If I was a tree
1. The bird wouldn't ask the tree ______ before building its nest.
2. _______ wouldn't feel defiled when sunlight embraces the tree.
3. ________feels that his shadow wouldn't be defiled if he were to be a tree.
4. The speaker views his friendship with the ________ and _______ as sweet.
5. _______ would not turn back, taking the speaker for a dog-eater if he was a
tree.
6. According to the speaker, Mother Earth would not flee shouting for a bath
when _______.
7. The sacred cow scrapes her body on the bark when _______.
8. _______ gods take shelter inside the cow, according to the speaker.
9. One of the uses of the tree, according to the speaker, is _______.
10. Pieces of wood obtained by hacking the tree become _______.
11. In the end, the tree wishes to become a bier for a _________.
12. The tree is made pure, according to the speaker, when _______.
13. The poem If I Was a Tree highlights the theme of _______.
14. The sacred cow symbolizes _______ in the poem.
15. The poet critiques _______ through the metaphor of the tree.
16. The poem suggests that trees are free from ______, unlike human society.
2 markers:
1. What would not the bird ask a tree? What would it build?
Ans: The bird would not ask the tree its caste. It would build its nest on its branches.
2. Whose friendship with the cool breeze would be sweet, in ‘If I was a tree’?
Ans: The speaker’s friendship with the cool breeze would be sweet if he were a tree.
3. Who are sheltered inside the sacred cow, and how would they touch the tree?
Ans: Thirty-three crore gods are sheltered in the sacred cow, and they would touch the tree
when the cow rubs against it.
4. Who would not flee shouting for a bath and when?
Ans: Mother Earth would not flee shouting for a bath if the speaker were a tree.
5. How might the pieces of dry wood be made pure?
Ans: Pieces of dry wood would be made pure when used in sacrificial fires.
6. When is the tree made pure, according to the speaker in the poem, ‘If I was a
tree’?
Ans: The tree is made pure when used in holy rituals or as a bier for a sinless body.
7. What becomes a bier for a sinless body in the poem, ‘If I was a Tree’? And who
bear the bier on their shoulders?
Ans: The hacked wood of the tree becomes a bier, and casteist men carry it on their
shoulders.
3 markers:
Intro: The poem If I was a tree, written by Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy, portrays
the perspective of the speaker who wishes to be a tree.
1. Why would mother earth not flee according to the speaker?
Ans:
In the poem If I Was a Tree, the speaker imagines that if he were a tree, even Mother Earth
would not find his touch defiling. As a human being from a marginalized caste, his touch is
considered impure. But as a tree, nature would embrace him without prejudice. Earth would
accept him calmly instead of running away for a bath. This contrast highlights how nature
remains pure and inclusive, whereas human society imposes harsh discriminatory practices
based on birth and caste.
2. How do the life forces-sunlight and the cool breeze, enforce nature's idea of
equality?
Ans: The poem beautifully portrays sunlight and cool breeze as symbols of natural equality.
These life forces do not differentiate between people based on caste or social background.
They embrace the tree without hesitation, showing no concern for ritualistic defilement.
Unlike humans who impose social restrictions, nature is non-discriminatory. The speaker
contrasts this with his own experience as someone from an oppressed community who is
excluded. Thus, sunlight and breeze stand for universal acceptance, reminding us that
nature does not believe in man-made divisions.
4 markers:
Introduction: The poem, If I Was a Tree reflects caste discrimination and the
speaker’s longing for dignity in nature’s equality. Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy’s
poem contrasts human prejudice with nature’s acceptance and freedom.
1. Why does the speaker want to be a tree? Or, why does the speaker believe
he will be happier in the world of nature?
Ans: The speaker wishes to be a tree because the world of nature is free from social
discrimination. As a human, he faces caste-based humiliation and is treated as
impure. But in nature, the bird would not ask his caste, the breeze would embrace
him, and sunlight would warm him. Even the sacred cow and Mother Earth would
touch him without hesitation. Ironically, if he were cut down, his wood would be used
in religious rituals. The speaker feels that as a tree, he would be treated with more
dignity than he is as a man. Nature’s acceptance offers him peace and equality that
society denies.
2. The poem is a satire on social discrimination. Discuss.
Ans: Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy’s poem is a powerful satire on caste discrimination.
The speaker, who belongs to a marginalized community, imagines himself as a tree
to escape societal exclusion. He highlights the irony that while his human touch is
seen as defiling, as a tree, he would be embraced by sacred elements of religion and
nature. The poem mocks the blind belief in purity and pollution. It exposes how
society upholds discrimination even while using the same “impure” materials in holy
rituals. Through irony and contrast, the poet questions the legitimacy of social
hierarchies and calls for a more humane, inclusive world.
3. Analyse the concepts of defilement and purification, as illustrated in “If I was a
tree”.
Ans: The poem sharply critiques the concepts of defilement and purification through
the metaphor of a tree. As a human, the speaker is considered untouchable—his
body, shadow, and presence are believed to defile others. However, as a tree, he
would not be defiled. Birds, animals, even the sacred cow would interact with him.
His wood would be used in holy rituals, fire sacrifices, or as a bier for a sinless body.
This contradiction reveals the absurdity of societal ideas of purity, which are rooted in
caste. The poem argues that nature does not defile—it is society that constructs
these false divisions.
