Chapter 2.1 Cherry Tree
Question 1.
Trees are revered because –
Answer: They give us joy.
They look beautiful with their lush green leaves that soothe our eyes.
They clear the air by providing oxygen for us to survive and by taking away carbon dioxide to prevent pollution.
They provide us with food and many useful things.
They provide habitat and food for birds and insects.
Question 2.
Find proofs from the poem for the following:
Question (a) : The poet has mentioned different seasons.
Answer:
(a) “And suddenly that summer…”
(b) “Next spring…”
Question (b) : The poet’s minute observations of the steady growth of the cherry tree.
Answer:
(a) “I found a tree had come to stay.
It was very small, five months child,
Lost in the tall grass running wild.”
(b) “Next spring I watched three new shoots grow.
The young tree struggle, upward thrust,
Its arms in a fresh fierce lust
For light and air and sun.”
(c) “I could only wait, as one
Who watched, wandering, while Time and the rain
Made a miracle from green growing pain….”
Question (c) : The colour imagery in the poem.
Answer:
(a) ‘Green’ → Symbolises life.
(b) ‘Pink’ → Shows tenderness and fragility of the berries.
(c) ‘Blue’ → Represents the clear sky seen through the cherry tree leaves.
3.State whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the false statements by finding evidence from the poem to support your remark.
Question (a)
The cherry tree did not take long to grow.
Answer:
False. The cherry tree took eight years to grow into a six-feet high full-grown, fruit-bearing tree.
Question (b)
Birds and insects were benefited from the tree.
Answer:
True
Question (c)
The poet was exalted at the sight of the cherry tree.
Answer:
True
Question (d)
The poem has an underlying message about the importance of trees.
Answer:
False. The underlying message in this poem is not about the importance of trees. It mainly stresses on the struggle against adversities of life and how dedication and desire to survive can help any living object to come out of it.
Question (e)
The poet repents planting the cherry tree.
Answer:
False. The poet actually enjoys watching the magnificent cherry tree and takes pride in being the owner who has decided to sow the seed of this cherry tree.
4. Discuss the reasons / consequences / effects
Question (a) : The life of the cherry tree was threatened.
Answer:
The cherry tree was so tiny at first that it was hidden among tall, wild grasses. Its life faced many threats — goats that ate its leaves, the grass cutter’s scythe that could split its stem, and the heavy monsoon rains that tested its survival. Moreover, it received no special care or attention. Yet, it fought bravely and survived all these challenges.
Question (b) : The cherry blossomed.
Answer:
Even without any special care, the cherry tree’s strong urge to live made it grow. It fought against all odds, nurtured itself with sunlight, rain, and air, and finally grew into a six-feet high, full-grown tree. With time, its struggles bore fruit and it blossomed happily, a symbol of survival and success.
Question 5. A small thought, put in action, led to a great achievement. Pick out the lines from the beginning and end of the poem and explain their significance.
Answer:
(i) “Must have a tree of my own” I said.
At the beginning, the poet only had a simple passing thought of sowing a cherry seed. He soon forgot about it, but the seed carried the potential to grow. Despite facing neglect and threats, the cherry tree fought its way and grew into a beautiful fruit-bearing tree — a winner in its struggle for life.
(ii) “Yes, I! – praised Night and Stars and trees. That small, the cherry, grown by me”
At the end, the poet expresses pride and joy. Though he admits that the tree itself struggled and survived, he feels proud that the beginning was his small act of planting the seed. The growth of the tree symbolizes how even a tiny thought, when acted upon, can lead to a great achievement.
6. The cherry tree has inspired the poet to compose the poem. Such poems, describing Nature or aspects of Nature are called ‘Nature poems’. Find out some expressions from the poem that bring out the elements of beauty of Nature.
Answer:
Some expressions from the poem which highlight the beauty of Nature are:
1. “I could scarcely believe it – a berry,
Ripened and jeweled in the sun…”
2. “…there were blossoms small,
Pink, fragile, quick to fall…”
3. “Looking up through leaves… each bloom.”
4. “…the sun sank… crickets…”
5. “Yes, I! – praised Night and Stars and trees.”
5. Find out an example of climax from the extract and explain it.
Answer:
“Pink, fragile, quick to fall”
They move from healthy to delicate
This figure of speech is called Climax where successive words, phrases, sentences are arranged in ascending order of importance. Here, the cherry blossom turns pink, ripens and is ready to be picked.
Question (a)
Alliteration:
Answer: 1.“Shrivelled the slender stem…” sound of ‘s’ is repeated.
2. “Its arms in a fresh fierce lust…” sound of ‘f is repeated.
3. “Made a miracle from green growing pain…” sounds of‘m’ and ‘g’ are repeated.
4. “… at the finches as they flew/And flitted through…” sound of‘f is repeated.
5. “the sun sank/swiftly…” Sound of ‘s’ is repeated.
6. “who watched, wondering, while time…” sound of‘w’ is repeated.
Question (b)
Antithesis:
Answer: “…but cherries have a way of growing,
Though no one’s caring very much or knowing.”
– Two opposite ideas: the cherry grows steadily even without care or notice.
“Came back thinner, rather poor,
But richer by a cherry tree at my door.”
– Two opposite ideas: poor health but feeling rich with joy on seeing the cherry tree.
7. Personification
Answer: “A tree had come to stay”
– The tree is personified as if it has the human quality of settling down.
“The grass cutter scythe split it apart”
– The scythe is personified as if it has human action.
“A monsoon blight shrivelled…”
– The monsoon is personified, given the power to destroy.
“The young tree struggle”
– The young tree is personified as if it is struggling like a human.
“The sleepiest breeze”
– The breeze is personified by giving it the human quality of sleepiness.
“Singing crickets”
– The crickets are personified as if they can sing like humans.
“The young tree … thrust / its arms in a fresh fierce lust”
– The tree is personified by giving it arms and lust like a human being.
8.Cherry tree is a narrative poem. Features that make it a narrative poem are given below. Justify them with proper examples.
The poem has a beginning, a middle and an end.
1. Different places are mentioned.
2. Characters are referred to.
3. Incidents are arranged in sequence.
4. There is a dialogue between the poet and the reader or the characters of the poem.
5. It is a time-bound poem.
9. Question (i)
Write the poem ‘Cherry Tree’ in the form of a story.
Answer:
Refer Towards Appreciation (1) question (paragraph 1, 2, 3).
Question (ii)
Write in 100 words what the cherry tree in the poem symbolises.
Answer:
The cherry tree symbolises struggle, patience, devotion, growth and responsibility. Just like an individual who faces problems in life, is able to come out of it if he is ready to face it bravely, the cherry tree resists all hazards in its life to grow into a beautiful six feet high fruit-bearing tree. The poet only helped the tree to grow by planting the seed but it was defenseless after that. However, with growth, stability has come into its life. The poet may be suggesting that it can also happen in human life. So, like a parent he feels responsible for its growth.
Question (iii)
You have studied the lesson ‘The Call of the Soil’ from prose 1.3. Compare ‘Cherry Tree’ with ‘The Call of the Soil’ and find out the element of joy of nurturing for the author and the poet.
Answer:
The author of “The Call of the Soil” Mr. Venkateshwaran Iyer, was unsuccessfully searching for the aromatic rice Kasbai for months and suddenly the old lady from a remote village gave him the good news of of having the rice. This revelation from the old lady was indeed very exciting for him. Ever since, he had heard about the rice, he had cherished the dream of growing it and now he could see the possibility of his dream to be fulfilled.
The poet Raskin Bond told the readers the story of his cherry tree whose seed he had planted but forgot to take care of it. After a gap of eight years, when he saw the full-grown tree with fruits on it, his joy, like Mr. Iyer knew no bound. The similarity in both the stories in the element of fulfillment of desire.
10. State in about 50 words your worries about cutting of trees for human habitation. Suggest atleast one solution.
Answer:
I worry that cutting trees for human habitation destroys forests, increases pollution, and disturbs ecological balance. Though housing is essential, reckless deforestation harms future generations. A practical solution is to make tree plantation mandatory for every housing project before granting official approval, ensuring development with environmental protection.
11. Without using any rhyming pattern, write a poem of four lines about your enjoyment in thfe company of your friend.
Answer:
My friends are my assets, my lifeline,
our togetherness, everyone’s envy. We fight, we patch up,
we cherish our love and loyalty.
We’re committed to protect our friendship,
protect we must.
12. Write a critical appreciation of the extract with the help of the following points. (100 -150 words).
1. About the extract
2. Theme and significance
3. Poetic style, language, features / poetic devices
4. Inspirational message, moral, reflected
5. Your opinion and critical evaluation of the extract.
Answer:
The extract brings out the struggle for survival of the cherry tree which had nobody to take care of it. It also depicts the excitement of the poet when he sees the full-grown tree with ripened berries hanging from it.
The poet has used simple language and common figures of speech like Alliteration, Antithesis to express the process of growth of the cherry tree and his own excitement of seeing the six-feet high tree.
But the extract also draws attention towards the qualities needed to survive and be a winner. The poet appreciates the cherry tree’s process of growth and is proud to own it. His satisfaction comes out very clearly like the proud parents who glow in the glory of their child. The will-power of the young plant to grow and the appreciation of the poet of the fully-grown cherry tree appeal to me immensely as a reader.
Answer by Dimpee Bora
