ICE BREAKERS
|
A |
B |
|
1. You
planted a sapling. |
e. You
wanted to make a humble beginning. |
|
2. You
watered the plant. |
f. Your
motive was to protect it. |
|
3. You saw the shoot for the first
time. |
a. Gave you a feeling of joy to see the promising
future.
|
|
4. You
fenced the plant. |
g. You cared for it. |
|
5. The
plant gradually saw lush green
leaves grow on it. |
d. The
colour, symbolizing life, gave you a feeling of hope. |
|
6. The tree
had buds too. |
b. The new experience brought excitement to
you. |
|
7. Birds
made a nest on the tree
which was fully grown and laden with flowers. |
c. You were
happy and satisfied because you experienced what you had often heard, that small
beginnings can lead to great achievements. |
BRAINSTORMING
(b) The poet’s minute observations of the steady growth of the cherry tree.
Ans:-
(b) "Next
spring I watched three new shoots grow.
(c) “I could
only wait, as one
(c) The colour imagery in the poem.
(d) The
struggle of the cherry tree for survival.
Ans:-
(a) "It was very small, five months
child,
Lost in
the small grass, running wild".
(b) "But
cherries have a way of growing,
Though no one's caring very much or knowing”.
(c) “Goats ate the
leaves, the grass cutter scythe
Split it apart and a monsoon bight
Shrivelled the slender stem..Even so."
All these
dangers were handled by the plant boldly since it had the urge to live.
(d)
“The young tree struggle, upward thrust
Its
arms in a fresh fierce lust
For light and air and sun".
The young tree
refused to accept defeat and continued its struggle for survival in order
to get the
basic necessities of light, air and sun needed for its growth.
(ii) 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.
b) Birds and insects were benefited from the
tree.
c) The poet was exalted at the sight of the
cherry tree.
(d) The poem has an underlying message about
the importance of trees.
(e) The poet repents planting the cherry tree.
(A2) (i) Discuss in groups, reasons / consequences / effects:
(b) The cherry blossomed.
(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.
Ans:-
i)
“Must have a tree of my own," I said.
ii) The lines at the end of the poem. "Yes, I- praised Night
and Stars and trees. That small, the cherry, grown by me.” express the pride of
the poet who takes the credit for creating such a beautiful life. He has no
hesitation to accept that the cherry tree has struggled hard to come to this
stage. But, at the same time he is excited that the process has been started by
him and the result is unbelievable.
(A3) 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.
Ans:-
(i) “I could scarcely believe it- a berry.
Ripened and jeweled in the sun...”
(ii) “.... there were blossoms small
Pink,
fragile, quick to fall...”
(iii) Looking up through leaves.... each bloom.”
(iv) “... the sun
sank.... crickets...”
(A4) (i) Read the line.
(ii) Find out examples from the poem.
Ans:-
Alliteration:
i) ‘Shrivelled the slender stem..’-
sound of ‘S' is repeated.
ii) ‘Its arms in a
fresh fierce lust’ - sound of ‘F’ is repeated.
iii) "Made a
miracle from green growing pain...” - sounds of ‘M’ and ‘G' are repeated.
iv) “at the finches
as they flew
And flitted through the dappled green.” -
sound of ‘F’ is repeated.
v) “the sun sank
swiftly” - Sound of ‘S’ is repeated.
vi) who watched,
wondering, while time” - sound of ‘W’ is repeated.
Antithesis:
i) “but cherries
have a way of growing,
Though no one's caring very much or knowing.”
Two opposite ideas of the steady growth of the tree in spite of not having much care
ii) “Came back
thinner, rather poor,
But richer by a cherry tree at my door.”
Two opposite ideas of having poor condition of health but feeling rich at the sight of
Personification:
(i) A tree had come
to stay'"
- The tree has been personified by giving it
the human quality of coming to stay.
(ii) "The grass
cutter scythe split it apart"
- The grass cutter scythe is personified.
(iii) "a
monsoon blight shrivelled.."
- Monsoon is personified.
(iv) "The young
tree struggle.”
-
The young tree is personified by giving it the human quality of struggling.
(v) "the
sleepiest breeze"
-
The breeze is personified.
(vi) "singing
crickets"
- Crickets are personified.
(vii) "The young
tree.... thrust
Its arms in a fresh fierce lust."
- The young tree is personified as it
expresses its 'lust’ like a human being.
(d) Incidents are arranged in sequence.
(e) There is a dialogue between the poet and the reader or the characters of the poem.
The story begins with the planting of a seed of a cherry which the poet,
a young boy sows in order to have a tree of his own. He forgets to take care of
the planted seed but the plant, with the help of nature and rain has a natural
growth. On its journey to its growth, it faces many odds in life, but by sheer
will-power survives all adversities. Meanwhile, the poet has to go to Kashmir.
When he comes back he is surprised to see a full-six-feet high fruit-bearing tree
at his door. The poet is ecstatic in this middle part of the story. At the end
of the story, the poet spends time in company of his cherry tree from dawn to
dusk, enjoying the sights and sounds, birds and insects, the bright sun and the
twinkling stars. He concludes the poem expressing his pride for being the
creator of such an atmosphere because of his own cherry tree.
The poem shifts to different places at different times as it begins in
the poet's garden where the cherry tree has been sowed, tells the readers about
the poet's visit to Kashmir, comes back to see the cherry tree at his door and
finally ends at his garden where the cherry tree stands tall. The cherry tree
is the protagonist, that is, the main character of the story which narrates the
different phases of the life of the tree in a span of eight years. The poet,
the owner of the cherry tree also represents a character of the story since he
is the one who is involved in the life of the tree, sometimes actively and
sometimes by narrating the happening in its life.
Apart from these two main characters,
there are some small characters like the goats, the grass cutter, the birds and
insects that also play small but significant roles in the story. There is
definitely continuity in the presentation of the story in a sequence. From the
planting of the cherry seed in the poet's garden, its life as a baby with tall
grasses hiding it, its struggle for survival without having much care, its
aggressive growth to get light, air and sun and finally becoming a six-feet
high fruit-bearing tree.
There is no direct conversation
among the poet, the readers and the other characters in the poem but the
presentation of the happenings in the story makes it appear as if the cherry
tree is expressing its desires and determinations to the poet. In the beginning
of the poem also the poet tells his readers the reason for his sowing the
cherry seed and that is given in direct speech as if he is talking to his
readers.
It is a time-bound poem since the
sowed cherry seed grows into a full- grown tree in a span of eight years. The
poet also intermittently, keeps on mentioning about the change of season during
the growth of the tree, his stay in Kashmir for one season and finally after
his return his feeling of happiness or seeing fruit-bearing six feet high tree.
(ii) Compose 8 to 10 lines. Narrate any incident in your life
without using any rhyming pattern.
Ans:- Speaking
Tree
“Look at me. Don't like to see me?
Green and soothing to the eye"
Somebody
called me as I was walking away.
I
stopped, looked around, curious to know the speaker,
Heard
the voice again, this time with more emotions,
"Have
mercy on us, don't kill us day in and day out.”
Save
trees, save environment -everyone's demand, I suppose,
But
who listens? Sky scrapers mushroom, higher and higher,
All
are happy, no need to think about our fall,
Yet
we love you, want to care and serve,
One
earth, one planet, with you let 's share.
(iii) Write an appreciation of the poem considering the following
points:
• About the poem, poet and title.
•
Theme/summary/gist of the poem.
• Poetic style/language, poetic devices used in the poem.
• Special features/novelties/focusing
elements.
• Message/values/morals in the poem.
• Your opinion about the
poem.
Ans:- The
poem Cherry Tree' is about the poet Ruskin Bond's excitement over a cherry tree
whose seed he planted eight years ago and the steady growth of the plant to a
big tree, bearing tender cherries. The existence of the tree is so important
for the poet that he has not thought of any other title but the simple 'Cherry
Tree’ to make the tree appear all important.
The poet planted the seed of the
cherry just because he wanted to own a plant. The plant grew on its own without
much care from anybody except nature and rain, learnt to fight against all odds
and was finally successful in bearing tender berries. The poet, after spending
a season in Kashmir, came back to get the surprise of a six feet high cherry
tree at his door. He felt so attached to the tree that he started spending long
hours, from dawn to dusk, in the company of his cherry tree, watching the flora
and fauna around it and taking pride for being responsible for the existence of
the tree.
The poet used simple language to
narrate the birth and growth of his cherry tree. The process is known to all
but the narration made it an interesting story. The figures of speech used are
all common ones and easy to understand. The beauty of the nature can be enjoyed
and appreciated by one and all because of the informal language. The poet has
stuck to the topic of the cherry tree right from the beginning to the end of
the poem. Ruskin Bond basically writes for the children and he has not done
anything where a child's attention can be diverted from the cherry tree. The
child can easily identify with the feelings and joys of the poem and this gives
the poem its exclusivity. But the poem also has a food for thought, a deeper
meaning of struggle for survival, qualities needed to fight back and be a
winner, dedication, growth and pride. The cherry's fight starts at a very young
age when it appears difficult because of its small size. But, as it grows up it
learns, through experience, to be stronger. The similar situation happens in
human life also. The learning process continues at every young stage of life
and makes a person capable of handling the adversities as tactfully as
possible. The poet is proud that he has planted the cherry seed which now gives
him so much of satisfaction as the parents of an individual feels seeing the
success of their child.
It gives me immense pleasure to read and
understand the beauty of the poem. The clarity in the language and the lucidity
of presentation help me enjoy each and every stage of the growth of the cherry
tree. I am able to connect with its struggle and feel related when it wins the
race of life.
(iv) Write a summary of the poem using the following points.
• Title
• Introductory paragraph (about the poem,
type, Nature, tone)
• Main body (central idea, gist of the poem)
•
Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal)
Ans:- The
poem "Cherry Tree' is an expression of the poet Ruskin Bond's happiness
and excitement for a cherry plant whose seed he planted eight years ago. The
reason was very simple – he just wanted to have a tree of his own.
The poet wondered how nature had its
own way of taking care of itself fighting against all odds. Of course, he had
watered it once but had forgotten to take regular care of it. In spite of not
getting any special attention, in summer, by the end of play, the poet saw that
a small cherry sapling, just five months old, was peeping out of the ground. In
fact, it was struggling to make itself visible among the tall grasses all
around it. The small and weak cherry plant was open to many external dangers
like goats eating its leaves, the grass cutter's blade mercilessly splitting it
apart. As if this was not enough torture on it, its tender stem boldly fought
the heavy monsoon. But the cherry tree was a survivor and the poet felt proud
to announce that he watched the growth of three new shoots, facing all
adversities. The young plant continued its struggle against all odds to show
its violent urge to push upward to get the basic necessities of its life-
light, air and sun. The poet enjoyed waiting and watching how his small cherry
plant got its natural nourishment from rain and maintains its miraculous growth
with the passage of time.
Then time came for the poet to say
'goodbye' to his favourite cherry plant as he had to go to Kashmir to spend a
season there. When he returned, he was thinner as his health was troubling him.
But he was rejuvenated on seeing a six feet high cherry tree at his door. To his
utter disbelief, he could see a small, dark berry fruit hanging from a branch.
It was just a matter of year, but he could feel the ecstasy of seeing
small, pink tender and fragile berries
blooming all over the tree. They were so delicate that they could fall at a
slightest stir from even a mere breath or a soft wind. In his sheer delight,
the poet was leisurely lying on the grass to observe his cherry tree. Through
the gap of its leaves, he was staring at the blue sky, enjoying the seed-eating
songbirds flying in and out of the tree and the happy bees drinking nectar from
the blooms. Time passed smoothly in pride and enjoyment of creating a life that
was standing strong in front of his eyes. The sun sank and it became dark. Now
it was turn for the stars to be watched. The guests on his tree also changed.
He heard the sounds of moon-moths, and the musical sound of the crickets. In
the company of nature the poet appreciated his own creation, the small cherry
plant that grew into a graceful cherry tree over a span of eight years. He felt
proud and fortunate to be associated with this process of growth.
Thus, the poem, 'Cherry Tree' is the poet's thought about the
participation of nature in the struggle for survival of each living objects, to
fight against all negativities in the onward journey of life and be a winner at
last.
(A6) (i) Write the poem ‘Cherry Tree’ in the form of a story.
Ans:-
‘Cherry Tree’, a narrative poem which tells the story of the birth and growth of a cherry
tree by the poet, Ruskin Bond. He carefully divides the poem in three distinct
division of a proper beginning, a middle and an end as we usually find in a
story.
The story begins with the planting of a seed of a cherry which the poet,
a young boy sows in order to have a tree of his own. He forgets to take care of
the planted seed but the plant, with the help of nature and rain has a natural
growth. On its journey to its growth, it faces many odds in life, but by sheer
will-power survives all adversities. Meanwhile, the poet has to go to Kashmir.
When he comes back he is surprised to see a full-six-feet high fruit-bearing
tree at his door. The poet is ecstatic in this middle part of the story. At the
end of the story, the poet spends time in company of his cherry tree from dawn
to dusk, enjoying the sights and sounds, birds and insects, the bright sun and
the twinkling stars. He concludes the poem expressing his pride for being the
creator of such an atmosphere because of his own cherry tree.
The poem shifts to different places at different times as it begins in
the poet's garden where the cherry tree has been sowed, tells the readers about
the poet's visit to Kashmir, comes back to see the cherry tree at his door and
finally ends at his garden where the cherry tree stands tall.
The poet Ruskin 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.
(A7) Project: Refer to the library and collect at least five poems of any Nature poet. Write the poems along with their summary.
Ans:- विद्यार्थ्यांनी इंटरनेट वर वरील
प्रश्नाचे उत्तर शोधून वहीत लिहायचे आहे.
