NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words: Chapter 18 — Woven Words
This chapter from NCERT's Woven Words for Class 11, titled "Felling of the Banyan Tree" by Dilip Chitre, recounts the traumatic experience of cutting down a massive banyan tree. The poet's father orders the demolition of surrounding tenant houses and then the felling of sacred trees, including a giant banyan. The poem vividly describes the seven-day process of cutting branches and the subsequent chopping of the trunk by fifty men, revealing the tree's two hundred years of growth. The poet contrasts the sacredness of trees, as taught by his grandmother, with his father's destructive actions. The chapter highlights the deep-rooted nature of the tree and its symbolic significance, suggesting that such destruction leaves a lasting, haunting impact, even in a new city where only the memory of the tree 'grows and seethes in one's dreams'. This poem serves as a powerful commentary on environmental destruction and its psychological effects, resonating with contemporary concerns about deforestation.
Quick info
| Board | CBSE / NCERT |
|---|---|
| Class | Class 11 |
| Subject | English |
| Book | Woven Words |
| Chapter | Chapter 18 — Woven Words |
| Language | English |
| PDF type | NCERT Textbook |
| Session | CBSE 2026 |
| Reading time | 3 minutes |
| Word count | 430 |
Learning outcomes
- Analyze the poet's critical tone towards the felling of the banyan tree.
- Understand the characterization of the poet's father through his actions.
- Interpret the symbolic meaning of the banyan tree and its deep roots.
- Discuss the poem's commentary on environmental concerns and human behavior.
- Appreciate the use of imagery and language in conveying the poem's themes.
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| demolished | pulled or knocked down or destroyed |
| sacred | connected with God or a god or dedicated to a religious purpose and so worthy of honour |
| massacred | killed on a large scale |
| circumference | the enclosing boundary of a curved geometric figure, especially a circle |
| scraggy | thin and bony; gaunt |
| aerial roots | roots that grow from the stem or branches of a plant, typically hanging in the air |
| seethes | simmers or bubbles as if boiling; is in a state of extreme anger |
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Practice questions
- What did the poet's father order to be removed after the tenant houses? Answer: The huge banyan tree.
- According to the grandmother, what is the significance of trees? Answer: Trees are sacred and felling them is a crime.
- How long did it take to cut the branches of the banyan tree? Answer: Seven days.
- What detail about the banyan tree reveals its age? Answer: Its rings, which showed two hundred years of growth.
- Where did the poet's family move after leaving Baroda? Answer: Bombay.
Practice MCQs
Q1. What was the circumference of the banyan tree's trunk?
Explanation: The poem states, 'Its trunk had a circumference of fifty feet.'
Q2. How many men were involved in chopping the massive trunk of the banyan tree?
Explanation: The text mentions, 'Fifty men with axes chopped and chopped.'
Q3. Which trees, besides the banyan, were cut down?
Explanation: The poem lists 'the sheoga, the oudumber, the neem' as trees that were cut down.
Q4. What does the poet's grandmother say about felling trees?
Explanation: The grandmother's words are quoted as, 'Trees are sacred my grandmother used to say Felling them is a crime.'
Q5. In Bombay, what kind of tree is mentioned as existing in one's dreams?
Explanation: The poem contrasts the lack of trees in Bombay with 'the one which grows and seethes in one's dreams, its aerial roots Looking for the ground to strike.'
Frequently asked questions
Who is the poet of 'Felling of the Banyan Tree'?
The poet of 'Felling of the Banyan Tree' is Dilip Chitre.
What is the central theme of the poem?
The central theme is the destruction of nature, specifically the felling of a large banyan tree, and its psychological impact.
What does the banyan tree symbolize in the poem?
The banyan tree symbolizes nature's resilience, deep-rootedness, and sacredness, contrasting with human destructiveness.
What critical tone does the poet adopt towards his father's actions?
The poet adopts a critical tone, viewing the felling of the tree as a 'slaughter' and a 'crime', despite his father's orders.
How does the poem connect to contemporary environmental concerns?
The poem echoes contemporary concerns about deforestation and the loss of natural heritage due to human development and actions.
What is the significance of the phrase 'grows and seethes in one's dreams'?
This phrase suggests that the memory and impact of the destroyed tree linger, haunting the subconscious and continuing to exist in a powerful, almost aggressive, form in dreams.
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NCERT Class 11 English — Woven Words — Chapter 18 — Woven Words. Verified by NCERT Help Editorial Team. Reviewed on 29 Jul 2026. Last updated 10 Aug 2026.