(XI Std.) 2.1 Cherry Tree by Ruskin Bond
Ice Breakers:
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Trees are revered because:
(a) They give us joy
(b) They provide habitat for birds and many species
(c) Trees provide oxygen, fruits and shelter
(d) They help to prevent soil erosion
(e) Trees keep environmental balance.
Column A shows
your involvement in growing a tree, as well as the stages in the life of a tree.
Column B shows the feelings you experience at all the stages. Match them
appropriately.
Ans:
A
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B
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1. You planted a sapling.
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You wanted to make a humble beginning.
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2. You watered the plant.
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You cared for it.
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3. You saw the shoot for the first.
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The new experience brought excitement to you.
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4. You fenced the plant.
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Your motive was to protect it.
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5. The plant gradually saw lush green leaves grow on
it.
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The colour, symbolizing life, gave you a feeling of
hope.
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6. The tree had buds too.
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Gave you a feeling of joy to see the promising future.
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7. Birds made a nest on the tree which was fully grown
and laden with flowers.
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You were happy and satisfied because you
experienced what you had often heard, that small beginnings can lead to great
achievements.
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About the Poet:
Ruskin Bond is regarded as one of the prolific writers of Indian writings. Born in Kasauli, (Himachal Pradesh) in 1934, he grew up in Jamnagar (Gujarat), Dehradun, New Delhi and Shimla. his first novel The Room on the Roof written when he was seventeen and received the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then and he has written over 500 short stories essays and novellas and more than forty books for children. He was conferred 'Sahitya Akademi Award' in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow In Dehra. He was also awarded the Padmashri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014.
Appreciation:
Ruskin Bond being a worshiper of nature his poem Cherry Tree faithfully depicts environmental awareness grows in the child. The poem Cherry Tree is about the poet's ecstasy over a tree which is seeded eight years ago. He expresses his wonder at the ways of nature and how it takes care of itself to survive against all hindrances. Eight years ago the poet planted a cherry seed and he watered it daily but he was totally unaware of the fact that the cherry sapling needs special care to grow into a tree. Inspite of getting any special attention, by the end of May, the poet saw the cherry sapling sprouted into five months' small, young and fragile plant. It was suffered from all kinds of external dangers. Tall wild grass grew all around it, goats ate its leaves, the grass cutter cut into two mercilessly; its tender steam faced heavy monsoon and blight. But, despite all these obstacles/hindrances, the cherry tree had no intention of dying. By the next spring, the poet saw three new shoots growing out of it. The young tree struggled a lot for its existence and fiercely made an 'upward thrust' to get 'light and air and sun.'
The young poet was the eyewitness of its struggle and existence. The cherry plant blossoming into a tree as the time and the rain nourished the tree and like a miracle, the tree grew, too stubborn to give up. Then he left Kashmir to spend a season there. After a few months when he returned from Kashmir, he was overjoyed to find a six feet high cherry tree at his doorstep. A year passes by and the poet watches the tree in full bloom.
One day, the poet lies on the grass and describes the wonders of nature- the sky, finches, bees, crickets and blooming cherry tree. As the poet enjoyed the rapture of nature and felt himself akin with it, he marvelled at his own creation, the small cherry plant that has grown into a big tree over the span of eight years.
Thus, the poem gives us an underlying message about the tree's resilience and its determination to grow despite all odds. In the same way, humans too can overcome the obstacles that they face in life and become resilient like the cherry tree.
One day, the poet lies on the grass and describes the wonders of nature- the sky, finches, bees, crickets and blooming cherry tree. As the poet enjoyed the rapture of nature and felt himself akin with it, he marvelled at his own creation, the small cherry plant that has grown into a big tree over the span of eight years.
Thus, the poem gives us an underlying message about the tree's resilience and its determination to grow despite all odds. In the same way, humans too can overcome the obstacles that they face in life and become resilient like the cherry tree.
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