ICSE Class 9 Poems and Short Stories The Heart of the Tree (Henry Cuyler Bunner)
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The Heart of the Tree Synopsis and Important Questions
SYNOPSIS
The poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’ is written by poet Henry Cuyler Bunner. He was an American poet. He also wrote plays, short stories and novels. His work is based on places and people that he observed in New York. There is the essence of playfulness and smoothness of finish in most of his works.
This poem presents the beneficial aspects of planting a tree for individuals and for society. The poet declares it as an act of humanity. He not only appreciated the act of planting a tree but also honours the amazing work of human hands that do this benevolent and noble act. The rapid urbanisation and development are taking a toll on the environment. Every day, we get to know how ecology is being affected. In today’s scenario when we are facing an environmental crisis, it is very necessary that children and the youth understand the need for planting trees. Planting trees is a sudden requirement for climate change. The scientific benefits of planting trees can be learnt but it is also vital to understand the emotion behind it. The poet does this by recognising the association of a tree with nature and society. Apart from human welfare, Bunner also appreciates the aesthetic value of planting a tree. By asking the question ‘What does he plant who plants a tree?’ in the first line of every stanza in the poem, Henry wants the readers to think about the answer. However, he himself gives an answer and states the overall importance of planting a tree. According to him, a tree proves to be a friend of the sun and sky and contributes positively towards the growth of the nation and of nature. He claims that people who plant trees plan for a future and for the people they do not know. It is a symbolic act of goodness from which many other acts of goodness will sprout. This poem is a voice for raising an appeal to plant more and more trees as only trees can save the world from probable calamity.
Let us understand the poet’s views by analyzing each stanza.
The poem begins with the question ‘What does he plant who plants a tree?’
This brings before us the spirit of the whole poem. The rest of the lines are the poet’s way of answering this question and the significance of valuing the act of planting a tree. The tree is not just a part of nature but has been portrayed as a friend of the sun and sky. The sun is important for the tree’s growth. It plays a vital role in the life processes of a tree. Similarly, a tree is also a friend of the sky as it takes as it utilises the air for its processes and activities of growth. This is the poet’s way of saying that apart from utilising things for growth and development, the tree acts as a friend to the sun and sky. This is a gesture of warmth that connects with nature.
The poet compares the branches of the tree to a flag and the trunk of the tree to a pole of the flag that remains firm and tall. A tree provides cool breeze to everyone and everything. Like a flag flutters freely in the breeze, the leaves of the tree flutter and provide a soothing cool breeze to us. The poet takes pride in describing this fact and therefore compares it to a flag which is also a symbol of pride. A tree also provides a home to birds singing melodiously in the sky. By planting a tree, a human being makes the earth inhabitable for birds and helps in the conservation of the environment. In clear twilight, the man hears the melodious songs of these birds which provide a harmonious environment all around. It appears that the trees have made a home closer to heaven. The man plants the tree for the mother bird who is singing happily with a gentle and soft voice in the twilight for her young ones. The high-pitched tone of the bird adds to the pleasant harmony of the universe. This stanza has emphasised the action of planting a tree and how it is absolutely a blissful and glorious deed.
In the second stanza, the poet repeats the same question ‘What does he plant who plants a tree?’ and proceeds to answer and explain the motive behind it with a different aspect. This time the poet focuses on how a tree benefits ecology. There are many advantages associated with planting a tree. In this stanza, the poet focuses on how planting a tree is of deep environmental importance. The trees planted by human beings provide shade and shelter. These trees also help to bring rain and provide a beautiful landscape with greenery and colourful flowers. They will bear seeds and shelter birds for the future progeny. Old trees will be there after many years, and the seeds will grow into new trees and hence be converted to a dense forest. Therefore, planting trees adds to the glory of the earth. A tree which is planted today may change into a forest with the passage of time. By planting a tree, a man is therefore laying steps to build a forest in advance. This is a process of birth, death and regeneration. The fruits of the tree may be enjoyed by the future generation, so it will be a delightful experience for the younger generation. Here, the poet has tried to explain various advantages of planting a tree for making the land a worthy and delightful place to live.
The poet starts the third stanza by again asking the question ‘What does he plant who plants a tree?’
In this stanza, the poet is focusing on different perks of planting a tree. Here, he becomes philosophical. He is discussing the moral duty of a citizen. He links planting trees to the growth of a nation. In answer to the question asked by the poet in this stanza, he says that by planting trees, man is doing great social work. It also shows his devotion and affection towards precious Mother Earth. If the earth progresses, the nation automatically progresses. A man’s action of planting trees helps in the growth of the nation and that of the world too. So, he is fulfilling his social obligations towards humanity at large. His action contributes to the process of advancement of his country. The poet has used the capital letter H in ‘His’, giving a divine status to the man who plants a tree, because a simple action results in altering the destiny not only of his neighbourhood and nation but also of humanity at large. The concluding lines of the poem highlight the significance of a man's heart, his feelings, dreams and aspirations behind planting a tree. He has described the sense of loyalty of the person who plants a tree towards the entire universe. He thinks about the future of society. This is the poet’s way of associating an emotional approach towards planting a tree leading to individual, social, environmental, natural and universal development.
Short Answer Questions
- Who is ‘he’ in the poem when the poet asks ‘What does he plant’? Identify the poem and its poet.
Ans. The poem is ‘The Heart of the Tree’ written by Henry Cuyler Bunner. The poet is referring to the person who is planting the tree. - In what way is a tree a friend of the sun and sky?
Ans. A tree is described as a friend of the sun and sky. The tree is a friend of the sun as the tree is dependent on sunlight to carry out the process of photosynthesis to make its food. Similarly, the tree is a friend of the sky. It takes in carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen in the air and thus purifies the air. A tree and the atmosphere give and take each other’s help for various processes. A tree grows high to reach close to the sky. Hence, it is aptly described as ‘a friend of sun and sky’. - Explain ‘flag of breezes’.
Ans. The poet Henry Bunner has compared the tree to a flag of free breeze. Like a flag flutters freely in the breeze, the leaves of the tree flutter and provide a soothing, cool breeze to us. The tree grows high with its long narrow stem and looks like a beautiful tower. It appears that the trees have made a home closer to heaven. - Why is it a ‘happy twilight’?
Ans. The tree ensures shelter for the birds by allowing them to perch on their branches and build nests. The mother bird sings for her little ones. The young birds are happy listening to the sound of the sweet crooning of the mother bird on a silent twilight when human activities are the least. Therefore, the hour has become a happy one and also delightful for us. - Who is singing in a hushed and happy voice? Why?
Ans. The mother bird sings for her little ones. The soft singing of the mother bird is called crooning. Since it is twilight, it is sung in a hushed voice. The poet has tried to portray a picture of a home where the bird is living in harmony and singing happily for her children. This is a display of pleasant harmony of the universe due to the tree. - How are humans benefited by planting a tree?
Ans. Trees give shade and shelter. They bear fruits that are enjoyed by future generations. They bring rain which is helpful in many ways. Every part of the tree is useful. It provides sap, leaf and wood which are used by humans for their needs. - Explain the expression ‘unborn eyes’.
Ans. The trees planted selflessly by our ancestors prove to be a harvest or legacy to the coming age. It is a link between the past and the present, and the coming generation. Our ancestors planted them just so that we could enjoy their shade and beauty and reap all the benefits. Although they could never see the beauty or reap any benefit, their act surely rewards the coming generations. The unborn eyes are the future generation. - Explain the meaning of the following lines:
‘Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of our land’
Ans. In these lines, the poet speaks about the person who is planting a tree. The poet says that the seeds are held in the hollow of the palm. Since he has planted a tree, he holds the growth of the nation in his hands. The poet has used the capital letter H in ‘His’ to give divine importance to the person doing a noble deed. - How is the nation's growth dependent on trees?
Ans. As one plants a tree, it will bear seeds which can be used to plant other trees. Hence, it acts as a foundation of a dense forest. Similarly, the future generation will reap the benefits of these trees. Therefore, the person is doing a civic good as it will lead to the betterment of society and its citizens. Thus, it results in the growth of not only the nation but also of Mother Earth. - How does a tree convey the loyalty of a man who plants it?
Ans. A tree can give us cool shade and brings rain. Trees can also ensure a safe and beautiful world for our future generations. So, by planting a tree, man not only helps himself but also the neighbourhood as the tree gives us many things in return. He helps in the growth of his nation and the entire world in turn. All this is rather a selfless effort on his part. So, a man does it for his love and loyalty to his ‘home’ — his society, nation and the world.
Long Answer Questions
- Explain the theme of the poem.
Ans. The theme of the poem revolves around two ideas. The poet has explicitly described the importance of trees for our survival, at the same time, he mentions the concern regarding the future of Mother Earth. He has used a practical, philosophical and emotional approach in order to make a person realise the importance of trees.
The poet knows the crucial importance of trees for our survival. They bring rain, cool the atmosphere, take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen for human beings to inhale. They also help in the process of transpiration of plants and in other major essential processes. They bear flowers and fruits. The seeds from these fruits can be used to plant new plants again. This lays the foundation of the process of regeneration. The plants provide us with essential nutrients for our body. It is the main source of medicine. Therefore, the poet indirectly requests all human beings to plant trees for the well-being of society and its citizens. He also mentions that a tree plantation is a blessing on the neighbourhood.
According to the poet, our survival is greatly dependent on forests. Trees not only beautify the environment but also purify the air and provide us with wood, timber and fruits. The one who plants a tree plants an entire forest. Without trees, the world will become a deserted barren land. The entire animal race would face hunger. Thus, it is important that we understand our responsibility and help in the growth of mankind by planting trees. The theme of the poem is about the noble deed that a person performs when he plants a tree. - Justify the title of the poem.
Ans. ‘The Heart of the Tree’ is an appropriate title because the heart is one of the most important organs of the human body. It pumps blood and carries out all the vital processes in the human body. Likewise, a tree has certain qualities which are essential for survival. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen which is necessary for a human. They carry out various processes in the atmosphere. They also provide us with lots of things which are important for our survival. It is the source of all the required minerals, nutrients and material things. According to the poet, the one who plants trees blesses the neighbourhood. The tree is therefore compared to a heart. The heart maintains human life; similarly, the tree maintains plant and animal life in the universe. The heart here signifies the most important quality of the tree. It can be concluded that the title is appropriate as the poem is about a tree and its importance for our survival.
- Point out the refrain in the poem and discuss its effect.
Ans. The poem starts with the refrain ‘What does he plant who plants a tree?’. The line is used at the beginning of each stanza. The poet asks this question, and he answers the question himself. He has used a practical, philosophical and emotional approach in order to indicate the importance of planting of trees. The refrain highlights the actual benefits of planting a tree. The poet says that by planting a single tree, many objectives can be achieved. In every stanza, the readers are reminded of this question and what else is being planted with the tree so that the attention can be drawn to the other benefits of the tree too. The poet not only considers the planting of a tree as an environmental benefit but also considers it a benevolent and noble deed performed by the one who plants it.
- Discuss some functions of the tree.
OR
What are the uses of planting a tree?
Ans. The tree functions as a friend of the sun and sky. It purifies the air and absorbs carbon dioxide. It acts as a source of minerals and nutrients that are required by human beings. It provides a cool breeze. It gives shade and shelter to plants as well as animals.
The tree is also a source of food. It produces ‘seed and bud’, which further produce fruit. The poet uses the word ‘harvest’ to suggest an abundance of fruit. The poet skillfully connects the idea of planting a tree to positive things like regeneration, food and shelter and inspires the reader to look beyond the simple act of growing a sapling. It provides a home to many birds and their young ones. Through trees, a harmonious atmosphere is created and various bird songs are heard. The mother bird happily sings these songs for her children. This is a glimpse of heaven on earth. A tree is the foundation step for the process of regeneration.
- Explain the process of regeneration with trees.
OR
How does man plant the forest’s heritage?
Ans. The poet Henry Cuyler Bunner has discussed the importance of planting trees in various forms in the poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’. He not only remarks about the importance of trees but also states it to be an important aspect of the forest. The trees will bear seeds and buds for future generation/progeny. After many years, the old trees will wither away and these seeds will grow into new trees and change to a dense forest. Trees account for the forest wealth of a nation by ensuring plenty of harvest in the days to come. This is also symbolic of the process of birth, death and regeneration. The forest will provide crops to the future generation. It will also be a source of wood, timber etc. These things are of economic importance for a human being. Therefore, it is evident that the upcoming generation will reap the benefits of trees that are planted now.
- How can this poem help in making an individual a good citizen?
Ans. The poet Henry Cuyler Bunner has written the poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’. The poet has made an earnest effort to appreciate the noble deed of planting a tree. The person who plants a tree is responsible for the growth of his nation and neighbourhood. When a tree is planted, its benefits are reaped by future generations. Also, the seeds from this tree can be used to plant many more trees. This will make the Earth a better place to live in. The nation’s growth stirs in the heart of a person who plants the tree. He performs civic welfare. Civic good refers to the welfare of the people living in the same area or in the neighbourhood. A tree planter selflessly plants trees wherein all his neighbours feel blessed and benefited to avail its heavens like comfort and shelter. Since all of these factors lead to the development of society and its citizens, planting a tree certainly makes an individual a good citizen.
- Why do you think this poem is a call for the concern about the future of the Earth?
Ans. The poem ‘The Heart of the Tree’ by Henry Cuyler Bunner is the most relevant to the current times when we are facing ecological problems. Survival has become difficult due to rapid urbanisation. Loss of trees can lead to loss of mankind. Climate change and problems associated with the environment make the picture of the future very dark. In such a case, the necessary action required is that of planting trees. It is not just a tree that we plant but we are laying the foundation for a forest. A forest is a home for many animals and birds and is also a source for many things that are needed by humans. The atmospheric processes are interdependent on trees. Thus, when the poet makes use of different aspects to tell us about the benevolent act of planting a tree, he is indirectly making an appeal regarding the future of Mother Earth.