Felling of the Banyan Tree by Dilip Chitre

 “Felling of the Banyan Tree”

by Dilip Chitre

Introduction:

Dilip Chitre (1938–2009) was a famous Indian poet, translator, painter, filmmaker, and critic. He wrote in both Marathi and English. His poems talk about feelings of loneliness, moving to cities, loss of traditions, and the damage humans do to nature. He translated many Marathi poems into English, including the famous Says Tuka. His poetry book ‘Travelling in a Cage’ is well-known. He is remembered as one of the best Indian English poets.

Summary of the Poem:

The poem is about the poet’s memory from childhood. His family decided to move from their big house in Baroda to Bombay city. Before leaving, his father cut down the huge banyan tree in their yard. The tree was very old, big, and spread its roots and branches far and wide. People believed cutting it would bring bad luck, but his father did it anyway. The poet describes how the tree seemed to resist and how it fell slowly after being cut. The land was cleared, and the family left. The poem shows the poet’s sadness at losing the tree and his old home.

Major Themes:

• Old vs. New: The banyan tree stands for old traditions, while cutting it shows modern thinking that does not respect the past.
• Losing Home: Like the tree, the poet feels uprooted and lost when he moves to the city.
• Man vs. Nature: The poem shows how people destroy nature for their own needs.
• End of Childhood: The fall of the tree also shows the poet growing up and leaving his childhood behind.

Ecocriticism in the Poem:

The poem is a warning about how people harm nature without care. The tree is shown as alive, with feelings, and it tries to fight back. But humans destroy it anyway. The poet criticizes this attitude and shows how people have forgotten their connection to nature and their traditions.

Form of the Poem:

The poem is written in free verse. This means it does not have a set rhyme or rhythm. This style makes it sound natural, like someone telling a story. The lines are of different lengths, which remind us of the tree’s uneven branches and roots.

Figures of Speech:

The poet uses many poetic devices:

• Personification: The tree is described as if it were a person, fighting back.
• Simile: "The huge banyan tree stood like a problem"
  The tree is compared to a problem — it suggests fighting and complexity.
• Symbolism: The tree is presented as a symbol. It stands for nature, family roots, and traditions.
• Alliteration: “Felling them is a crime but he massacred them all” (repetition of c/m sounds), “Fifty feet, fifty men with axes chopped and chopped” (repetition of f and ch sounds)
• Assonance: The repeated consonants sounds in phrases like “roots looked like snakes”.

Conclusion:

Thus, The Felling of the Banyan Tree is a touching and meaningful poem. It talks about how people destroy nature and forget their roots in the name of progress. The poet shows his sadness over losing his childhood home and the big tree that was part of it. The poem makes us think about the cost of development and reminds us to respect nature and our traditions. It is a simple but deep poem, still important today.