Chapter 7
IF
I WAS A TREE
Mudnakudu
Chinnaswamy
I.
1) The speaker wants to be a tree because
a) trees are not treated as objects of defilement.
b) no other creature in nature has the concept of defilement.
c) trees are more humane than humans.
Ans: b) no other creature in nature has the concept of defilement.
2) What wouldn’t the bird ask the tree?
Ans: The bird wouldn’t ask the tree what caste the tree belonged to
before building its nest.
3) When does the sacred cow
scrape her body onto the bark?
Ans: The sacred cow scrapes
her body onto the bark whenever itched.
4) How does the speaker want to be purified?
Ans: The speaker wants to be purified at end,
when hacked into pieces of dry wood, burning in the holy fire, he might be made
pure or becoming the bier for a sinless body.
5) How does the speaker view his friendship
with the cool breeze and leaves?
Ans: The speaker views his friendship with
the cool breeze and leaves would be sweet.
II.
1) Why would mother earth not flee, according
to the speaker?
Ans: The mother earth not flees, according to the
speaker because in the realm of nature, there is no separation. Definition for
the sake of standing is done uniquely in the general public of people. That is
the reason when a tree attempts to spread its foundations; mother earth
wouldn't escape blaming the tree for debasement. Accordingly the writer shows
that segregation for the sake of standing is predominant just in human culture
and not in the realm of nature. Rather, mother earth would invigorate the tree
to get more grounded and more grounded with its foundations being spread more
extensive and more extensive. It is perfectly clear that for the sake of God
and religion, we have been following this detestable arrangement of standing,
oppressing our own siblings and sisters. However, when we recollect that we
also have originated from nature and return to nature.
2) How do the life forces – sunlight and the
cool breeze – enforce nature’s idea of equality?
Ans: This poem is a parody wherein the writer
makes an endeavor to uncover the unpretentious manners by which the upper
standing society has been victimizing untouchables for quite a long time. The
speaker talks in the persona of an unapproachable yet requests that the pursuer
envision that he is a tree. Next, he presents a couple of regular examples of
inapproachability. The speaker compares the universe of nature with the human
world to blame individuals for rehearsing inapproachability and being meaner
than the universe of nature. The speaker contends that in the event that he was
a tree, and when daylight falls on him, his shadow would not feel polluted. In
actuality, in the event that he were a distant and when daylight falls on him
and his shadow falls on an individual of the upper rank the person in question
would feel that the person in question has been polluted by the shadow of an
unapproachable. The tree is an allegory for the universe of nature and,
utilizing the tree as the purpose of contact among nature and the individuals,
he brings up how components of nature like the 'cool wind' and the 'daylight'
don't separate among individuals and treat everybody similarly. Hence he
features nature's concept of balance. . Consequently, the speaker needs to
contend that the components of nature uphold balance while a few areas of
individuals authorize disparity. Additionally, since he is a tree and not an
unapproachable, the companionship between the cool wind and the leaves of the
tree would be sweet. In actuality, on the off chance that he was an
unapproachable there would be no such sweet companionship
III
1) Why does the speaker want to be a tree?
Ans: It is obvious from the sonnet that the
speaker has endured the worst thing about separation in human culture. His
explanation that in the event that he were a tree no fledgling would ask him
what standing he is, clarifies that the speaker is caused to feel embarrassed
about his position consistently. At the point when he expresses that the shadow
of the tree which is framed on the ground when the daylight falls on it,
wouldn't feel debased, obviously individuals avoid him as much as possible and
don't permit even his shadow to come in their manner as he and his shadow are
viewed as tainted. At the point when he discusses the sweet fellowship with the
cool wind and leaves, plainly in the public arena very few stretch out to him
their hands of companionship. At the point when he asserts that raindrops
wouldn't turn around from him thinking of him as a canine eater, it is
reasonable that individuals from whom he sought after food similarly as a tree
gets its food from water, he got just maltreatment and dismissal. At the point
when he composes that mother earth wouldn't escape from him with the dread of
getting polluted, the image of upper rank individuals shooing him away
structures in the creative mind of the pursuers. The expression 'fanning out'
clarifies that the expectations and goals of the lower rank individuals are
checked and they are not permitted to utilize their latent capacity. Through
the picture of the holy relic going to the tree and giving the tree the delight
of being moved by the 300,000 divine beings shielding inside her, the speaker
shows that passage to hallowed spots is denied to him. It could even be an
unexpected reference to the higher position individuals who love bovines as
heavenly however neglect to see eternality in their kindred people. It could
even be a joke of the upper station individuals who love a huge number of
divine beings however have no regard for their brethren. At long last, when the
speaker says that on the off chance that he were a tree he would have the
benefit of being scorched in the blessed fire or turning into the casket,
obviously, as an individual, he realizes that he would be evaded even after
death and wouldn't be permitted a nice demise. In this manner, as a person,
throughout everyday life and demise, he would be denounced, yet as a tree, he
would carry on with an existence of poise and euphoria.
2) The poem is a satire of social
discrimination. Discuss.
Ans: By comparing the universe of nature and
the universe of individuals, the artist calls attention to that people, who
should be God's incomparable creation, have conflicted with the common request
of nature and have made life hopeless for their kindred people. The poem is a
social parody .The poem voices the bad form dispensed to specific areas of
society for the sake of station. Standing is simply a man-made build and with
this merciless thought, incredible areas of society have figured out how to put
down the docile, age after age.
3) The speaker brings out the concepts of
defilement and purification. How is the meaninglessness of the practice brought
out?
Ans: The poem makes it very clear that the
concept of defilement is in the mind of man and hence purification should be
the purification of such evil thoughts in the mind of man. Ironically,
purification doesn’t mean the purification of the so-called outcasts. The
purification is the purification of those who have by mistake come into contact
with the outcasts. There are different rituals which are performed in the name
of purification. The sonnet makes it extremely evident that the subject of
debasement and sanitization are man-made ideas.
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1st PUC
