VAC
Name of college : Maharani shree nandkumarba mahila arts and commerce college
Name : Kantariya Riyansi Kishorbhai
Year : F.Y B.A
Semester : 2nd
Subject : English
Paper name : VAC
Date : 3rd March 2026
Professor : Rachna ma'am
Home Assignment
Poem: “Felling of the Banyan Tree” – Dilip Chitre
☘️ Introduction
“Felling of the Banyan Tree” is a thoughtful poem by Dilip Chitre. In this poem, the poet recalls a childhood memory of cutting down a huge banyan tree near his house. Through this incident, he presents ideas about tradition, modern thinking, and the emotional bond between humans and nature.
🌳 Summary 🌳
In the beginning, the poet tells us that his father asked the tenants living around their house to leave. The surrounding houses and trees were demolished one by one. The poet’s grandmother believed that trees were sacred and cutting them was a sin. However, his father did not agree and decided to remove the trees.
Many trees like neem and sheoga were cut down. But a large banyan tree still remained. It was three times taller than their house and had very deep roots. The tree was around two hundred years old.
First, the workers cut its branches for seven days. Birds and insects began to leave because their home was being destroyed. Finally, fifty men chopped the thick trunk with axes. When the tree fell, its rings showed its great age.
Later, the poet and his family moved from Baroda to Bombay. In the city, there were hardly any trees. However, in his dreams, the banyan tree continued to grow, showing that it still lived in his memory.
🌿 Analysis 🌿
The poem shows a conflict between tradition and modern development. The grandmother represents respect for nature and traditional beliefs. The father represents practical and modern thinking. This difference shows a generation gap.
The banyan tree is a symbol of culture, history, and strong roots. Cutting the tree represents the loss of tradition and natural beauty in the name of progress.
The poem also gives an environmental message. When the tree is cut, birds and insects lose their shelter. This shows that destroying nature affects many living beings.
Even though the tree is physically destroyed, it survives in the poet’s dreams. This suggests that memories and emotional connections cannot be removed easily.
☘️ Conclusion
In conclusion, the poem highlights the importance of nature and tradition. The banyan tree stands as a symbol of deep roots and emotional attachment. Though it is cut down, it continues to live in the poet’s heart and dreams.
Class Assignment
Poem: “London” – William Blake
☘️ About the Poet
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and visionary of the Romantic Age. He wrote about social injustice, poverty, and the suffering of common people. Blake strongly criticized the government, church, and society for exploiting the poor. His poems often highlight the loss of innocence and the harsh realities of life. “London” is one of his most powerful poems that reflects his concern for society.
🌿 Themes of the Poem
1. Oppression and Loss of Freedom
In the poem, Blake shows how people in London are not truly free. The word “chartered” suggests that even the streets and the river Thames are controlled and owned. This shows that everything is restricted. People are mentally and socially trapped. The phrase “mind-forged manacles” means that people are imprisoned by their own thoughts, fear, and social systems. This highlights oppression and lack of freedom in society.
2. Universal Suffering
Blake uses repetition like “in every cry” and “in every voice” to show that suffering is everywhere. He sees sadness and weakness on every face he meets. The pain is not limited to one person or group; it is universal. Even children cry in fear. This shows that suffering has spread throughout the entire city.
3. Political and Social Critique
The poem strongly criticizes institutions like the church and the monarchy. The “chimney-sweeper’s cry” shows child labor and exploitation. The “blackening church” suggests corruption and moral darkness in religion. The “hapless soldier’s sigh” running in blood down palace walls criticizes the government and rulers. Blake suggests that powerful institutions are responsible for the misery of common people.
4. Innocence Lost
Blake also shows how innocence is destroyed in society. The “infant’s cry of fear” shows that even children are not safe from suffering. The “youthful harlot” represents young girls forced into immoral life because of poverty. The image of the “marriage hearse” connects marriage with death, suggesting that love and purity are ruined. This shows how innocence and purity are lost in a corrupt society.
Poem: “On Killing a Tree” – Gieve Patel
☘️ About the Poet
Gieve Patel was an Indian poet, playwright, and doctor. His poems often focus on human life, nature, and social realities. He writes in a simple but powerful style. In “On Killing a Tree,” he presents a deep message about the strength of nature and the cruelty of human actions.
🌿 Themes of the Poem
1. Human Violence Against Nature
The poem shows how humans try to destroy nature. The poet explains that simply cutting a tree is not enough to kill it. Humans must pull it out completely from the roots. This shows how cruel and violent human behavior can be toward nature.
2. Resilience and Power of Nature
The tree represents strength and survival. Even if its branches are cut, it continues to grow again. Its roots remain alive in the soil and send out new shoots. This shows the powerful resilience of nature. Nature does not give up easily.
3. Interconnectedness of Life
The poet describes how the tree grows slowly by absorbing sunlight, water, and nutrients from the earth. This shows that the tree is deeply connected with nature. Life depends on many elements working together. Destroying a tree means breaking this natural connection.
4. The Importance of Roots (Foundation of Life)
The roots are described as the most important part of the tree. They are hidden under the earth and hold the tree firmly. To kill a tree completely, its roots must be removed. The roots symbolize foundation, strength, and life itself.
5. Irony of Human Behavior
There is irony in the poem because humans think cutting the trunk will kill the tree, but it does not. The tree keeps growing again. The poet indirectly criticizes humans for their foolishness and destructive behavior toward nature.
Eassy
✧ ECOCRITICISM: A Study of Literature and Environment
🌿 Introduction to Ecocriticism
Ecocriticism is a modern literary theory that studies the relationship between literature and the physical environment. It examines how nature, environmental issues, and the connection between human beings and the natural world are represented in literary works. In today’s world, where environmental problems such as global warming, pollution, and deforestation are increasing, ecocriticism has become very important.
Modern science and technology have created comfort for humans, but they have also created dangers for the earth. The gap between man and nature is growing rapidly. Therefore, ecocriticism tries to bring balance between culture and nature by analyzing literature from an ecological point of view.
"Literature and Environment share a deep connection"
☘️ Definition of Ecocriticism
Ecocriticism is the study of literature and the environment from an interdisciplinary perspective. It focuses on how literature expresses environmental concerns and how it represents the relationship between humans and nature.
Eco-critics examine to what extent literature discusses ecological issues and encourages people to protect nature. It is also known as Green Studies, eco-poetics, or environmental literary criticism.
☘️ Origin and Development
The term “Ecocriticism” was first used by William Rueckert in 1978 in his essay Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism. However, the idea of connecting literature and ecology was earlier suggested by Joseph Meeker in 1972 in his book The Comedy of Survival.
Ecocriticism became popular in the USA during the 1980s. Cheryll Glotfelty and Harold Fromm edited The Ecocriticism Reader in 1996, which officially established ecocriticism as a literary movement. In England, it is often called “Green Studies.”
The roots of ecocriticism can also be found in the 19th-century American transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Emerson’s Nature and Thoreau’s Walden celebrated wilderness and encouraged a return to nature.
☘️ Major Followers of Ecocriticism
Some important thinkers and scholars of ecocriticism are:
1. Jonathan Bate (father of ecocriticism in England)
2. Cheryll Glotfelty (father of ecocriticism in the USA)
3. Laurence Coupe
4. Patrick D. Murphy
5. Raymond Williams
These scholars helped in developing ecocriticism as a serious academic discipline.
☘️ What Do Ecocritics Do?
Ecocritics examine literary works from an ecological point of view. They:
1. Study how nature is represented in literature.
2. Analyze the relationship between human civilization and the natural world.
3. Examine environmental issues such as pollution, war, deforestation, and global warming.
4. Study how literature shows the importance of natural resources and ecological balance.
They believe that nature is not only socially constructed but also has its own independent existence and power.
☘️ Examples of Ecocriticism
Ecocriticism can be applied to many literary works. For example:
Wordsworth’s Daffodils highlights the beauty and spiritual value of nature.
Alexander Pope’s Ode on Solitude talks about the peace found in nature away from industrial life.
Thoreau’s Walden promotes simple living close to nature.
These works show how literature encourages love, respect, and protection of nature.
"Nature as a source of peace and inspiration"
🌿 Conclusion
"The need to restore ecological balance"
Ecocriticism is an important and relevant theory in the 21st century. It reminds us that literature is not separate from life and environment. Through literary works, we understand the beauty of nature as well as the dangers caused by human activities.
In a time when environmental crisis is increasing, ecocriticism teaches us to rethink our relationship with nature and to restore ecological balance. It encourages readers to become more responsible and environmentally conscious citizens.