Cherry Tree

Std. XI (Poetry) - 2.1 Cherry Tree - Analysis

Cherry Tree

Title : Cherry Tree

The title gives the name of a tree which raises the curiosity of the readers. The readers desire to know the relation of the poet with the Cherry tree.

Poet : Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author. He was born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. He has written hundreds of short stories, essays, novels and more than thirty books for children. His wrote his first novel, 'The Room on the Roof', when he was seventeen.

In 1992 he received the ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ for English writing in India. He was awarded the Padmashri in 1999. Ruskin Bond lives with his adopted family in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.

Summary of the poem:

The poem Cherry Tree is about the ecstasy of the poet over a plant which he seeded eight years ago. It took eight years to grow. In the poem, Bond expresses his wonder at the ways of nature and how it takes care of itself to survive against all odds. The poet planted a cherry seed because he wanted to have a plant of his own.

Without getting any special attention, by the end of May, the small cherry sapling coming out of the ground. It was a very small plant, young and fragile, vulnerable to all kinds of external dangers.

Tall wild grasses grew all around it and ‘the goats’ ate the leaves of cherry plant along with the grass but it survived. One day the grass cutter’s blade mercilessly ‘split it apart’, still the plant remained alive. Its tender stem also bravely fought the heavy monsoon.

The poet saw new shoots growing out of the cherry tree. The young tree made its struggle against nature to survive and strongly made an attempt to get ‘light and air and sun’.

The poet took pleasure in seeing his small cherry plant blossoming into a tree. Nature nourished it and the tree grew.

The poet had to bid adieu to his beloved tree as he went to Kashmir to spend a season there. The poet returned after a few months having poor in health and heart but was overjoyed to find a ‘six feet high’ dark cherry tree at his doorstep. He saw a small berry fruit hanging from a branch.

In his ecstasy, the poet laid on the grass the whole day at leisure to look up to the cherry tree. The “finches” flew past and birds flocked in and out of the tree and the bees drank nectar from each ‘bloom’. Soon it was dark and stars lit the whole night sky and the ‘moon-moths’ and crickets sang.

As the poet enjoyed the magic of nature and felt himself akin to it. He marvelled at his own creation- the small cherry plant - that has grown into a big tree over the span of eight years.

In the ending couplet, the poet associates himself with nature as he takes pride for being a part of it.

Vocabulary-

scythe	a tool with a long-curved blade at right angle to a long handle used to cut long grass and grain.
blight	a plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts
shrivelled	dried or wrinkled or shrunken due to lack of moisture
slender	thin
struggle	making forceful against odds
thrust	to push with sudden impulse or force
fierce	aggressive
lust	strong desire
miracle	a welcoming or happy event developing by chance that cannot be explained with reason or science
scarcely	almost not
ripended (ripen)	become or make ripe
jeweled	adorned with jewels
blossoms	flowers that bloom on trees
fragile	weak
finches	a small passerine bird
flitted	pass lightly, softly or rapidly
dappled	marked with rounded dark patches
ecstasy	a feeling of greatest happiness
nector	a sweet fluid secreted by flowers
moon-moths	a large pale long green moth
crickets	an insect, characteristic for its musical chirping sound.

Ice Breakers:- Cherry Tree

1) Trees are revered because:-

Answer:

a) They give us joy.

b) They give us oxygen, food, wood, flowers, cotton and shelter.

c) They keep balance of the environment.

d) They give us shadow.

e) They prevent soil erosion, flood and landslide.

f) They bring rainfall.

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2) Column A shows your involvement in growing a tree, as well as the stages in the life of a tree. Column B shows the feelings you experience at all the stages. Match them appropriately.

Answer:

A	B
1. You planted a sapling.	You wanted to make a humble beginning.
2. You watered the plant.	You cared for it.
3. You saw the shoot for the first.	The new experience brought excitement to you.
4. You fenced the plant.	Your motive was to protect it.
5. The plant gradually saw lush green leaves grow on it.	The colour, symbolizing life, gave you a feeling of hope.
6. The tree had buds too.	Gave you a feeling of joy to see the promising future.
7. Birds made a nest on the tree which was fully grown and laden with flowers.	You were happy and satisfied because you experienced what you had often heard, that small beginnings can lead to great achievements.

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3) The thought which prompted the poet to plant the cherry seed ---------------

Answer:

To have his own plant

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4) For Cherry tree the threats were-

i) ---------------

ii) ---------------

iii) ---------------

Answer:

For Cherry tree the threats were-

i) Goats

ii) Grass cutter

iii) Monsoon (heavy rains) which caused a plant disease.

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5) State whether the following statements are true or false:

1. They destroyed the Cherry tree.

Answer:

False

Nobody destroyed the cherry tree. It grew very well.

2. The Cherry tree had an instinct to survive.

Answer:

True

3. The blossoms are fragile.

Answer:

True

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6) Complete the statements

1) The poet felt richer because---------------

Answer:

The poet felt richer because he had a cherry tree at his door.

2) The beneficiaries of the cherry tree are---------------

Answer:

The beneficiaries of the cherry tree are bees, moon – moths, crickets and the poet.

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Brainstorming Activities:

(1) Write answers

(i) Find proof from the poem for the following.

(a) The poet has mentioned different seasons.

Answer:

Summer:- And suddenly that summer near the end of May.

Monsoon:- Split it apart and a monsoon blight.      

Spring:- Next spring I watched three new shoots grow.

(b) The poet’s minute observations of the steady growth of the cherry tree.

Answer:

The steady growth of the cherry tree shown in these following lines.

I found a tree had come to stay.

It was very small, five months child,

Lost in the tall grass running wild.

(c) The colour imagery in the poem.

Answer:

Colour imagery in the poem:

Green growing pain (Dappled green),

blossom small pink,

blue blind sky

(d) The struggle of the cherry tree for survival.

Answer:

The struggle of the cherry tree for survival has shown in the following lines-

The young tree struggle, upward thrust

Its arms in a fresh fierce lust

For light and air and sun.

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(2) State whether the following statements are True or False. Correct the false statements by finding evidence from the poem to support your remark.

(a) The cherry tree did not take long to grow.

Answer:

False

The cherry tree took eight years long to grow.

(b) Birds and insects were benefitted from the tree.

Answer:

True

(c) The poet was exalted at the sight of the cherry tree.

Answer:

True

(d) The poem has an underlying message about the importance of trees.

Answer:

True

(e) The poet repents planting the cherry tree.

Answer:

False

The poet praised planting the cherry tree.

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(3)

(i) Discuss in groups, reasons/ consequences/ effects:

(a) The life of the cherry tree was threatened.

Answer:

The life of the cherry tree was threatened because of goats grazing, grass cutters and monsoon. The cherry tree has no leaves and stem. It gets dried. But as the spring arrives, new shoots grow. The young tree struggles for light, air and sun.

(b) The cherry blossomed.

Answer:

Initially the cherry tree bore just one berry. It was not so good. But the next year the tree was blossomed. The poet, bees, moon - moths and crickets were much excited. They became the beneficiary of it.

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(ii) 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:

Line- Eight years have passed since I placed my cherry seed in the grass.

This is the normal work that the poet did.

Line- It was very small, five months child.

The tree survived and showed growth struggling in the adverse situations.

Line- Next spring I watched three new shots grow.

The progress of the tree continues

Line- But richer by a cherry tree at my door.

Glorifies the importance of the tree considering himself rich due to tree.

Line- That small, the cherry, grown by me.

Great achievement as the tree survived and stayed.

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(4) 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:

In the poem the following references show the elements of beauty of Nature-

1) Next spring I watched three new shoots grow.

2) Made a miracle from green growing pain.

3) But richer by a cherry tree at my door

4) Ripened and jeweled in the sun.

5) And next year there were blossoms small pink, fragile, quick to fall.

6) While bees in an ecstasy drank --------in the sky.

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(5)

(i) Read the line and find out the figure of speech.

Pink, fragile, quick to fall

Notice the arrangement of the words in the line:

They move from healthy to delicate

Answer:

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.

(ii) Find out examples from the poem.

Answer:

Alliteration :

1. Its arms in a fresh fierce lust. : A consonantal sound 'f' is repeated pleasingly.

2. Made a miracle from green growing pain. : A consonantal sound 'g' is repeated rhythmically.

Antithesis :

1. but cherries have a way of growing,

Though no one's caring very much or knowing. : Opposite idea of growing without caring is seen in the line.

Personification :

1. A Tree had come to stay : A tree has attributed human quality of coming and staying.

2. Its arms in a fresh fierce lust : A tree is described as having arms like human beings.

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(6)

(i) Cherry tree is a narrative poem. Features that make it a narrative poem are given below. Justify them with proper examples.

Answer:

a) The poem has a beginning, a middle and an end. It begins with the planting of a cherry seed. It survives overcoming adversities and at the end blossoms.

b) Different places are mentioned- The poet’s residence and Kashmir.

c) Characters are referred to - The poet, grass cutters, bees, cricket and moon moths are the characters referred to in the poem.

d) Incidents are arranged in sequence- The activities and growth of the tree are given in a sequence.

e) There is a dialogue between the poet and the reader or the characters of the poem.-   

“ Must have a tree of my own,” I said.

I found a tree that had come to stay.

Next spring I watched three new shoots grow.

Yes, I! – praised Night and Stars and tree:                

f)  It is a time-bound poem. It deals with a particular time of the year and showed different changes in atmosphere and the tree.

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(ii) Compose 8 to 10 line. Narrate any incident in your life without using any rhyming pattern.

Answer:

I decided to plant a tree.

But it was not easy to do it.

I didn’t have a place to plant.

I was lining in a flat.

It had no courtyard.

So I bought plastic trees.

They had no need to give water and soil

But it also didn’t have any life and growth.

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Poetic Appreciation

Write an appreciation of the poem ‘Cherry Tree’.

Answer:

About the poem, poet and title.

The poem deals with the poet’s feeling of great joy over a tree which he planted and took eight years to grow.

The poet Ruskin Bond belongs to India. He has written hundreds of short stories, essays, novellas and more than thirty books for children. His wrote his first novel, 'The Room on the Roof', when he was seventeen. In 1992 he received the ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ for English writing in India.

Title of the poem is related to the central character i.e. cherry tree whose journey from planting to upward growth to blossomed tree is given.

Theme

It has the theme of struggle, resilience, dedication, conflict, growth, responsibility and pride.

The poem depicts a small of action of planting a cherry tree which led to a great achievement giving benefit to bees, moon-moths, cricket and the poet.

Poetic style, language and poetic devices:

The poet has used figurative language to enhance the beauty of the poem. The major figures of speech used in this poem are personification, alliteration and antithesis. The poetic imagery used in the lines ‘upwards thrust---------------- arms’ adds the beauty of the poem.

Special features or novelties or focusing elements :

The word imagery or colour imagery increases the beauty of the extract of the poem. The colour imagery depicts the green, dark and pink images. We can visualize the progress of the cherry tree. This is a narrative poem. There are many run – on lines where the end of the line does not end of the sentence, but the sentence continues onto the next line.

Message/values/morals in the poem :

A small thought (to sow a tree), put into action and lead to a great achievement (got a full grown-up tree). It gives great satisfaction to all. The poem appeals us to struggle for existence. It also gives inspiration to plant trees. It also shows the importance of trees.

Your opinion about the poem :

The poem ‘Cherry Tree’ is beautiful narrative poem describing the power of nature. It shows the joy of planting tree. I like the poem very much.

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Activity Sheet No. 1

Q. Read the extract and complete the activities given below. (10)

Eight years have passed Since I placed my cherry seed in the grass. “Must have a tree of my own,” I said, And watered it once and went to bed And forgot; but cherries have a way of growing, Though no one's caring very much or knowing. And suddenly that summer near the end of May, I found a tree had come to stay. It was very small, five months child, Lost in the tall grass running wild. Goats ate the leaves, the grass cutter scythe Split it apart and a monsoon blight Shrivelled the slender stem...... Even so, 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.

A1. True or False         (2)

Rewrite the statements and state whether they are true or false.

1) The cherry tree was destroyed completely.

2) The cherry tree had an instinct to survive.

3) There were no new shoots to the cherry tree in the spring.

4) The young cherry tree struggled for light, air and sun.

Answer: -

1) The cherry tree was destroyed completely. - False

2) The cherry tree had an instinct to survive. - True

3) There were no new shoots to the cherry tree in the spring. - False

4) The young cherry tree struggled for light, air and sun. - True

A2. Give Reason          (2)

The life of the cherry tree was threatened. (Give its reason)

Answer:

The life of the cherry tree was threatened because of goats, grass cutter and monsoon (heavy rains- which may cause a plant disease). The goats ate the leaves of the little plant. When the grass cutter was cutting the grass, he cut the cherry plant in two parts accidently. The heavy monsoon also damaged the plant.

A3. Personal response         (2)

Give any four reasons of cutting of the trees.

Answer:

There are many reasons of cutting the trees. The four main reasons of cutting of the trees are:

1) to get wood

2) to create roads

3) to provide food for the cattle

4) to develop the lands for construction.

A4. Poetic device         (2)

I found a tree had come to stay.

(Name and explain the figure of speech. Find another example of the same from the extract)

Answer:

Personification: - The tree is given the human quality to stay.

Other Examples: -

1) It was very small, five months child.

Explanation- The cherry tree is described as a child.

2) Its arms in a fresh fierce lust.

Explanation- The tree has described as having arms.

A5. Poetic creativity   (2)

Compose four poetic lines describing any incident in your life related to plant.

Answer-

I want to plant a tree,

But I am not at all free,

So I bring plastic plant,

It teases me you can’t, you can’t.

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Activity Sheet No. 2

Q. Read the extract and complete the activities given below. (10)

I could only wait, as one Who watched, wandering, while Time and the rain Made a miracle from green growing pain....... I went away next year- Spent a season in Kashmir- Came back thinner, rather poor, But richer by a cherry tree at my door. Six feet high my own dark cherry, And I could scarcely believe it-a berry. Ripened and jeweled in the sun, Hung from a branch-just one! And next year there were blossoms small Pink, fragile, quick to fall At the merest breath, the sleepiest breeze

A1. Fill in the blanks. (2)

Rewrite the sentences filling the blank spaces.

i) The poet came back thinner but felt ----- seeing the cherry tree.

ii) The cherry tree was ----- feet tall.

iii) The poet spent a season in ------.

iv)  -------  and -------- made miracle for the cherry tree.

A2. Guess (2)

Guess the meaning of the following lines-

Pink, fragile, quick to fall

At the merest breath, the sleepiest breeze

A3. Personal response (2)

Give your any one experience of planting a tree.

A4. Poetic device (2)

Write any two examples of the figure of speech – ‘Alliteration’.

A5. Poetic creativity (2)

Add your two lines making rhyme with earlier lines.

And next year there were blossoms small,

Pink, fragile, quick to fall.

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Answer-

A1.

i) The poet came back thinner but felt poorer seeing the cherry tree.

ii) The cherry tree was six feet tall.

iii) The poet spent a season in Kashmir.

iv) Time and rain made miracle for the cherry tree.

A2.

The meaning of the lines-

‘Pink, fragile, quick to fall

At the merest breath, the sleepiest breeze’ is that the cheery tree is now a grown-up tree. It has small delicate fruits which can be dropped quickly on breath or light wind.

A3.

When I was a small child, I plant a tree at the school ground. It was cared and nurtured by me for eight years. I felt very happy seeing its progress in each year. Now it is a big tree and gives shadow to many persons. I feel great seeing my planted tree.

A4.

Examples of ‘Alliteration’-

i) Who watched, wandering, while Time and the rain.

ii) Spent a season in Kashmir.

A5.

And next year there were blossoms small,

Pink, fragile, quick to fall.

Hurriedly, I ran to bring a basket small.

Seeing the fruits, I felt I was a happy doll.

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Marathi Translation of the poem- Cherry Tree

Created by - Prof. Rajiv Shirsat

Download full pdf by clicking on the following link:

Cherry Tree- Online Teaching PDF by Prof. Rajiv Shirsat