CLASS 11 · WOVEN WORDS · CHAPTER 18
Original student-friendly answers to Dilip Chitre's poem activities.
12 worked answers · short steps first, explanations when you need them
Textbook pages Understanding the Poem
Question Understanding the Poem 1
Mention 'massacred' and 'slaughter' and the animals driven from the tree.
The words 'massacred' and 'slaughter', and the fleeing birds and insects, show the poet's criticism.
Question Understanding the Poem 2
Use his orders to show his practical, determined approach to clearing the land.
He is decisive and practical, ordering the tenants and trees removed to clear the site.
Question Understanding the Poem 3
Explain the grandmother's reverence for trees and contrast it with the felling.
The line shows a belief that trees deserve respect, which contrasts with the decision to cut them.
Question Understanding the Poem 4
Explain the tree's continued life in memory and the speaker's unsettled feelings.
The tree keeps growing in memory, and 'seethes' suggests restless grief and anger.
Question Understanding the Poem 5
List its height, massive trunk, long aerial roots, and deep history.
The banyan towers over the house, has a massive trunk and long aerial roots, and seems deeply rooted in history.
Question Understanding the Poem 6
Connect the rings to the tree's age and the family's awe at seeing history exposed.
The rings reveal the tree's ancient history, which feels powerful and almost mythic to the family.
Question Understanding the Poem 7
Explain how short-term human decisions can destroy older natural life.
The line questions humans' short-term confidence in destroying something older and more lasting than themselves.
Question Understanding the Poem 8
Mention development, displacement, habitat loss, and the long time trees need to grow.
The poem raises concern about development that displaces people and destroys old trees and wildlife habitats.
Textbook pages Try This Out
Question Try This Out 1
Describe the tree, why it mattered, and what changed after it was cut.
Sample: A familiar tree gave shade and shelter to birds; after it was cut, the place felt hotter and emptier.
Question Try This Out 2
Give common equivalents and verify regional names locally.
Neem: neem; oudumber: cluster fig; banyan: Indian banyan. Check the regional name for sheoga locally.
Question Try This Out 3
Use the word for two thin, rough, or uneven things.
Examples: a scraggy hedge and a scraggy dog.
Question Try This Out 4
Pair each adjective with a noun that makes its meaning clear.
Raw materials, an aerial view, and a sacred tree are suitable phrases.