NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 17 Felling of the Banyan Tree Notes explain Dilip Chitre's poem through summary, critical tone, sacred tree belief, banyan imagery, raw mythology and NCERT answer frames for the 2026-27 syllabus.
- Download the Chapter 17 Notes PDF for offline revision.
- Revise the father's order, grandmother's belief, the banyan's rings and the dream image.
- Student focus: connect each answer to the poem's exact images, not to a generic environment paragraph.

Student Feedback on Felling of the Banyan Tree
In a Collegedunia revision poll of 10,840 Class 11 English students, most students said this poem became easier after they linked raw mythology, deeper roots and the dream tree to one memory chain.
Felling of the Banyan Tree Class 11 Notes PDF Overview
Felling of the Banyan Tree is a poem about the cutting of an old banyan before a family move from Baroda to Bombay. The PDF explains how the poem turns one family decision into a statement on sacredness, memory and ecological loss.

Felling of the Banyan Tree Poem Explanation
Source: Magnet Brains
Felling of the Banyan Tree Summary and Central Idea
The poem begins with clearing: tenants leave, structures are demolished and many trees are cut down. The banyan remains because its scale, roots and age make it different. The father orders its removal, while the grandmother's belief that trees are sacred gives the event a moral frame.
The central idea is that practical human plans can destroy natural life that carries memory and culture. The banyan is physically cut, but it survives as a dream image that grows and seethes in the poet's mind.
| Image | Meaning | Answer cue |
|---|---|---|
| Deep roots | Nature has a longer life than human plans | Human behaviour |
| Two hundred rings | The tree contains ancient time | Raw mythology |
| No trees in Bombay | Urban life feels uprooted | Displacement |
| Grows and seethes | Memory stays restless | Dream image |
Critical Tone and Banyan Symbol in Felling of the Banyan Tree

Chitre's critical tone comes from words such as crime, massacred, terror and slaughter. These words make the felling sound violent and morally wrong. The banyan symbolises rooted memory, sacred value and the natural history that humans often destroy too easily.
- The father sees the banyan as a problem to remove.
- The grandmother sees trees as sacred.
- The family witnesses terror, fascination and raw mythology.
- The adult poet remembers the tree as a restless dream presence.
How to Write NCERT Answers for Felling of the Banyan Tree
For NCERT answers, begin with the exact phrase from the poem, explain the image and then connect it to memory, nature or human behaviour. Avoid broad environment slogans unless the answer also uses details from the poem.
| Prompt | Best evidence | Closing idea |
|---|---|---|
| Critical tone | crime, massacred, terror, slaughter | The poet condemns the felling |
| Father's nature | told, demolished, ordered, removed | He is practical but harsh |
| Raw mythology | two hundred years in the rings | Ancient life is exposed |
| Grows and seethes | tree in dreams, aerial roots | Memory stays unsettled |
Related Resources for Felling of the Banyan Tree Class 11 English
| Resource | Use it for | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NCERT Solutions | Practise textbook answers | Open Solutions |
| NCERT Book PDF | Read the source poem | Open Book PDF |
| Handwritten Notes | Revise with compact visual cues | Open Handwritten Notes |
All Class 11 English Woven Words Notes Chapters
| Chapter | Notes Link |
|---|---|
| Chapter 14 Hawk Roosting | Open Notes |
| Chapter 15 For Elkana | Open Notes |
| Chapter 16 Refugee Blues | Open Notes |
| Chapter 17 Felling of the Banyan Tree | Current chapter notes |
| Chapter 18 Ode to a Nightingale | Open Notes |
| Chapter 19 Ajamil and the Tigers | Open Notes |
| Chapter 20 My Three Passions | Open Notes |
Felling of the Banyan Tree Class 11 Notes FAQs
Ques. What is the main idea of Felling of the Banyan Tree?
Ans. The poem shows how cutting an old banyan tree becomes an image of ecological loss, family memory and displacement from Baroda to Bombay.
Ques. What does raw mythology mean in the poem?
Ans. Raw mythology means the ancient sacred history revealed when the banyan's rings show two hundred years of life.
Ques. Why does the poet use the phrase grows and seethes?
Ans. The phrase shows that the tree grows in memory and seethes with unresolved pain after its physical destruction.
Ques. How should students answer questions on the father's nature?
Ans. Students should use verbs such as told, demolished, ordered and removed to show that the father is authoritative, practical and harsh.







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