ALL SHORT QUESTIONS ON OUR CASUARINA TREE BY TORU DUTT.

OUR CASUARINA TREE

BY 

TORU DUTT

1. How does a creeper wind the casuarina tree? 

Answer: A creeper winds the casuarina tree round and round like a python making deep wounds up to its summit. 

2. How does the huge casuarina tree wear the creeper? 

Answer:  The casuarina tree wears the creeper like a scarf with no fear of dying. 

3. How were the flowers of the casuarina tree? What does the flower attract? 

Answer:  The flowers were crimson red in colour and were hanging in cluster among the boughs. 

             Those flowers attract the bee and bird all day. 

4. What fills/ overflows the garden? 

Answer: The sweet song of bird sung on the branches of the casuarina tree fills. Overflows the garden as if that song has no end. 

5. When does the song of bird fill the garden with music? 

Answer:  Often at night, when all men repose, the bird fills the garden with music. 

6. What does the poetess observe through her casement in the early morning? 

Answer:  Through her casement in the early morning, the poetess observes a grey baboon sits alone on the summit of the casuarina tree to see the sunrise and its little offspring play and leap on the lower branches. 

7. Where does the baboon sit and how? 

Answer:  A grey baboon sits alone like a statue on the summit of the casuarina tree to see the sunrise. 

8. Which bird is mentioned in the poem Our Casuarina Tree? Who welcomes the day? 

Answer:  Kokilas are mentioned in the poem Our Casuarina Tree. Those kokilas welcome the arrival of the new day. 

9. Who goes to the pasture land at dawn? 

Answer:  Poetess’ sleepy cows goes to pasture land at dawn. 

10. Where does the water-lilies spring? 

Answer:  The water-lilies spring in the pond like snow enmassed. 

11. “But not because of its magnificence 

Dear is the casuarina to my soul”—Why is the casuarina tree dear to the poetess? 

Answer:  According to the poetess Toru Dutt, the casuarina tree, situated in the courtyard of their house is not dear to her for its huge size; but it is dear to her because it carries her childhood memories and the memories of her childhood companions with whom she played under this tree. 

12. “For your sakes, shall the tree be ever dear”—For whom shall the tree be ever dear to the poetess? 

Answer: For the dear companions with whom she played under this tree in her childhood, the trees shall be ever dear to her. 

13. “………………it shall arise 

In memory…………………”—What arises in the memory of the poetess? 

Answer:The memories of poetess’ childhood companions arise in the memory of Toru Dutt. 

14. “Till hot tears blind my eyes”—Why does hot tear come in the eye of poetess? 

Answer: At the old stage of lifetime, the poetess reminiscences her childhood memory with her brothers and companions and now those companions are not alive. Those golden memories fill her eyes full of tears. 

15. When could the poetess hear the tree’s lament? How was that lament? 

Answer:  When the poetess was in the distant land of France or Italy, she could here the laments of the casuarina tree. 

              That laments were like sea-breaking on the shingle-beach and dirge-like murmur. 

16. “And every time the music rose-before 

Mine inner vision………………………”—  Which music is referred to here? What does the music remind the poetess? 

Answer:  Here the music refers to the lament of casuarina tree that the poet can hear even when she is in the distant land in Italy or France. 

          That music of tree reminds the poet her happy childhood spent playing with her dear companions under that tree. 

17. “Therefore, I fain would consecrate a lay 

Unto thy honour……………………” —Whom does the poetess offer honour and why? 

Answer: The poetess offers honour to the casuarina tree under whose branches they played in their childhood. 

               According to the poet, that casuarina tree makes the memory of her childhood and childhood companions alive in her mind when she is in her old stage. So she wishes to honour the tree with a lay. 

18. “Who now in blessed sleep for aye repose, 

Dearer that life to me, alas, were they!”—Explain. 

Answer:  Here the persons in eternal sleep i.e. death are the childhood companions of Toru Dutt with whom she spent a lot of time playing under casuarina tree. Those companions were very dearer to the poetess, even than her own life but they are now dead. 

19. How does the poetess try to immortalise the casuarina tree? / “May love defend thee from oblivion’s curse”—Explain. / “Mayst thou be numbered when my days are done”—Explain. 

Answer:  The poetess included the beauty and love for the casuarina tree in his poem. She knows that though men are mortal but art is immortal and her poem will be immortal though ages. Thus, she tries to immortalize the tree.