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On Killing a Tree Literary Devices, 1. No rhyme scheme is there in the poem. It is written in free verse. There is no rhyme or rhythm., 2 Enjambment: When one sentence continues into two or more lines., Not a simple jab of the knife, Will do it. It has grown, Slowly consuming the earth, Rising out of it, feeding, Upon its crust, absorbing, Years of sunlight, air, water,, And out of its leprous hide, Sprouting leaves., The most sensitive, hidden, For years inside the earth., 3. Metaphor : indirect comparison, Leprous hide – the uneven colour of the surface of the trunk of a tree is compared to the skin of a person suffering from leprosy., Bleeding bark – the sap coming out of tree where it is cut is compared to the bleeding from the wound in a human’s body., 4. Alliteration: repetition of a consonant sound in 2 or more closely places words., Bleeding bark – ‘b’ sound, White and wet – ‘w’ sound, 5. Repetition: a word or sentence is repeated to lay emphasis on it., ‘Pulled out’ is repeated, On Killing a Tree Question Answers, 1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?, A. No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree. The place from where the tree is cut will give out sap and once the wound heals, new branches and leaves will grow from it which will develop into trees., 2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity., A. The tree has grown by consuming nutrients from the Earth, absorbing sunlight, air and water. The words suggestive of its life and activity are – consuming the earth, Rising out of it, feeding Upon its crust, absorbing years of sunlight, air, water., 3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?, A. Bleeding bark refers to the sap which flows out of the tree’s bark where it is cut. The tree bleeds when it is cut with a knife., 4. The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?, A. ’No’ means that the tree will not die by cutting or chopping the trunk., 5. What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?, A. “Anchoring Earth” means that the Earth supports the tree firmly. “Earth cave” refers to the pit in the Earth where the roots of the tree bind it firmly to the Earth., 6. What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?, A. “the strength of the tree exposed” means that upon being uprooted, the most sensitive and important part of the tree i.e. the roots will no longer remain hidden in the Earth., 7. What finally kills the tree?, A. The tree dies when it is uprooted. When it is detached from the Earth, it withers, hardens twists and finally dies.