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.

NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 17 Felling of the Banyan Tree Notes

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 memory sequence for Class 11 English notes

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.

ImageMeaningAnswer cue
Deep rootsNature has a longer life than human plansHuman behaviour
Two hundred ringsThe tree contains ancient timeRaw mythology
No trees in BombayUrban life feels uprootedDisplacement
Grows and seethesMemory stays restlessDream image

Critical Tone and Banyan Symbol in Felling of the Banyan Tree

Sacred tree and practical order comparison 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.

PromptBest evidenceClosing idea
Critical tonecrime, massacred, terror, slaughterThe poet condemns the felling
Father's naturetold, demolished, ordered, removedHe is practical but harsh
Raw mythologytwo hundred years in the ringsAncient life is exposed
Grows and seethestree in dreams, aerial rootsMemory stays unsettled

Related Resources for Felling of the Banyan Tree Class 11 English

ResourceUse it forLink
NCERT SolutionsPractise textbook answersOpen Solutions
NCERT Book PDFRead the source poemOpen Book PDF
Handwritten NotesRevise with compact visual cuesOpen Handwritten Notes

All Class 11 English Woven Words Notes Chapters

ChapterNotes Link
Chapter 14 Hawk RoostingOpen Notes
Chapter 15 For ElkanaOpen Notes
Chapter 16 Refugee BluesOpen Notes
Chapter 17 Felling of the Banyan TreeCurrent chapter notes
Chapter 18 Ode to a NightingaleOpen Notes
Chapter 19 Ajamil and the TigersOpen Notes
Chapter 20 My Three PassionsOpen 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.