Chapter 4 – Our Casuarina Tree Solutions

Content Structure

1. About the author – Toru Dutt
2. Summary of the Our Casuarina Tree
3. Word meanings
4. Exercises solutions
5. Additional Questions and Answers
- 5A. Multiple choice questions and answers (MCQs)

1. About the author – Toru Dutt

Toru Dutt was a renowned Indian writer, born on 4th March 1856 in Bengal, India. A gifted linguist, she mastered several languages, including Sanskrit, French, and English, and pursued her studies in these with great depth. She traveled to England and then to France with her family to continue her education. Her literary work is rich in emotion and beautifully reflects her deep appreciation for Indian culture, natural beauty, and family bonds. One of her most celebrated poems, Our Casuarina Tree, is a heartfelt expression of her love for nature, childhood memories, and her beloved family. She passed away on 30th August 1877, at the young age of 21, due to illness.

2. Summary of the Our Casuarina Tree

The poem “Our Casuarina Tree”, written by Toru Dutt, describes a large and beautiful tree that stands in the poet’s garden. A thick creeper coils around its trunk, giving it the appearance of a giant snake. The tree is regularly visited by a variety of birds and bees, and it bears bright red flowers that make it even more attractive. As night falls, the tree seems to sing a soft, soothing song, adding to its mysterious charm. The poet values the tree not only for its beauty but also because it reminds her of the joyful moments she shared with her family and friends during childhood, resting under its shade. The poet’s loved ones are no longer alive, but the tree helps her preserve their memories. She continues to think of the tree during her travels to distant places like France or Italy, and these thoughts give her a strong sense of closeness to those she has lost. The poet believes that the tree carries a quiet sadness, as if it also mourns the passing of her dear ones. She expresses her wish to preserve the memory of the tree through this poem, hoping it will be remembered forever because of the deep emotions and cherished memories connected to it.

3. Word meanings

Word	Meaning
Rugged	Rough
Creeper climbs	A plant that climbs around a tree or wall
Gallantly	Doing something in a brave or proud way
Boughs	Large branches of a tree
Casement	Window
Crest	The highest point of something
Baboon	Large monkey
Puny	Small and weak
Hoar tree	A tree that looks old and grey
Slumbered	Slept
Fain rehearse	Wanting to describe again with joy

4. Exercises solutions

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given :

1. Who is the speaker in the poem?
a) A gardener tending the Casuarina tree
b) A bird singing in the branches of the tree
c) A person reminiscing about childhood memories under the tree
d) A traveler admiring the beauty of the tree

Ans: c) A person reminiscing about childhood memories under the tree

2. What feeling(s) does the speaker associate with the Casuarina tree?
a) Fear and danger
b) Indifference and boredom
c) Comfort, security, and happy memories
d) Loneliness and isolation

Ans: c) Comfort, security, and happy memories

3. What is the tone of the poem “Our Casuarina Tree”?
a) Angry and resentful
b) Sarcastic and mocking
c) Bittersweet and nostalgic
d) Playful and lighthearted

Ans: c) Bittersweet and nostalgic

5. Additional Questions and Answers

5A. Multiple choice questions and answers (MCQs)

1. The huge python in the poem is—
(a) The tree
(b) The creeper
(c) The flowers
(d) Her siblings

Ans: (b) The creeper

2. “Like a huge python…” shows which figure of speech?
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Metonymy

Ans: (a) Simile

3. “Up to its summit near the stars” means—
(a) The tree is very tall
(b) The tree shines
(c) The tree can’t be seen
(d) It needs support

Ans: (a) The tree is very tall

4. “No other tree could live” means—
(a) The tree is strong
(b) The tree is bent
(c) The tree is bare
(d) It’s imaginary

Ans: (a) The tree is strong

5. What hangs from the branches?
(a) Fruits
(b) Leaves
(c) Flowers
(d) Monkeys

Ans: (c) Flowers

6. What is the flower color?
(a) Yellow
(b) Crimson
(c) Pink
(d) Orange

Ans: (b) Crimson

7. The tree wears the creeper like a—
(a) Scarf
(b) Shawl
(c) Blanket
(d) Rope

Ans: (b) Shawl

8. Which line shows the tree best?
(a) “A giant wears the scarf”
(b) “A creeper climbs”
(c) “A gray baboon sits”
(d) “Water-lilies spring”

Ans: (a) “A giant wears the scarf”

9. The poet looks at the tree—
(a) At dawn
(b) At night
(c) At dusk
(d) In the morning

Ans: (a) At dawn

10. How does the poet feel in the morning?
(a) Angry
(b) Happy
(c) Sad
(d) Excited

Ans: (b) Happy

11. On lower branches are—
(a) Birds
(b) Baby baboons
(c) Beetles
(d) Ants

Ans: (b) Baby baboons

12. Which bird is in the poem?
(a) Bulbul
(b) Kokila
(c) Woodpecker
(d) Falcon

Ans: (b) Kokila

13. Who welcomes the day?
(a) Bees
(b) Cuckoos
(c) Cows
(d) Birds

Ans: (b) Cuckoos

14. The sleepy cows go to—
(a) Pasture
(b) Shed
(c) Pond
(d) River

Ans: (a) Pasture

15. Water-lilies look like—
(a) White snow
(b) Clouds
(c) Fog
(d) Smoke

Ans: (a) White snow

16. Who are the “sweet companions”?
(a) Siblings
(b) Friends
(c) Neighbors
(d) Cousins

Ans: (a) Siblings

17. How did the poet love them?
(a) Deeply
(b) Sweetly
(c) Calmly
(d) Softly

Ans: (a) Deeply

18. “Your images” means—
(a) Her siblings
(b) The tree
(c) The neighbors
(d) Her parents

Ans: (a) Her siblings

19. What sound comes from the tree?
(a) A sad murmur
(b) A sweet song
(c) Wind sound
(d) Cry of baboon

Ans: (a) A sad murmur

20. “Dirge-like murmur” means—
(a) Tree’s sorrowful sound
(b) Sea noise
(c) Birdsong
(d) Wind

Ans: (a) Tree’s sorrowful sound

21. The tree’s voice reaches—
(a) Unknown lands
(b) Cities
(c) Villages
(d) Towns

Ans: (a) Unknown lands

22. The ‘wail’ means—
(a) The tree’s cry
(b) Poet’s cry
(c) Wind
(d) Birds

Ans: (a) The tree’s cry

23. The water-wraith sleeps—
(a) In his cave
(b) On the shore
(c) In a den
(d) In the sea

Ans: (a) In his cave

24. The line shows—
(a) Personification
(b) Simile
(c) Metaphor
(d) Irony

Ans: (a) Personification

25. “Dreamless swoon” means—
(a) Deep sleep without dreams
(b) Tiredness
(c) Fainting
(d) Memory loss

Ans: (a) Deep sleep without dreams

26. “Those” refers to—
(a) Siblings
(b) Birds
(c) Bees
(d) Parents

Ans: (a) Siblings

27. “When my days are done” means—
(a) Poet thinks about death
(b) Tree will die
(c) Poet will live long
(d) Poet will travel

Ans: (a) Poet thinks about death

28. “Borrowdale” is—
(a) Valley in England
(b) Playground
(c) Lake in India
(d) Town

Ans: (a) Valley in England

29. “Weak the verse” means—
(a) The poet’s own poetry
(b) Nature’s book
(c) Wordsworth’s poem
(d) Other poems

Ans: (a) The poet’s own poetry

30. The tree stands for the culture of—
(a) India
(b) France
(c) Italy
(d) England

Ans: (a) India

31. The Casuarina tree is a symbol of—
(a) Strength and courage
(b) Beauty only
(c) Change
(d) Loneliness

Ans: (a) Strength and courage

32. The creeper is compared to—
(a) A python
(b) A dragon
(c) A rope
(d) A snake

Ans: (a) A python

33. The poetic device in “Like a huge python” is—
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Alliteration
(d) Personification

Ans: (a) Simile

34. The poet remembers—
(a) Childhood
(b) Nature
(c) Birds
(d) Flowers

Ans: (a) Childhood

35. What keeps the tree remembered?
(a) Poetry and love
(b) People’s prayer
(c) Worship
(d) Science

Ans: (a) Poetry and love

36. “Fear, Hope, Death, Time” show—
(a) Dark and deep feelings
(b) Nature
(c) History
(d) Romance

Ans: (a) Dark and deep feelings

37. “Time the shadow” shows—
(a) Symbolism
(b) Personification
(c) Oxymoron
(d) Metaphor

Ans: (a) Symbolism

38. The poet sees nature as—
(a) Comfort and memory
(b) Science
(c) Fearful
(d) Useless

Ans: (a) Comfort and memory