Question 1.
Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Answer:
No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree. It is firmly held by the earth for so many years and . its roots are safe. The tree is too strong to be killed by a simple jab of the knife.

Question 2.
How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.
Answer:
The tree has grown to its full size by consuming the earth, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years of light, air and water. ‘Consuming’, ‘rising.’ “feeding’ and ‘absorbing’ are the words that suggest its life and activity.

Question 3.
What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?
Answer:‘
Bleeding bark’ suggests the wound on the tree that is caused by a blow of knife. When the branches of a tree are chopped off, the tree bleeds (an oozy1 substance comes out). It expresses the pain of the tree.

Question 4.
The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?
Answer:
The poet says ‘No’ in the beginning of the third stanza suggesting that a simple jab of knife will not kill a tree. It has to be uprooted. A tree is so strong that it cannot be killed unless it is uprooted.

Question 5.
What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?
Answer:
‘Anchoring earth’ implies that the trees are held secure with the help of the roots in the earth. So long as the roots are firmly held by the earth, the tree is safe and cannot be killed by a simple jab of a knife. ‘Earth-cave’ suggests the space created in the earth by uprooting a tree. When the roots are pulled out of the earth, the cave where the roots were hidden, is visible.

Question 6.
What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?
Answer:
The strength of the tree lies in its roots, which the poet asks to snap out in order to kill the tree. Thus, the phrase “the strength of the tree exposed” refers to the roots of the tree being exposed to sunlight and air.

Question 7.
What finally kills the tree?
Answer:
The tree is finally killed by the uprooting of its roots. When the roots, which had anchored it lying hidden in the earth for years, were dug out, the tree’s strength was exposed and this led to the death of the tree. It dried up after it had been uprooted.