Class 7 :: English Literature :: Palm Tree by Rabindranath Tagore
Palm Tree
by Rabindranath Tagore
The Poem :
"The palm tree stands
On one leg, sees
Past other trees
Into the sky.
He wants to pierce
The clouds so grey
And soar away:
But can he fly?
At length his wish
He starts to spread
Around his head
In big round fronds:
He thinks they're wings,
To let him roam
Away from home,
Breaking all bonds.
The livelong day
The branches quiver,
Sigh and shiver -
He thinks he flies,
In his own mind
Skirting the stars,
Racing afar
Across the skies.
But when the wind
Is still at last
And the leaves hushed,
Back homeward then
He turns his thoughts,
And mother Earth
That gave him birth
He loves again.
Summary of the Poem :
Trees grow towards the sky, they spread their branches and yet they are rooted in one place. The palm tree stands on its one leg among many other trees into the sky. He wants to soar away piercing the grey clouds. He wishes to fly spreading his round leaves as his wings.
He wants to leave his home and roam around the sky breaking all his bonds. As his leaves shake strongly, he things he flies. In his mind he thinks that he is challenging a race to the stars across the sky. Then the wind stops and his leaves hushed. This ceases his imagination of flying in the sky. He starts thinking about the mother earth who has given him birth and shelter.
Making Connections
1. The poem vividly describes the movement of a tree in the wind. Complete this sequence chart to trace the movement.
= "The tree raises itself over other trees."
"He wants to soar away piercing the grey clouds."
"He wishes to fly spreading his round leaves as his wings."
"He wants to leave his home and roam around the sky breaking all his bonds."
2. Read these lines and answer the questions that follow.
a. "The palm tree stands
On one leg, sees
Past other trees
Into the sky."
i. These lines tell us that the tree is
❐ as tall as other trees in the area. [ ]
❐ taller than other trees. [✓]
❐ growing on top of a hill with other trees. [ ]
ii. What does 'one leg' signify? What is the poetic device used here?
= 'One leg' signifies the stem of the palm tree.
The poetic device used here is personification. The palm tree has been compared to an animal or living object who has a leg.
iii. What is the action that the poet imagines the tree doing?
= The action that the poet imagines the tree doing is that the tree is standing high up passing the other trees.
b. "At length his wish
He starts to spread
Around his head
In big round fronds:"
i. What, according to the poet, does the tree 'wish'?
= According to the poet, the tree 'wishes' to soar away piercing the grey clouds.
ii. In the poet's imagination, what does the tree think about its fronds?
= In the poet's imagination, the tree thinks its fronds as its wings.
iii. What does the poet compare the palm tree to? How apt or suitable is this comparison?
= The poet compares to a bird or some animal which has wings and that can fly.
The comparison is very apt and suitable as the tree wishes to fly across the sky like the birds do spreading their wings.
c. "But when the wind
Is still at last
And the leaves hushed.
Back homeward then
He turns his thoughts."
i. Where do the thoughts of the tree turns?
= The thoughts of the tree turns to mother Earth that gave him birth.
ii. What does the poet mean by 'when the wind/Is still'?
= The poet means that the wind stopped blowing by 'when the wind/Is still.'
iii. Where was the mind of the tree before this?
= Before this, the mind of the tree was in the sky challenging a race to the stars.
3. What is the poem about? In two or three lines, summarize the subject of the poem.
= Trees grow towards the sky. They spread their branches and yet they are rooted in one place. They are reared up and nurtured by the mother Earth. They can not deny the significance of the mother Earth how much big or long they grow up. They are bound by the safety, security, shelter and love of the mother Earth.
4. What is the mood or atmosphere of the poem? Does it sound happy, sad, defiant, thoughtful, triumphant or unemotional?
= In the first stanza, the tree is in a joyous mood. It is happy and have encouragement to pass all the other trees. It is determined to soar away piercing the grey clouds. He wishes to fly spreading his round leaves as his wings.
In the second stanza, the tree has triumphant mood to leave his home and roam around the sky breaking all his bonds.
In the third stanza, the tree is having the most extreme mood of playfulness challenging a race to the stars across the sky.
In the last stanza has its emotional and thoughtful mood. The wind stops and his leaves hushed. This ceases his imagination of flying in the sky. He starts thinking about the mother earth who has given him birth and shelter.
5. Does the poet offer us a message through this poem? If so, what is it?
= Yes, the poet offers us a message through this poem. He reminds us of our root. We are the children of mother Earth. We are reared and nurtured in the love of our country and our motherland. We should never forget about our native place how much big or famous we become in the future.
About the poet :
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), revered as Gurudev, was born in Kolkata, India. He started writing poetry from early childhood. Tagore was not only a writer, but also a philosopher, musician, painter and educationist. He founded the Visva-Bharati University at Shantiniketan in West Bengal. In 1913, Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.