while shifting. The memory of that banyan tree
is imprinted upon him and often appears in his dreams faded and blurred. The memory of the
tree grows strongly in his dreams and affects him. The poet uses the term “grows” and
“seethes”, that the tree grows and grows with rage and anguish in an attempt to avenge her
death.

Q5 How does the banyan tree stand out as different from other trees? What details of the tree
does the poet highlight in the poem?

Answer. The banyan tree is beautiful in existence. The ring on the tree tells about the age of the
tree, as the poet says, “The great tree revealed its rings of two hundred years”. The mysteries
are revealed by shoots of trees that reached the ground. According to ancient mythologies,
there are many stories that tell about the purity of the tree. The reference of the banyan tree is
also present in the Bhagavad Geeta, where Krishna said, “Of all the tree I am the banyan tree”.

Q6 What does the reference to raw mythology imply?

Answer. The banyan tree is an important fragment in mythologies and stories since ancient
times. When the tree was cut down, its scraggy aerial roots were brought to the ground, killing a
massive existence occupying an area of fifty feet. When it was cut, the poet felt as if all the
knowledge and experiences have been destroyed.

Q7 ‘Whose roots lay deeper than our lives’— what aspect of human behaviour does this line
reflect?

Answer. A banyan tree has witnessed every age and new development of age. Banyan tree
stands like an immortal being to witness the age. The span of the tree is 200 years and it stands
unshakable to view everything. Compared to the eighty years old man, a banyan tree moves to
experience generational changes and upheavals. These trees have witnessed everything taking
rebirth.

Q8 Comment on the contemporary concern that the poem echoes.

Answer. The poet worries about the change that globalization and westernization have brought
about. The new generation is deprived of real values, and traditional values are thrown to the
bin. With the fast-moving generation, people have discarded the traditional values and
accepted the western approach towards things.