Q.“The source,white and wet”- What does the ‘source’ mean? How does the poet describe it?

Ans.In the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’, the poet Gieve Patel describes the process of killing a tree’.The word ‘source’ means the root of the tree which extends to the earth’s crust and absorbs the nutrients from the earth.

The role of the root has been vividly described in the poem.The root acts as an anchor which firmly holds the tree with the ground.It acts as life supporting as it absorbs nutrients.This source is white and wet.White colour of root occurs as it is deep rooted in the earth and cannot get the sunlight.It is wet because it surrounded by water around beneath the ground surface.

Q.“Not a simple jab of knife/will do it”- What is it?Why will not a simple jab of a knife do it? What else, through painful is required?

Ans.Here ‘it’ means the act of killing a tree.

The tree has grown up slowly from its seeds.With the passage of time,it spreads its roots upon the earth’s crust by consuming the sunlight, air and nutrients and grows into a bigger tree.So a simple jab of knife cannot completely destroy it easily.

A simple jab of a knife or by hacking or chopping is not enough to kill a tree.After tying it with a rope,its roots are pulled out from the soil.Then it is exposed to the sun for scorching and choking.When the root becomes brown,hard and dried up,the tree is finally killed.

Q.“No/The root is to be pulled out”–What does ‘No’ suggest? What are the steps through which man uproots a tree?

Ans.Here the word ‘No’suggests that all the brutal steps of destruction like jabbing of knife, hacking and chopping are not enough to kill a tree completely.

For complete killing of a tree,its roots are to be pulled out entirely from the earth’s cave after tying it with a rope. Then it is exposed to the sun and air for scorching and choking.The root turns into brown coloured,hardened and dried up.Then the killing process is completed.

Q.”And then it is done”- What is done? How? What does the word ‘then’ convey? What components of nature assist the process?

Ans.The complete destruction of the tree is mentioned by the present expression.

A simple jab of a knife, hacking and chopping cannot destroy a tree.The killing process is done when it is tied with a rope and it is uprooted.The uprooted tree is then placed in the poem air for its complete destruction.

The ruthless continuing process of destruction is completed when the tree is finally died.The end of the process is signified by the word ‘then’.

The extracted root is left in the open air and sunlight.These natural components assist the process of destruction by turning it brown,hard,twisted and finally dried up completely.