The Heart of the Tree
The Heart of the Tree
The Heart of the Tree by Henry Bunner is a poem on the benefits of planting trees.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
1.What does he plant who plants a tree?
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He plants a home to heaven anigh;
Q1. Who is the poet asking questions in the first line of the extract? List any two things, according to the extract, that man will do by planting trees.
Ans. In the first line of the extract, the poet asks a question in general, “What does he plant who plants a tree”?
According to the extract, the man will plant a friend of sky and heaven by planting trees. He will also enhance the beauty of nature by planting trees.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Qs. 2. Give the meaning of the following lines:
He plants a friend….heaven anigh.
Ans. The poet suggests the tree to be a friend of the sun and the sky. The transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains. The tree-like flag flutters freely in the breeze and provide a soothing cool breeze for us. The tree grows high and looks like a beautiful tower. It appears that the tree has made a home closer to heaven.
Q3. In what way are the trees friends of sun and sky? How can a man plant the flag of breezes free?
Ans. The poet suggests the tree to be a friend of the sun and the sky. This is because the tree is dependent on sunlight to carry out the process of photosynthesis and make its food. The tree is also said to be the friend of the sky because it takes in carbon dioxide from the air and thus purifies the air. The transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains.
The tree-like flag flutters freely in the breeze and provides a soothing cool breeze for us.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Q4. What is the impact of beginning the poem with a question? What is the figure of speech used here?
Ans. The poet begins the poem with the question, “What does he plant who plants a tree?” The same question is repeated at the beginning of each stanza. This is done intentionally to create curiosity or anxiety in the readers to know more about the poem.
The figure of speech used here is Hypophora or Antipophora. In this figure of speech, a question is asked and then immediately an answer is provided to the question.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
II. For song and mother-croon of bird
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These things he plants who plants a tree.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Q1. What is known as the mother-croon of a bird in? Why is the song sung in a hushed voice?
Ans. The soft song of the mother bird that she sings to her young ones is known as the mother-croon of bird.
Mother bird returns to her young ones in the nest in the evening when there is twilight in the sky after the sunset. The atmosphere looks very happy and the mother bird sings to her young chicks in a hushed voice as if she is singing a lullaby to them to make them fall asleep.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Q2. What is meant by (a) treble (b) heaven’s harmony? What role does the treble play in heaven’s harmony?
Ans. The word ‘treble’ means a high tone in music. Here it refers to the chirping of birds.
The word heaven’s harmony means heavenly song or heavenly music.
The treble or the chirping of birds in the evening sounds like heavenly music and makes the atmosphere happy.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
III. He plants cool shade and tender rain.
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The joy that unborn eyes shall see-
Q1. Enumerate any three benefits of planting trees as suggested by the poet in this extract.
Ans – In this extract, the poet has suggested some benefits of planting trees.
Firstly, plants in course of time will grow tall and provide cool shade and tender rain.
Secondly, it will bear seeds and buds for future progeny.
Thirdly, these seeds will grow into new trees and into a dense forest.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Q 2. How do the last two lines of the extract explain the process of regeneration? How does the man plant the forest’s heritage?
Ans. The last two lines of the extract explain the process of regeneration.
The tree bears seeds and buds. These seeds will grow into new trees and into a dense forest. In this way, man plants the forest’s heritage.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
IV. He plants, in sap and leaf and wood,
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Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.
Q 1. The poet says: “He plants, in sap and leaf and wood ”.Which figure of speech does the poet use here? Explain its usage with two others examples from the poem.
Ans – The poet says: “He plants, in sap and leaf and wood”. He uses Metonymy here. Two other such examples from the poem are: “He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants cool shade and tender rain”.
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Q 2. Give the meaning of the following lines: Who in the hollow of His hand? Holds all the growth of all our land.
Ans – The seeds in the hollow of the hand signifies, the future progress of mankind. The man who holds the seeds in the hollow of his hand with the intention of planting those not only plants the seeds but also plants the future progress of the upcoming generation. The poet is anxious about saving our earth from the curse of barrenness by planting trees.
Q 3. In what way a nation’s growth depends on planting trees?
Ans – The poem brings forward the poet’s concern about the future of the Earth. It seems as if the poet could see the impending destruction and thus indirectly appeals to the readers to plant trees, not only for themselves but also for future generations. Without trees, the world will become a deserted barren land. The entire animal race would face hunger. Thus, it is the tree that is responsible for the growth of mankind (nation’s growth).
THE HEART OF THE TREE SUMMARY
Q 4. Comment on the appropriateness of the little of the poem.
Ans – The heart is one of the most important organs in the entire human body. The human heart pumps the blood, which carries all the vital materials and nutrients. Likewise, a tree has certain qualities, which are as essential as the human heart, for survival. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give out life-giving oxygen for us to inhale; trees cause rainfall; Are essential for“the harvest of coming age”.
Like human heart provides us with “sap and leaf and wood”, i.e., all the required minerals, nutrients, and material things. According to the poet, the one who plants trees, plants “seed and but of days to be”, i.e., the tree, in itself can be compared to a heart. The heart maintains human life; so, does the tree maintain the plant and animal life in the universe. The heart here thus signifies the most important quality of the tree. It can be concluded that the little is appropriate as the poem is about trees and their importance to our survival.
