Notes for Internal Examination

Lesson I

The Last leaf

Essay questions

1. Comment on the ending of the story.

O’ Henry’s stories share a typical trait almost every time. That is the
unexpected turn towards the end of the story. And this peculiar quality of his
stories has made the author popular among readers. Throughout the story,
Johnsy had been lying with high fever which had left her mind morbid and
full of strange fancies. She thought that there was a relationship between the
falling vine leaves from the wall outside the window and her life-span.

The strange thought caught her mind that she would die as soon as the
last leaf fell. And the doctor felt that it was difficult to cure her unless she
wants to live by herself. And arousing that hope and will was not easy for her
friend Sue who tried many ways to do so. Until it was towards the end of the
story when only one leaf was left, the chances looked really bleak. In the
morning when the last leaf was still there against the wall, Johnsy started to
show some good signs to recover. She wanted to eat and wished to paint the
Bay of Naples some day. She said —“Something has made that last leaf stay
there to show me how wicked I was. It is a sin to want to die”.

Though the readers should feel good at this, it rather looks unreal and
strange. Moreover the readers get puzzled on what the story conveys after all.
But the real story begins when the doctor talks about Behrman catching a
Pneumonia, and more so in the very last stanza when Sue comes to Joanna and
reveals Behrman’s death and how he had got the cold by painting that last leaf
 in the windy and rainy night.…look out the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf
on the wall. Didn’t you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind
blew? Ah, darling, it’s Behrman’s masterpiece – he painted it there the night
that the last leaf fell” .

It seems like till the last stanza it was the setup going on for the story to
begin and the main story starts after that. To realize it well, eliminate that
closing stanza and the story would look like half-done without a message or
even without much sense. As the last leaf saved Johnsy’s life, the last line
seems to have saved the entire story.

2. Justify the title “The Last leaf” with reference to the theme of sacrifice.

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O Henry’s (William Sydney Porter) story “The Last Leaf” is all about an
old man’s sacrifice for one blooming life. Johnsy and Sue were two young
artists living together at the top of a brick house beneath which on the ground
floor lived Behrman, an old man of over sixty. He too was a painter. But for
several years, he had painted “nothing except now and then a daub in the line of
commerce or advertising”. He also served as a model for the young artists in the
colony and often talked of his coming masterpiece. On the other hand, the two
girls, Johnsy and Sue, used to draw illustrations for magazine story and such.

After six months of setting up their studio, in November, pneumonia

broke out in the colony. Johnsy was not spared. “She lay, scarcely moving, on
her painted iron bedstead, looking through the small Dutch window-panes at the
blank side of the next brick house.” According to the doctor, the chance of her
survival was one in ten and the desire to live was the key. But Johnsy grew too
weak physically and mentally too. The fever had left her mind morbid and full
of strange fancies. She stared at the ivy vine that climbed up the brick wall of
the other house and counting backward every time a decayed leaf was falling.
She feared that she would die the moment the very last leaf fell.

In the meantime, Sue went downstairs to call Behrman for posing as a hermit to
help her draw. There she told him of Johnsy’s ailment and horrible fancies.
Behrman got angry hearing that and cried: “Is there people in the world who is
foolish to die because leaves drop off from a confounded vine?” This was
because of his love for the two girls.

Moreover he scoffed terribly at softness in anyone. Behrman also

‘regarded himself as especial mastiff-in-waiting to protect the two young artists
in the studio above’. So, the moment he heard about Johnsy’s strange fancies
and the doctor’s advice to make her mind positive and wanting to live, he
probably made up his mind to do something. But that was not known till we
heard about Behrman catching up serious pneumonia the next day. On the other
hand, Johnsy was recovering from her fancy as the last ivy leaf never fell; it was
still there even after the strong rain and wind in the night.

Old Behrman finally died that afternoon in the hospital, as the attack was acute.
He had been out in the beating rain and fierce gusts of wind that night and thus
caught the cold. The janitor found him helpless with pain in the morning. His
shoes and clothing were wet through the icy cold. And they found a lantern, still
lighted, a ladder that had been dragged from its place, and some scattered
brushes, and a palette with green and yellow colours mixed on it. Though others
could not imagine where he had been on such a dreadful night, Sue and Johnsy
knew it well. Sue says — “look out the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf on the
wall. Didn’t you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew?
Ah, darling, it’s Behrman’s masterpiece — he painted it there the night that the
last leaf fell.”
 Behrman painted the last leaf so carefully and accurately to make it look
original and help Johnsy recover from her wicked thought of death. He probably
knew that he would get the cold and almost surely the pneumonia too. But still,
he risked his own life for saving the life of Johnsy. This is a selfless sacrifice for
a noble cause. He kept his promise of protecting the two young artists and also
of painting his masterpiece.

2. ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL 

Ruskin Bond

About the author

Ruskin Bond –He is an Indian author of British descent. This shy literary

genius could be easily credited for making almost three generations of Indian
students into avid readers. His stories are simple and lucid, a quality that made
him a literary star. The stories speak directly to the reader about the charms of
the Dehradun hills and the idiosyncrasies of the North Indian terrain. His first
novel, Room on the Roof was written at the age of 17 years and had won hi m
John Llewellyn Rhys prize that is awarded to British commonwealth writers
who are under the age of 30. It was a semi-autobiographical story of an
orphaned Anglo Indian boy. Ruskin Bond has received the Sahitya Academy
Award for English Writing in India and also has been conferred with
Padmashree Award in 1999 and Padma Bhushan

Short Answer Questions :

1. Whom did the grandfather get the Python from?

Grandfather got the python from a snake charmer for six rupees.

2. How did he impress the crowds with the Python?

He impressed the  bazaar crowd by slinging it across his shoulders and walking
home with it.

3. Grandmother was tolerant of most birds and animals,but drew the line
at reptile pets.

4. Who was Mabel and why did the grandfather dislike her?

Aunt Mabel was Grandfather's cousin and she was coming to stay with them
next day.Grandfather disliked her as she was very fussy.

5. Why did the grandfather feel crestfallen?

The grandfather was crestfallen because he was not able to find the snake
charmer

6. Where was the Python kept and how did it escape?

Grandfather took the python into the bathroom where he placed it in a steep-
sided tin tub  and  then he went to the bazaar in search of the snake charmer. By
the time he came back. the python escaped through the open window inside the
bathroom.
7. How did Aunt Mabel react to the Python's first appearance?

Aunt Mabel came flying up the veranda steps, looking as though she had seen a
ghost.She told them that when she was reaching for a guava, she saw the snake
staring at her  and the look in its eyes was as though it would devour her.

Additional English The imp and the crust

8. When did Aunt Mabel decide to pack her bags and leave?

Aunt Mabel had another fit of hysterics when she saw the python admiring her
from under a cushion. She packed her bags and left grandfather's house.

9. The Python's weakness as perceived by the grandfather was:

a. Umbrella

b. Reflection

c. Juicy chicken

Paragraph answer questions :

II a. Explain the chaos created by the arrival of the python in the

grandfather's house.

Grandmother nearly fainted at the sight of the python curled round

Grandfather's throat.She was afraid that he might get strangled and wanted to
get rid of it at once.She insisted that the python must be immediately taken back
to the snake charmer. Grandfather told it as nonsense and said that he's only a
young fellow and he'll soon get used to them.But grandmother keeps telling him
that she  has no intention of getting used to him and also as he know well that
his cousin Mabel was coming to stay with them next day and she'll leave them
the minute she knows there's a snake in the house.' grandmother wanted  to get
rid of the python.Then grandfather is telling her with an innocent expression
that he can't let it loose in the garden as it might find its way into the poultry
house.The grandmother then starts grumbling that how exasperating he was and
insists him to lock the creature in the bathroom and go back to the bazaar and
find the man he bought it from, and get him to come and take it back. Now
grandfather had to take the python into the bathroom where he placed it in a
steep-sided tin tub.

b) Describe Aunt Mabel's reaction to the presence of the Python.

When Aunt Mabel arrived next day for a three-week visit, and for a
couple of days ,there were no appearance of the python.But on the third day
towards evening grandfather and the narrator were startled by a scream from the
garden.Seconds later, Aunt Mabel came flying up the veranda steps, looking as
though she had seen a ghost. 

She gasped and told them that when she was reaching for a guava, she
saw the snake staring at her  and the look in its eyes was as though it would
devour her.'Then she sobbed and continued that it was a great boa-constrictor
and it might have been twenty feet long.She told that it was in the guava tree
and its eyes were terrible and it was looking at her in such a queer way.Aunt
Mabel had another fit of hysterics when she saw him admiring her from under a
cushion. After this incident she packed her bags,and left grandfather's house.
c) How did the grandfather finally succeed in caging the Python?

The grandfather understood the weakness of the python.They found out that the
python was admiring his own reflection.He set about preparing a large cage
with a mirror at one end. In the cage he left a juicy chicken and various other
delicacies, and fitted up the opening with a trapdoor.For a few days nothing
happened, and then, as the narrator was leaving for school one morning. he saw
the python curled up in the cage. He had eaten everything left out for him, and
was relaxing in front of the mirror with something resembling a smile on his
face.

The narrator lowered the trapdoor gently, but the python took no notice as he
has in raptures over his handsome reflection. Grandfather and the gardener put
the cage in the pony trap, and made a journey to the other side of the riverbed.
They left the cage in the jungle, with the trapdoor open.Thus the grandfather
finally succeeded in caging the python.

Essay question

"The Python had fallen in love with his own reflection".Elucidate

In the story 'All creatures great and small' written by Ruskin Bond, the author is
humorously bringing out how a python had fallen in love with his own
reflection.The story revolves around a young python which grandfather had
brought from the snake charmer for six rupees.In the story the elderly couple
who are narrators grandparents have different preferences towards exotic
pets.Grandmother was intolerant towards most of the birds and animals but had
no tolerance for reptiles.Even a handsome chameleon was not welcome.When
grandfather brought home a young python it was not welcomed by the
grandmother. She nearly fainted at the sight of the python and wanted
grandfather to get rid of it.The grandfather locked it inside his bathroom and
goes out in search of the snake charmer to return the python back to him but he
comes back with no success.When he comes back he finds out that the python
had escaped from his bathroom through the window which was open. In spite of
a hard search they were unable to find it anywhere.

When Aunt Mabel arrives at grandfather's house for a three week  and a couple
of days visit, she happens to see the python in the garden and comes screaming
towards the house.She was gasping for breath and when everyone asked her
what happened she told them that she saw a snake and the snake was staring at
her from the guava tree when she was reaching for a guava.She also told that it
was looking at her in a queer way and was twenty feet long.After this incident,
the python began to make a series of appearances,  often in unexpected places.

Aunt Mabel had another fit of hysterics when she saw him admiring her from
under a cushion. She packed her  bags, and this made grandmother intensify the
hunt for python. Next morning, the narrator again sees the python curled up on
the dressing table, gazing at  his reflection in the mirror. He went for
Grandfather, but by the time they returned, the python had moved elsewhere. A
little later he was seen  in the garden again. Then he was back on the dressing
table, admiring  himself in the mirror. Evidently he had become enamoured with
his  own reflection.

Grandfather observed that perhaps the attention he was  receiving from

everyone had made him a little conceited.  He now understood the weakness of
the python and set about preparing a large cage with a mirror at one end. In the
cage  he left a juicy chicken and various other delicacies, and fitted up the 
opening with a trapdoor. For a few days nothing happened, and then, as the
narrator was leaving for school  one morning, he saw the python curled up in
the cage. He had eaten  everything left out for him, and was relaxing in front of
the mirror with  something resembling a smile on his face.So the narrator
lowered the trapdoor gently, but the python took no notice as he had in raptures
over his handsome reflection. Grandfather and the  gardener put the cage in the
pony trap, and made a journey to the other  side of the riverbed. They left the
cage in the jungle, with the trapdoor  open. Grandfather later told that the
python made no attempt to get out and even he didn't  have the heart to take the
mirror away. He remarked that it was for the first time he had seen a snake  fall
in love with its own reflection.

William Sydney Porter- American short story writer is known by his pen

name O Henry. While in prison, he began writing short stories in order to
support his daughter Margaret. His first published story “Whistling Dicks
Christmas Stocking '(1899). He used the pseudonym Oliver Henry only once
and changed his pen name to O. Henry, not wanting his readers to know that he
was in prison. He has written nearly 600 short stories which are known for witty
plot, surprise endings, warm characterization of awkward and
difficult situations.

Short Answer Questions :

1. What does "places" refer to?

In a little district west of Washington Square the streets have run crazy and
broken themselves into small strips.These are called "places" and they make
strange angles and curves.

2. Whom did Mr. Pneumonia infect?

Mr.Pneumonia had infected Johnsy.

3. Mention the similar tastes of Sue and Johnsy.

Sue and Johnsy had similar tastes in art, chicory salad and bishop sleeves.

4. Why did Sue ask the doctor to come home?

Johnsy was infected with pneumonia and was very ill and weak.So Sue asked
the doctor to come home.

5. The "Little lady" mentioned by the doctor refers to Johnsy______.

6. According to the doctor, chances of Johnsy's recovery from pneumonia

are little. Give reasons.

According to the doctor,Johnsy had one chance in  ten , and that chance was for
her to want to live. Johnsy  had made up her mind that she was  not going to get
well.So the  doctor felt that her chances for recovery from pneumonia were
little.

7. Sue and Johnsy were artists. True / False.

True.

8. What was Johnsy counting? Why?

Johnsy was looking out the window and counting  backward  the leaves of an
old, ivy vine which was shedding its leaves due to seasonal change.She linked
her remaining life with the  remaining leaves of the ivy wine and assumed that
when the last leaf falls  her life also ends.
9. What is special about the houses in Greenwich village?

Greenwich was a very charming village  and  the houses in Greenwich village
had north windows and eighteenth-century gables and Dutch attics and low
rents.

10. What did Sue hear while she was painting?

 While Sue was painting she heard a low sound, several times repeated and she
saw that Johnsy's eyes were open wide and she was looking out of  the window
and counting backward.

11. What was Behrman's dream?

Behrman's dream was to paint a masterpiece, but he had never yet begun that.

12. Johnsy and Sue were surprised to find that in spite of the storm and

gusty wind,______.

a) the single ivy leaf had withered

b) the single ivy leaf had fallen

c) the single ivy leaf still clung to the vine

d) the single ivy leaf was destroyed

Paragraph Questions and answers

1.Describe Greenwich in your words

Greenwich is a very charming village with cheap rents in the neighbourhood
and because of that it came to be known as  artist's neighbourhood.Many artists 
mainly painters had inhabited the Greenwich village as they could find cheaper
accommodation.It was quaint with dutch attire and eighteenth century
gables.The way streets and squares were twisted  and made odd angles were
notable of this village.

 2.What was bothering Johnsy as she lay on her sick bed

Johnsy was sick and pneumonia has affected not only her body but also her
mind.She became obsessed with an old ivy creeper shedding leaves one by one
due to the season which she could see through her window.She started linking
the dwindling number of leaves with her remaining days of life.Her mind was
obsessed with the thought that once the last leaf falls she will die.Every time she
looks through her window this thought was coming to her mind and it was
bothering Johnsy .

3.How is Pneumonia personified in the story

In the story Pneumonia is personified by the author in different ways.He calls

the disease as Mr. Pneumonia. The use of personification by the author helps
the reader to have a better understanding of what the disease is
like.Mr.Pneumonia is described as "not a nice old chivalric gentleman".Even
though he was new and well known in busy streets, he was not known to the
calm and small Greenwich village. He is referred to as  a cold unseen stranger
who stalked Greenwich village and laid his icy fingers on his victims.

The disease is also compared to a ravager.It is also referred to as red fisted,short

breathed old duffer.This gives pneumonia an image of an old man who is
ruthless and revolting who is cold at heart and has icy fingers and his latest
victim is Johnsy, whom the author describes as a mite of a little
woman.By personifying the disease the author is giving a realistic image to
Johnsy's opponent .By personifying the disease,the pneumonia becomes a
relevant character in the story,which would otherwise be just  known as a
disease.

4.Write a note on doctor's diagnosis.

According to the doctor Johnsy was suffering from pneumonia and her chances
of survival was one in ten.That chance also depends on her desire to live.The
doctor was worried about her as he felt that she had made up her mind that she
was not going to get well.He asks her friend Sue whether Johnsy had anything
to live for  or if anything is weighing her mind.The doctor felt that unless
Johnsy makes up her mind that she will live  he cannot do anything .

5.How did Behrman saved Johnsy's life

Behrman saved Johnsy's life by sacrificing himself at the altar of art.The lesson
Last leaf is about his extreme sacrifice that infuses life in a young depressed
woman.According to the doctor Johnsy's illness could be cured if she had the
will  to live.Her failing health was due to her mental depression than
pneumonia. 

When Behrman came to know about Johnsy's condition from her friend Sue, he
decides to take upon the task of saving her life  .He made a single handed effort
to brave icy winds and rain to reach the window and paints a leaf which loomed
exactly like the original one.This green leaf which was still remaining on the
vine in spite of heavy rain and wind gave Johnsy the hope that she may survive
the illness.This new hope finally saved her life.Thus Behrman's masterpiece
painting saved Johnsy's life.

6.What was Behrmans masterpiece according to Sue and why?

According to Sue ,The last leaf  was Behrmans masterpiece.She calls it a

masterpiece because it rekindled the hope of living in Johnsy's heart.When Sue
told Behrman about Johnsy's illness he immediately wanted to help her.So on
that stormy night he painted the last ivy leaf  exactly looking like the original
one.Seeing the last leaf still on the creeper Johnsy was filled with new hope and
she realises that it was sin to want to die.Seeing the last leaf give her hope that
she is going to survive the illness and  because of that she was able to recover
from her illness.Since it was Behrmans painting of last leaf which saved
Johnsy's life Sue considers it as his masterpiece.

Essay Question

1.Justify the title The last Leaf with reference to the theme of sacrifice
The Last Leaf written by O'Henry is all about an old man's sacrifice for a young
woman artist Johnsy. Sue and Johnsy were two young artists living together in a
brick house.On the ground floor of the same building an old man named
Behrman lived who was also a painter like them.When Johnsy became sick with
pneumonia  she became totally depressed.Pneumonia had affected not only her
body but also her mind.She used to lie on her bed  and keep looking through the
window on the old ivy creeper which was shedding its leaves  due to season.She
started linking the dwindling number of leaves with her remaining days of
life.Her mind was obsessed with the thought that once the last leaf falls she will
die.Every time she looks through her window this thought was coming to her
mind and it was bothering Johnsy .According to the doctor Johnsy was suffering
from pneumonia and her chances of survival was one in ten.That chance also
depends on her desire to live.The doctor felt that unless Johnsy makes up her
mind that she will live  he cannot do anything .

When Behrman came to know about Johnsy's condition from her friend Sue, he
initially thought of it as foolishness.But the old man liked the two girls and had
an attachment towards them .So he decides to take upon the task of saving her
life.It was a very stormy night and  heavy rain was splitting outside the
window .Sue closed the windows that night as she did not wanted Johnsy to see
the last leaf falling down.On that stormy night  Behrman made a single handed
effort to brave icy winds and rains and  with the help of a ladder he managed  to
reach the window and  with the help of a lantern paints a leaf which looked
exactly like the original one.But the old man was drenched in the rain and the
icy cold wind and rain is getting  him affected with pneumonia. and later he 
dies in the hospital.

 In the next morning when the girls see that the last leaf was still remaining on
the vine in spite of the heavy rain and wind they were so surprised.This green
leaf which was still remaining on the vine in spite of storm gave Johnsy the
hope that she may survive the illness.Seeing the last leaf still on the creeper
Johnsy was filled with new hope and she realises that it was sin to want
to die.The last leaf give her hope that she is going to survive the illness and 
because of that she was able to recover from her illness.Since it was Behrmans
painting of last leaf which saved Johnsy's life Sue considers it as his
masterpiece.This new hope finally saved her life.It was the sacrifice of old
Behrman which  finally saved Johnsy's life.

Behrman saved Johnsy's life by sacrificing himself at the altar of art.The lesson
Last leaf is about his extreme sacrifice that infuses life in a young depressed
woman.The title "The last leaf" is hence apt as the last leaf stands for the
extreme sacrifice of Behrman for saving Johnsy's life.

Study Notes
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English lessons, financial

Short Answer Questions :

1. Whom is the speaker addressing in the poem?

The speaker is addressing the readers in the poem.

2. List any two things that man will do by planting a tree.

By planting a tree 

1.Man plants a friend of sun and sky 

2.He plants a flag of breezes free

3. How is the tree a friend of the Sun and Sky?

The poet says that the tree is a friend of the sun and sky because it is tall enough
to reach out to the sky and appears like as if it is talking to the sun and sky and
shares their benefits like friends.The tree directly receives the warmth of sun
and also helps to create cool breeze to lessen the heat of the sun and the glare of
the sky.

The tree depends on the sun to carry out the process of photosynthesis.
Similarly, the tree is a friend of the sky because it takes in carbon dioxide from
the air and releases oxygen in the air and thus purifies the air. Also transpiration
from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains. Thus tree
is a friend of sun and sky.

4. “The flag of breezes” means 

1. Flag in the wind 2. The tree is like a flag 3. Air

Paragraph answer questions :

1. What are the functions of a tree?

Trees serve to beautify nature and provide a home for the birds and offer us cool
shade. They are the harbinger of rain and the source of cool breezes. They keep
the environment balanced by taking in carbon dioxide and giving out
oxygen.The poet emphasises that when a tree is planted the sun and sky share
their bounty like a friend with the  earth.The tree depends on the sun to carry
out the process of photosynthesis. Similarly, the tree is a friend of the sky
because it takes in carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen in the air
and thus purifies the air. 

Transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it
rains. The tree is a flag of free breeze as the leaves just like flags that flutter
freely in the breeze,  flutter and provide soothing, cool breeze to us. The tree
which rises high helps in originating cool breezes , a home which is close to
heaven for the birds to nest in and nurture their young ones. The music created
by the humming of birds and breeze is like a heavenly song and  all these are
created when a tree is planted.

The poet says that by planting a tree one ensures that there is cool shade and no
dry spell as trees make sure it rains. They never cease to exist as they continue
the process of regeneration by shedding seeds and leaves that give birth to new
plants needed to maintain balance in the ecosystem. The planting of a tree leads
to new life to replace the one which has withered. The tree leads to a legacy that
is the forest of the future and it adds beauty to the plains and becomes a joy for
everyone. 
The poet conveys that we must plant new trees to ensure a harmonious and
stable way of living for us and for the generations to come.

2. How does a nation grow by planting trees?

By planting a tree the man directly or indirectly contributes to the growth of

nation.When he plants a tree it sets in motion the progress of a nation from sea
to sea and all this starts from the progressive thought in man's mind.The poet
believes that the man who holds the sapling in his hand is actually in fact
holding the growth of humanity in his hand because the tree is like a heart and
will create new life on earth. The trunk is like a bridge; and the branches are a
link to the universe

By planting trees he will bring transformation and aid in the growth and
prosperity of life on earth.. The poet says that the feelings that are awakened in
the heart of the man who plants a tree are feelings that hope for growth and
transformation.The person who plants a tree not only ensures cool shade and
tender rain but he also sows the seeds and buds for lush forests for the future
generations to benefit from. He sows the seeds of development of the nation and
the world.

Trees are needed for the growth and development of the nation as we cannot
survive in a land with no trees.  We must plant trees keeping in mind the
welfare of the “coming age.” Every part of the tree is beneficial to humans in
one or other way.Trees balance the ecosystem and helps to purify the air and
maintains the temperature and climate of this planet.It ensures the well being of
the humans and all living things on earth.The future of a nation depends on the
well being of the people.A nation progresses when its city and people
progresses.By planting a tree we are contributing to the growth of nation as it
brings progress from sea to sea.

3. How does the tree convey loyalty of the man who plants it?
A single tree remains for years and years,producing fruits and seeds thus
making the area a forest someday for the future generation.Years will pass by,
but the tree will remain there through its seeds which will produce new trees in
the future.

The man who plants a tree is putting his thoughts for the well being of the future
generations.He is actually planting the harvest of the coming age and is bringing
joy that the unborn eyes shall see.By planting trees he is making the earth
habitable for all living beings and is also supporting the environment.The man
who plants a tree is a blessing to the nation and his thoughtfulness brings
happiness and prosperity and wellness to many generations to come.

By planting a tree the man his showing his concern for the future of the
planet.The tree he plants give food. wood ,medicine and sap to all living beings
on this earth.The man who plants a tree is doing so because of his loyalty
towards his neighbourhood, his family,and to the society.He is initiating a step
in making this world a better place to live for himself as well as for all future
generations.

Essay Questions

1. Explain the title of the poem?

The title of Henry Cuyler Bunner’s poem The Heart of the Tree is apparently

very simple. It looks like the poet wants to hail the trees for their usefulness in

keeping life on earth. But actually it has a metaphor in it.

Throughout the poem, the poet has tried to prove the greatness of the man who

plants a tree. To fulfill his aim, the poet has talked of mainly three different

kinds of achievement of that man in three different stanzas:

  The man, firstly, helps in keeping the Environment beautiful and

maintaining the ecological balance.

 Secondly, by planting a tree, the man helps the future generations to live

a safer and happier life.

 And last but not the least, the man performs his duty to his fellow men

and contributes to the nation’s growth by planting a tree out of his civic

sense.

Now, the poem ends with the lines, giving a hint at the title:

A nation’s growth from sea to sea

Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.

This last line is very important as it shows the man’s heart, his feelings, dreams

and wishes behind planting the tree. He has got a bigger heart to love his

neighbours and his nation unconditionally. And here is the point of

similarity between that man and a tree. A tree gives us many useful things and

helps in many ways to keep the earth habitable (liveable). It does all these

unconditionally, as if out of its love to the nature, to the earth. And the man

who plants a tree has also got the same — the heart of the tree. That is why

the title is just and apt for the poem.

How is the theme of environmental awareness brought out in the poem?

Henry Bunner’s poem The Heart of the Tree is undoubtedly a wake-up call
for the human race in the wake of the growing environmental pollution and
global warming of late. The poem is very relevant in an age when rapid and
reckless development and urbanisation are taking their toll on the
Environment.

The ever-growing pollution of the environment is causing a lot of new

ailments and disorders in the human body including nasal and lung problems.
In places, rapid deforestation is threatening to bring consequences like
desertification and weather change. That further brings complication to
overall human lifestyle. Moreover, many species of birds, insects and animals
are on the verge of extinction. That would have certain consequences on the
ecological balance of the environment. 

Global warming in the recent decades has probably been the most
dreaded environmental change so far. It is threatening to raise the sea-water
level and even some cities may finally go under water. All these may well
lead to a premature doom of humankind.It can therefore be truly said the poet
sees this impending destruction of the world and the human race if some
immediate steps are not taken to save Nature. And this poem is his voice for
raising an appeal to plant more and more trees, as only trees can save the
world from this probable calamity.

Henry Bunner’s poem truly motivates people in plantation as it chooses to

show the greatness of the man who plants a tree rather than just saying the
usefulness of trees. Bunner hails that man by saying that the man not only
plants a tree but also beautifies the surroundings, gives home to birds and
animals, brings rains and cool shade, helps the future generations by planting
their harvest and a forest’s heritage, shows his love and blessings for his
neighbours as well as his civic sense, and most importantly helps in the
nation’s growth.

The joy that unborn eyes shall see —

These things he plants who plant a tree. Thus, the poet goes on to highlight
the theme of environmental awareness and appeals people to plant more trees
in a brilliant way through his poem.