The Heart of the Tree
What does he plant who plants a tree? He plants a friend of sun and sky; He plants the flag of breezes free; The shaft of beauty, towering high; He plants a home to heaven anigh; For song and mother-croon of bird In hushed and happy twilight heard— The treble of heaven's harmony— These things he plants who plants a tree. What does he plant who plants a tree? He plants cool shade and tender rain, And seed and bud of days to be, And years that fade and flush again; He plants the glory of the plain; He plants the forest's heritage; The harvest of a coming age; The joy that unborn eyes shall see— These things he plants who plants a tree. What does he plant who plants a tree? He plants, in sap and leaf and wood, In love of home and loyalty And far-cast thought of civic good— His blessings on the neighborhood, Who in the hollow of His hand Holds all the growth of all our land— A nation's growth from sea to sea Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.
Notes of The Heart of the Tree
Extract I
What does he plant who plants a tree…………to heaven anigh.
11. Who is the poet asking the questions in the first line of the extract? List any two things, according to the extract, that man will do by planting a tree.
The poet poses the question to the readers. One who plants a tree plants a friend of sun and sky. He plants a flag of free breeze which provides soothing, cool breeze.
22. Give the meaning of the following lines:
He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
The tree is portrayed as a friend of sun and sky because the tree depends on the sun to carry out the process of photosynthesis. Similarly, the tree is a friend of the sky because it takes in carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen in the air and thus purifies the air. Also transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains. The tree grows like beautiful tower and it appears that the tree has made a home closer to heaven.
33. In what way are the trees friends of sun and sky? How can a man plant the flag of breezes free?
The tree is depicted as a friend of sun and sky because the poet feels that one day the tree will grow tall and make friendship with the sky and the sun. The tree depends on the sun to carry out the process of photosynthesis. Similarly, the tree is a friend of the sky because it takes in carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen in the air and thus purifies the air. Also transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains. The tree is a flag of free breeze for the leaves just like flags that flutter freely in the breeze flutter and provide soothing, cool breeze to us.
44. What is meant by ‘shaft of beauty’? What is compared to the shaft?
Shaft of beauty means beam of beauty. The tree which grows high with its long narrow stem is compared to the shaft.
55. What is the impact of beginning the poem with a question? What is the figure of speech used here?
The impact of beginning a stanza with a question is done to create curiosity and anxiety in the readers to know more about the poem. The poet has used it purposely and cleverly before every stanza. The figure of speech used is Hypophora or Antipophora it is a technique of raising a question and then immediately providing an answer to that question.
Extract II
For song and mother-croon……..he plants who plants a tree.
1. What is known as mother-croon of bird? Why is the song sung in a hushed voice?
Mother-croon is the soft song that mother bird is singing to her young one. It is sung in a hushed voice because it is sung during twilight when human activities are restricted and an atmosphere of calmness and serenity prevails.
2. What is twilight? Why is it a happy twilight?
Twilight is the faint light at the end of the day after the sun has gone down. It is a happy twilight because the mother-croon sings to her young ones happily, with soft and gentle voice. The bird’s high-pitched tone adds to the pleasant harmony of nature.
3. What is meant by treble, heaven’s harmony? What role does the treble play in heaven’s harmony?
Treble is a high tone in music. Harmony is the way in which different musical notes are played or sung together and combine to make a pleasant sound. The treble produced by the mother-croon sinks into the pleasant harmony of the universe.
4. Give two examples of metonym. How is it used in the poem?
A friend of sun and sky. The poet feels that when we plant a tree we plant a friend of sun and sky i.e., a tree.
Cool shade. The poet opines that when we plant a tree we plant cool shade i.e., a tree.
5. Give four functions which a tree performs on this earth.
A tree functions as a friend of sky and sun. It is the flag of breezes free. When we plant a tree, we make a home near to heaven. We provide a shelter to mother bird and the mother-croon is heard in the twilight from the trees we plant.
Extract III
He plants cool shade and ……..unborn eyes shall see.
11. Enumerate any three benefits of planting trees as suggested by the poet in this extract. What do the plants do to provide cool shade in a place?
The trees will tall and provide shade to the people as well as the trees bless us with tender rains. It will provide crops to the future generations. The plants will grow tall and the human beings and animals will find comfort and solace under the branches of trees when the Sun shines bright.
22. The water evaporates, condenses and falls as rain. What role do the trees play in this process of producing rain?
The transpiration from trees is responsible for cloud formation in the sky before it rains.
33. How do the last two lines of the extract explain the process of regeneration? How does the man plant the forest’s heritage?
After many years the old trees will wither away and the seeds of the trees will grow into new trees and into dense forest. This is symbolic of the process of birth, death and regeneration. In this way, trees will make the plains beautiful. The forest will provide crops to the future generations. Thus the upcoming generations will reap all the benefits of the trees that are being planted now.
44. How do the trees provide for the harvest of the following years?
Trees not only beautify environment, but purify the air and provide us with wood, timber, fruits and medicines. The one who plants a tree, plants the entire forest. This forest is thus the harvest, the future generation can enjoy.
55. What do the expression, unborn eyes indicate? What will they see? Why will they rejoice?
Unborn eyes refers to the future generation. The unborn eyes shall see plants providing cools shade, blessing us with tender rain, regeneration of trees, beautiful plains filled with numerous trees, nature abundant with her numerous gifts like fruits, timber, etc. They will rejoice because the trees will provide them fresh and pure air, numerous gifts like fruits, timber, tender rain, etc. The plants provide us with all essential nutrients for our body. They are main source of medicine and wood.
Extract IV
He plants, in sap and leaf………his heart who plants a tree.
1. The poet says: “ He plants, in sap and leaf and wood.” Which figure of speech is used here? Explain its usage with two other examples from the poem.
Metonymy is the figure of speech used here. It is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is called not by its own name but rather by a metonym, that is, by the name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept. The whole poem runs on a series of metonymic associations of a tree with its qualities. According to the poet, the one who plants a tree, plants ‘cool shade’ ‘tender rain’ ‘a friend of sun and sky’ ‘the forest’s heritage’ ‘sap and leaf and wood’ , etc.
2. What is meant by ‘far-cast thought of civic good’? In what way is the planter’s work a blessing? State for whom it is a blessing.
Far-cast thought of civic good means foreseeing the well-being of the city or its citizens. Planter’s work is a blessing because the human beings can get food from the plant’s sap and leaves. Besides, he can get wood for his use. It is also a blessing for the future generations.
Tree plantation is indeed a blessing on the neighbourhood.
3. Give the meaning of the following:
Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of all our land
The man’s hand holds the future progress of mankind. Our land will become barren without trees. The growth of the universe is possible only by planting trees.
4. In what way a nation’s growth depends on planting trees?
Wood is very important trade product and thus its import and export within countries enriches the economy of a nation. Therefore, the poet indirectly requests all human beings to plant trees for the well-being of society and its citizens.
5. Comment on the appropriateness of the title of the poem The heart of the tree.
The heart of the tree is an appropriate title. The heart is one of the most important organs in the entire human body. The human heart pumps the blood, which carries all the vital materials and nutrients. Only when the heart pumps the blood, it is able to transport oxygen from one part of the body to another. Likewise, a tree has certain qualities , which are as essential as human heart, for survival. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give out life-giving oxygen for us to inhale; trees cause rainfall; trees are essential for the future generation; trees like human heart provide us with ‘sap and leaf and wood’, i.e., all the required minerals, nutrients and material things. The heart here thus signifies the most important quality of the tree. It can be concluded that the title is appropriate as the poem is about trees and their importance
going to explain the usefulness of planting a tree. However, the poet himself answers by stating that the man plants a friend of sun and sky by planting a tree.
A plant grows upwards and aims to reach the sun and the sky. So it is as if the sun and the sky get a new friend in a tree. Secondly, the tree needs sunlight and air to survive. And finally, the trees seem to absorb the heat and save the earth from the scorching sun, giving an implication that the sun becomes friendly in the presence of the trees.
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty towering high;
The speaker now adds that the man plants a flag that flies freely in the mild breeze. The poet here compares the leafy branches of the tree to a flag and the stem to the beautiful shaft (pole) of the flag that stands tall.
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother-croon of bird
By planting a tree the man plants a home for the sweet singing birds high in the sky, near the heaven. So, he keeps the earth habitable for birds and helps in maintaining the eco-system.
In hushed and happy twilight heard—
The treble of heaven’s harmony—
These things he plants who plants a tree.
In quiet and happy twilight we can hear those birds chirping which is harmonious to heaven’s own tunes.
In the entire first stanza of The Heart of the Tree, the poet accentuates the importance of trees in maintaining the holistic beauty of nature. Moreover, the use of words like ‘heaven anigh’, ‘heaven’s harmony’ and ‘towering high’ is aimed at giving an impression that the work of planting a tree is indeed a heavenly and glorious deed.
The finishing line of the stanza forms a logical whole with the opening line, one asking a question and the other completing the answer.
Second Stanza
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants cool shade and tender rain,
So, the poet repeats the question to begin a new stanza and attempts to answer again in the subsequent lines. The tree he plants provides us with cool shade and helps in bringing rain.
And seed and bud of days to be,
And years that fade and flush again;
A tree will produce seed and bud in future. Years will pass silently but the tree will remain there through its seeds producing new trees.
He plants the glory of the plain;
He plants the forest’s heritage;
Trees are the main elements that make a plain area green and beautiful. So the poet describes trees as ‘the glory of the plain’. Moreover, today’s single tree may turn into a forest someday. So by planting a tree now the man plants a ‘forest’s heritage’.
The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see—
These things he plants who plants a tree.
The speaker mentions that planting a tree today would give fruits in coming days. Our next generations would be delighted seeing so much vegetation and reap its benefits. So all the credit goes to the man who plants a tree.
In this stanza of the poem The Heart of the Tree the poet stresses on the importance of planting a tree for making this earth a better living place for future generations.
Third stanza
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far-cast thought of civic good—
His blessings on the neighbourhood,
By planting a tree the man shows his love and loyalty for this earth (his home), his sense of civic duty and his blessings on the neighbourhood. All these are reflected in the ‘sap and leaf and wood’, in every cell of the tree.
Who in the hollow of His hand
Holds all the growth of all our land—
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.
By planting a tree the man directly or indirectly contributes to the nation’s growth. When a tree is planted, it sets in motion the progress of a nation from sea to sea. And all these start from the progressive thought in the man’s heart who plants a tree.
The capitalization in ‘His’ indicates that the man who plants a tree is all-powerful and the destiny-maker of a nation.
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