{"id":866954,"date":"2025-08-25T18:23:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/?p=866954"},"modified":"2025-08-25T18:23:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:53:17","slug":"ncert-notes-class-11-english-woven-words-poem-10-felling-of-the-banyan-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/school-education\/ncert-notes-class-11-english-woven-words-poem-10-felling-of-the-banyan-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"NCERT Notes Class 11 English Woven Words Poem 10: Felling of the Banyan Tree (Free PDF)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The poem Felling of the Banyan Tree by Dilip Chitre is the tenth poem in the Poetry section of the NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words textbook. This poem narrates the destruction of a majestic banyan tree and the surrounding trees, reflecting on themes of loss, change, and the conflict between humans\u2019 actions and nature. Chitre explores the emotional and cultural impact of uprooting a symbol of permanence. This blog provides easy-to-understand NCERT Class 11 English notes with explanations, meanings, and analysis to help students understand the poem\u2019s themes. You can also download the free PDF for quick revision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Explore Notes of Class 11 English Woven Words<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poem 1<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Poem 2<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Poem 3<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Poem 4<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Download PDF of NCERT Notes Class 11 English Woven Words Poem 10: Felling of the Banyan Tree<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Important Word Meanings in Felling of the Banyan Tree by Dilip Chitre<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the poem Felling of the Banyan Tree, specific words and phrases convey the emotional weight of destruction, the sanctity of nature, and the speaker\u2019s reflective tone. Understanding these terms clarifies the poem\u2019s message and imagery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Word \/ Phrase<\/strong><\/td>Meaning<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Tenants<\/td>People renting or living in the houses surrounding the speaker\u2019s home<\/td><\/tr>
Demolished<\/td>Completely destroyed or torn down, referring to the houses<\/td><\/tr>
Sacred<\/td>Holy or revered, reflecting the grandmother\u2019s view of trees<\/td><\/tr>
Felling<\/td>Cutting down or destroying trees<\/td><\/tr>
Massacred<\/td>Brutally killed or destroyed, emphasising the violence against the trees<\/td><\/tr>
Sheoga<\/td>A type of tree, likely native to India, is cut down in the poem<\/td><\/tr>
Oudumber<\/td>Another type of tree, possibly a fig variety, was also felled<\/td><\/tr>
Neem<\/td>A medicinal tree common in India, known for its cultural significance<\/td><\/tr>
Scraggy<\/td>Rough or jagged, describing the banyan tree\u2019s aerial roots<\/td><\/tr>
Aerial roots<\/td>Roots hanging from the banyan tree\u2019s branches, seeking the ground<\/td><\/tr>
Circumference<\/td>The measurement around the banyan tree\u2019s massive trunk<\/td><\/tr>
Chopped<\/td>Cut repeatedly with axes, depicting the tree\u2019s destruction<\/td><\/tr>
Rings of two hundred years<\/td>Growth rings in the tree\u2019s trunk indicate its age<\/td><\/tr>
Slaughter<\/td>Brutal killing, used metaphorically for the tree\u2019s felling<\/td><\/tr>
Raw mythology<\/td>The tree\u2019s age and grandeur, revealed like a primal, legendary tale<\/td><\/tr>
Baroda<\/td>A city in Gujarat, the poem\u2019s setting, before the move to Bombay<\/td><\/tr>
Bombay<\/td>Mumbai, the urban destination with fewer trees<\/td><\/tr>
Seethes<\/td>Simmers or churns, describing the tree\u2019s lingering presence in dreams<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Line-by-Line Explanation of NCERT English Woven Words Poem 10: Felling of the Banyan Tree<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here is a line-by-line analysis of the poem Felling of the Banyan Tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 1\u20132:<\/strong>
<\/strong>My father told the tenants to leave <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who lived on the houses surrounding our house on the hill<\/strong>
<\/strong>The speaker describes their father ordering tenants to vacate houses around their hilltop home, setting the stage for a significant change, likely driven by the father\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 3\u20134:<\/strong>
<\/strong>One by one the structures were demolished <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only our own house remained and the trees<\/strong>
The houses are systematically destroyed, leaving only the speaker\u2019s house and the surrounding trees, emphasising the isolation of their home and the prominence of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 5\u20136:<\/strong>
<\/strong>Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Felling them is a crime but he massacred them all<\/strong>
The grandmother\u2019s belief in the sanctity of trees contrasts with the father\u2019s ruthless decision to cut them down, described as a \u201cmassacre,\u201d highlighting the violence of the act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 7\u20138:<\/strong>
<\/strong>The sheoga, the oudumber, the neem were all cut down <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the huge banyan tree stood like a problem<\/strong>
<\/strong>Specific trees, sheoga, oudumber, and neem, are felled, but the massive banyan tree remains, its size and deep roots posing a challenge to the father\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 9\u201310:<\/strong>
<\/strong>Whose roots lay deeper than all our lives <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My father ordered it to be removed<\/strong>
<\/strong>The banyan\u2019s roots, symbolising deep cultural and natural significance, are described as outlasting human lives, yet the father commands its removal, showing his disregard for its value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 11\u201313:<\/strong>
<\/strong>The banyan tree was three times as tall as our house <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its trunk had a circumference of fifty feet <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its scraggy aerial roots fell to the ground<\/strong>
<\/strong>The banyan\u2019s immense size is detailed, emphasising its grandeur and dominance, with aerial roots hanging down, adding to its mythical presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 14\u201315:<\/strong>
<\/strong>From thirty feet or more so first they cut the branches <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sawing them off for seven days and the heap was huge<\/strong>
<\/strong>The felling process begins with the branches, a laborious task taking seven days, resulting in a massive pile, underscoring the tree\u2019s enormity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 16\u201317:<\/strong>
<\/strong>Insects and birds began to leave the tree <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then they came to its massive trunk<\/strong>
<\/strong>As the tree is dismantled, its ecosystem of insects and birds flees, and the workers move to the trunk, marking the final stage of destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 18\u201319:<\/strong>
<\/strong>Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great tree revealed its rings of two hundred years<\/strong>
<\/strong>Fifty men laboriously chop the trunk, revealing growth rings that mark the tree\u2019s 200-year history, symbolising its enduring legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 20\u201321:<\/strong>
<\/strong>We watched in terror and fascination this slaughter <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a raw mythology revealed to us its age<\/strong>
<\/strong>The speaker and others observe the felling with a mix of fear and awe, describing it as a \u201cslaughter\u201d and likening the tree\u2019s age to a mythological revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 22\u201323:<\/strong>
<\/strong>Soon afterwards we left Baroda for Bombay <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where there are no trees except the one<\/strong>
The family relocates from Baroda to urban Bombay, where trees are scarce, contrasting the rural, tree-filled setting of their former home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines 24\u201325:<\/strong>
<\/strong>Which grows and seethes in one\u2019s dreams, its aerial roots <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for the ground to strike<\/strong>
<\/strong>The banyan tree lingers in the speaker\u2019s dreams, its aerial roots seeking the ground, symbolising its enduring presence and the unresolved impact of its loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also Read: <\/strong>NCERT Notes Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 7: Glory at Twilight (Free PDF)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis of the NCERT English Woven Words Poem 10: Felling of the Banyan Tree<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The poem Felling of the Banyan Tree by Dilip Chitre is a reflective narrative that captures the emotional and cultural impact of destroying a revered banyan tree. Through vivid imagery and a contemplative tone, Chitre explores the tension between human actions and nature\u2019s sanctity, the loss of heritage, and the lingering memory of destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theme \u2013 Loss, Change, and Conflict with Nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The central theme is the loss of natural and cultural heritage through the destruction of the banyan tree, a symbol of permanence and sanctity. The poem also explores the conflict between tradition (the grandmother\u2019s reverence for trees) and modernisation (the father\u2019s decision to clear the land), as well as the emotional aftermath of displacement from Baroda to Bombay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symbolism and Meaning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here, we have mentioned the symbolism used in this poem, along with the meaning behind that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symbol<\/strong><\/td>Meaning<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Banyan Tree<\/td>Represents cultural heritage, permanence, and nature\u2019s sanctity, with roots \u201cdeeper than all our lives.\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
Aerial Roots<\/td>Symbolise the tree\u2019s reach for continuity and connection to the earth, persisting even in dreams.<\/td><\/tr>
Rings of Two Hundred Years<\/td>Indicate the tree\u2019s ancient history, akin to a \u201craw mythology\u201d of enduring significance.<\/td><\/tr>
Baroda to Bombay<\/td>The shift from rural, nature-rich Baroda to urban, tree-less Bombay reflects a loss of connection to nature.<\/td><\/tr>
Massacre\/Slaughter<\/td>Violent imagery for the feeling, emphasising the brutality and moral wrongness of the act.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Human Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The poem captures the universal experience of witnessing the destruction of something sacred, whether nature, tradition, or heritage. It reflects the pain of losing a connection to one\u2019s roots, the conflict between progress and preservation, and the haunting memory of loss, as the banyan tree persists in the speaker\u2019s dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tone and Mood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The tone and mood of the poem have been given as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n