BRAINSTORMING

(1)Find proofs from the poem for the following:

(i) The poet has mentioned different seasons.
Ans. (a) And suddenly that summer..." (b) "Next spring.
(ii) The poet's minute observations of the steadygrowth of the cherry tree.
Ans. (a) "Ifound a tree had come to stay.
It was very small, five months child,
 nghsh YuVakbhara 63

Lost in the tall grass running wild."

(b) "Next spring Iwatched three new shoots grow.
The young tree struggle, upward thrust.
Its arms in a fresh fierce lust
For light and air andsun".
(c) "Icould only wait, as one
Whowatched, wandering, while Time and the rain
Made a miracle from green growing pain..."
(iii) The colour imagery in the poem.
Ans. (a) Green' colour used in the poem quite often and it represents 'life'.
(b) Pink' colour used to show the tenderness, fragility of the berries.
(c) Blue' colour used for the sky as it represents the clear sky which the poet could see through the gap of
the leaves of the cherry tree.
(iv) The struggle of the cherry tree for survival.
Ans. (a) "It was very small, five months child,
Lost inthe smallgrass, running wild".
(b) "But cherries have a way of growing,
Though no one'scaring very much or knowing:
(c) "Goats ate the leaves, the grass cutter scythe
Split it apart and a monsoon blight
Shrivelled the slender stem...Even so,"
Allthese dangers were handled by the plant boldly since it had the urge to live.
(d) "The young tree struggle, upward thrust
Its armns in a fresh fierce lust
For light and air and sun"
order to get the basic
"The young tree refused to accept defeat and continued its struggle for survival in
necessities of light, air and sun needed for its growth. ni
 State whether the following statements are True or False. Correct
evidence from the poenm to support your remark. the falsestatements by finding
The cherry tree did not take long to grow.
ms. False. The cherry tree took eight years to grow into a six-feet high
i) Birds and insects were benefited from the tree. full-grown, fruit-bearing tree.
ns. True
ii) The poet was exalted at the sight of the cherry tree.
ns. True
v) The poem has an underlying message about the importance of trees.
ns. False. The underlying message in this poem is not about the importance of trees. It
mainly stresses on the
struggle against adversities of life and how dedication and desire to survive can help
come out of it.
any living object to
) The poet repents planting the cherry tree.
ns. False. The poet actually enjoys watching the magnificent cherry tree and takes pride in being the owner
who has decided to sow the seed of this cherry tree.
3) Discuss the reasons/consequences/effects.
The life of the cherry tree was threatened.
ns. The cherry tree was so small initially that it was lost among the tal, wild grasses all around it. The threats
in its life were the goats who ate its leaves, the grass cutter's scythe that could split it apart and its tender
stem had to fight the heavy monsoon. Moreover, no special attention or care was provided for it. But it was
a fighter who could face all these threats boldly
i) The cherry blossomed.
ns.
In spite of not getting any specialcare, the cherry tree, just by its urge to survive, could raise its head, fought
all the odds in its life, came out successfully to nurture itself with the basic necessities for its growth, the
light, the rain and sun. With the passage of time, its hard work bore fruits and it became a six-feet high
full-grown tree which happily blossomed with fruits.
64
Pick out the lines from the beginning
(4) Asmall thought, put in action, led to a great achievement.
andend of the poem and explain their significance.
Ans. (i) Must have a tree of my own" Isaid.
with this simple thought in his mind he sowed
The poet just wanted to be the sole owner of a tree and just
easily forgot. But the cherry seed had the
the cherry seed. It is just a passing idea of his mind which he
threats on its onward journey in life. It was
potential to grow in spite of not having proper care and lots of fight the odds.
fruit-bearing tree as it was dedicated to
a winner all the way to grow into a magnificent
and Stars and trees. That small, the cherry,
(ii) The lines at the end of the poem, "Yes, I! - praised Night
credit for creating such a beautiful life. He has
grown by me" express the pride of the poet who takes the
hard to come to this stage. But, at the same time,
no hesitation to accept that the cherry tree has struggled
and the result is unbelievable.
he is excited that the process has been started by him
poem. Such poems, describing Nature or
(5) The cherry tree has inspired the poet to compose thesome expressions from the poem that bring
aspectsof Nature are called Nature poems'. Find out
out the elements of beauty of Nature.
Ans. (i) "I could scarcely believe it - a berry,
Ripened and jeweled in the sun..."
(ii) there were blossoms small
Pink, fragile, quick to fall..."
(iii) "Looking up through leaves... each bloom".
(iv) "...the sun sank...crickets..."
COMPREHENSION
EXTRACT 1
 EXTRACT 1

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
A1. Factual Understanding
Complete the web to show the growth of the cherrytree. (Answers are given directly in bold)

Growth of the Cherry Tree

Ans. Even bore small Grew into a six

tender berries
Growth of the
feet high tree
Cherry Tree Light, air and rain
Struggle to made a miracle for its
force out
growth

The young tree breeze (Ref. textbook pg. 66 & 67)

A2. Interpretation / Understanding of Poetic Device

Find out an example of climax from the extract and explain it.
Ans. *Pink, fragile, quick to fall"
They move from healthy to delicate
This figure of speech is called Climax where successive words, phrases, sentences are arranged in ascending
order of importance. Here, the cherry blossom turns pink, ripens and is ready to be picked.
A3. Personal Response
atleast
State in about 50 words your worries about cutting of trees for human habitation. Suggest
one solution.
time Iam worried about
Ans. I understand the necessity of providing place for human habitation but at the samepollution. My suggestion
environmental
cutting of trees for that purpose which is one of the main causes of
isto make it compulsory for all housing societies to plant trees toget 'No Objection Certificate'.
A4. Poetic Creativity
Without using any rhyming pattern, write a poem of four lines about your enjoyment in the
ompany of your friend.
Ans. My friends are my assets, my lifeline,
our togetherness, everyone's envy. We fight, we patch up,
we cherish our love and loyalty.
We're committed to protect our friendship,
protect we must.
POETIC DEVICES

(1) Alliteration :
(i) "Shrivelled the slender stem..." sound of 's' is repeated.
(ii) "Its arms in a fresh fierce lust.." sound of ? is repeated.
(iii) "Made a miracle from green growing pain.." sounds of'm' and'g are repeated.
(iv) ... at the finches as they flew/And flitted through..." sound of f is repeated.
(v) "the sun sank/swiftly... " Sound of s' is repeated.
(vi) "who watched, wondering, while time..." sound of 'w' is repeated.
(2) Antithesis :
(i)..but cherries have a way of growing,
Though no one's caring very much or knowing".
having much care and even knowledge
Two opposite ideas of the steady growth of the tree in spite of not
of its presence, are placed side by side.
(ii) Came back thinner, rather poor,
But richer by a cherry tree at my door".
feeling rich at the sight of the cherry tree,
- Two opposite ideas of having poor condition of health but
are placed side by side.
poreonifoation
(3) Personification :
(i) A tree had come to stay"
-The tree has been personified by giving it the human quality of coming to
stay.
(ii) "The grass cutter scythe split it apart"
- The grass cutter scythe is personified.
(iii) "a monsoon blight shrivelled.."
- Monsoon is personified.
(iv) "The young tree struggle"
- The young tree is personified by giving it the human quality of struggling.
(v) "the sleepiest breeze"
The breeze is personified.
(vi) "singing crickets"
-Crickets are personified.
(vii) "The young tree ... thrust/Its arms in a fresh fierce lust"
- Theyoung tree is personified as it expresses its lust like a human being.
TOWARDS APPRECIATION
(1) Cherry tree is a narrative poem. Features that make it a narrative poem are given below. Justify
them with proper examples.
(i) The poem has a beginning, a middle and an end. (ii) Different places are mentioned.
(iii) Characters are referred to. (iv) Incidents are arranged in sequence.
(v) There is a dialogue between the poet and the reader or the characters of the poem.
(vi) It is a time-bound poem.
Ans. Cherry Tree', a narrative poem which tells the story of the birth and growth of a cherry tree by the poet,
Ruskin Bond. He carefully divides the poem in three distinet division of a proper beginning, a middle and
an end as we usually find in a story.
 Kelable beries

The story begins with the planting of a seed of a cherry which the poet, a young boy sows in order to
have a tree of his own. He forgets to take care of the planted seed but the plant, with the help of nature and
rain has anatural growth. On its journey to its growth, it faces many odds in life, but by sheer will-power
alladversities. Meanwhile, the poet has to go to Kashmir. When he comes back he is surprised to
afull-six-feet high fruit-bearing tree at his door. The poet is ecstatic in this middle part of the story. At the
end of the story, the poet spends time in company of his cherry tree from dawn to dusk, enjoying the sights
and sounds, birds and insects, the bright sun and the twinkling stars. He concludes the poem expressing
his pride for being the creator of such an atmosphere because of his own cherry tree.
The poem shifts to different places at different times as it begins in the poet's garden where the cherry
tree has been sowed, tells the readers about the poet's visit to Kashmir, comes back tosee the cherry tree
at his door and finally ends at his garden where the cherry tree stands tall.
The cherry tree is the protagonist, that is, the main character of the story which narrates the different
phases of the life of the tree in a span of eight years.
The poet, theowner of the cherry tree also represents a character of the story since he is the one who
is involved in the life of the tree. Sometimes actively and sometimes by narrating the happening in its life.
Apart from these two main characters, there are some small characters like the goats, the grass cutter, the
birds and insects who also play small but significant roles in the story.
There is definitely a continuity in the presentation of the story in a sequence. From the planting of the
cherry seed in the poet's garden, its lifeas a baby with tall grasses hiding it, itsstruggle for survival without
becoming a six-feet high fruit
having much care, its aggressive growth to get light, air and sun and finally
bearing tree.
the other characters in the poem but
There is no direct conversation among the poet, the readers and
as if the cherry tree is expressing its desires
thepresentation of the happenings in the story makes it appear also the poet tells his readers the reason for
and determinations to the poet. In the beginning of the poem if he is talking to his readers.
speech as
his sowing the cherry seed and that isgiven in direct
grows into a full·grown tree in a span of eight
It is a time-bound poem since the sowed cherry seed growth of
poet also intermittently, keeps on mentioning about the change of season during the
years. The happiness or seeing
and finally after his return his feeling of
the tree, his stay in Kashmir for one season
the fruit-bearing six feet high tree.
(9) Write anapreciation of the poem.
(2) Write an appreciation of the poem.
Ans. The poem 'Cherry Tree' is about the poet Ruskin Bond'sexcitement over a cherry tree whose seedhe planted
eight years ago and the steady growth of the plant to a big tree, bearing tender cherries. The existence
the tree is so important for the poet that he has not thought of any other title but the simple 'Cherry Tree'of
to make the tree appear all important.
The poet planted the seed of the cherry just because he wanted to own a plant. The plant grew on its
own without much care from anybody except nature and rain, learnt to fight against all odds and was finally
successful in bearing tender berries. The poet, after spending a season in Kashmir, came back to get the
surprise of a six feet high cherry tree at his door. He felt so attached to the tree that he started spending
long hours, from dawn to dusk, in the company of his cherry tree, watching the flora and fauna around it
and taking pride for being responsible for the existence of the tree.
The poet used simple language to narrate the birth and growth of his cherry tree. The process is known
to all but the narration made it an interesting story. The figures of speech used are all common ones and
easy to understand. The beauty of the nature can be enjoyed and appreciated by one and all because of the
informal language.
The poet has stuck to the topic of the cherry tree right from the beginning to the end of the poem. Ruskin
Bond basically writes for thechildren and he has not done anything where achild's attention can be diverted
from the cherry tre. The child can easily identify with the feelings and joys of the poem and this gives the
poem its exclusivity.
But the poem also has a food for thought, a deeper meaning of struggle for survival, qualities needed to
ight back and be awinner, dedication, growth and pride. The cherry's fight starts at avery young age when
it appears dificult because of it small size. But, as it grows up it learns, through experience, to be stronger.
The similar situation happens in human life also. The learning process continues at every young stage of
life and makes a person capable of handling the adversitiesas tactfully as possible. The poet is proud that
he has planted the cherry seed which now gives him somuch of satisfaction as the parents of an individual
feels seeing the success of their child.
English Yuvakbharati -XI 67

Itgives me immense pleasure to read and understand the beauty of the poem. The clarity in the language
and the lucidity of presentation help meenjoy each and every stage of the growth of the cherry tree. I am
able to connect with its struggle and feel related when it wins the race of life.
Write a sumaryof the c ino tho folo