Unit 12 They have cut down the pines Mary Lisle

Unit 12 They have cut down the pines Mary Lisle

A. Answer the following questions.
Q1: Why were the pines cut down?
Ans: The pines were cut down to make a fence by the creek.

Q2: Besides the poet, who will badly miss the company of the pines?
Ans: Besides the poet, the wind and the rain will badly miss the company of the pines.

Q3: Pick out the lines having personification?
Ans: In the first stanza, the poet has personified the sun that plays hide and seek with the shadows.

Q4: How has the cutting down of the trees affected nature?
Ans: The cutting down of the trees badly affected nature. Beauty and charm of the pines have now ended. Trunks are lying naked and yellow. Forest gives a deserted look and birds are restless.

Q5: What picture of the rain do the words “its silver blind is down” give you?
Ans: It gives us a picture of the rain when it's raining heavily and continuously.

Q6: The poet mourns the cutting down of pines in a way as if she has lost her near and dear mate; why?
Ans:  The poet mourns the cutting down of pines trees because she considered all pines trees as her near and dear friends.

Q7: What is the mood of the poem and what effect does it has on you?
Ans: The mood of the poem is gloomy and sad. It makes us feel sad and disturb us as we know that pine trees have been ruthlessly cut. We are unhappy to know that twinges and nuts are lying scattered on the ground. We see the naked trunks and the restless birds with an aching heart.

Q8: What is the central idea of the poem?
Ans: The central idea of the poem is to show the importance of trees for our health and national development. According to the poet, the trees should be preserved because they are vital for life on this planet.

Q9: What are the effects of the deforestation on the environment?
Ans: Deforestation has bad effects on the environment. It destroys the animal’s habitats. It leads to pollution and soil erosion causing harm to our agriculture.

Choose the correct options.
1. (c) Personification 2. (a) Trampled 3. (c) Personification
4. (a) Metaphor 5. (a) Sorrowful