ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG

WHEN GREAT TREES FALL

WORKBOOK NOTES

INTRODUCTION
When Great Trees Fall' by Maya Angelou is a beautiful poem that highlights the fact that death, though
inevitable, is a natural process and impacts the life of everyone connected with the departed souls. When
great souls die, our minds and our hearts sense the change and languish for at least some time. However, the
beauty of life is that human beings eventually recover from their loss. Just like in the natural world, new
growth comes up, though not identical to what it was, but beautiful and bustling nonetheless. Thus, those
bereaved by the loss of great souls, can make meaning from the knowledge that they existed and touched
their lives.

The Poet
Maya Angelou was a celebrated poet, novelist, memoirist, dramatist, actress and civil rights activist.
She was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, in America. Her name was Marguerite Annie Johnson. Her
brother Bailey, gave her the name, Maya. At the age of three, Maya's parents divorced, and as a result, she
was sent to Arkansas to live with her grandmother. During that time, Arkansas was a racist society, due to
which Maya experienced great discrimination there, not only for being an African−American, but also for being
a woman. She was doubly marginalised on the basis of her race and gender.
At the age of seven, as a result of an assault, she did not speak for five years. The loss of her voice was
a result of the trauma, which made her imagine that her voice could kill. Due to the efforts made by her
teacher, Bertha Flowers, Angelou started writing poetry and overcame her trauma. Poetry, thus played an
important part in the recovery of her voice, which in turn signalled the success of the healing process. She was
a coveted speaker, who gave numerous interviews to promote her activism. She died on May 28, 2014.
Her works: Her important works include a series of autobiographies with her book I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings, and memoirs Gather Together in My Name, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like
Christmas, The Heart of a Woman and All God's Children Need Travelling Shoes. She has also written poems
and books, including children's books, a cookbook, and Elder Grace: The Nobility of Aging.

THE POEM
Signposts
➢ When big trees fall in a forest, they affect rocks on distant hills as well as big animals like lions and
elephants..
➢ When big trees fall, even little creatures curl up in silence, too shocked to be scared.
➢ When great people die, the loss affects the hearts of all those who have been touched by their
greatness in some way or the other.
➢ When great people die, those inextricably tied up with their existence, find the world no longer bright,
warm or filled with potential.
➢ With the passage of time, after the death of great people, the empty space felt by those souls left
behind are eventually filled and healing takes place.

The Poem in Detail

Stanza 1: When big trees in the forest fall their impact is felt far and wide) The rocks on distant hills feel the
vibrations and 'shudder'. It suggests that the landscape itself trembles with fear. Similarly, lions crouch low'
and even elephants move slowly in search of 'safety.'
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All the three things mentioned above, i.e., rocks, lions, elephants are associated with steadfastness and
strength. Large rocks on the hill tops are heavy and immobile; lions are supposed to be fearsome predators,

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the kings of the jungle; whereas, elephants are enormous, slow−moving creatures. Yet all these figures feel the
impact of the falling trees with fear. Thus, the falling of 'great trees,' the poem conveys, shakes up everything
around them.

Stanza 2: In this stanza, the speaker says that not only huge animals but also smaller creatures are impacted
by the fall of the big trees in the woods. They recoil into total silence and are so shaken and shocked that they
can not feel anything at all, let alone fear.

Stanza 3: This stanza reveals the speaker's shift from the use of metaphor of trees to directly talk about the
death of great people or 'great souls'.
When great people die, it leaves a vacuum in the lives of the bereaved, i.e. it appears as if all the air
has been sucked out of a room and it becomes hard to breathe. In other words, they (the bereaved) take
small, shallow breaths; they feel they are not really living but only surviving.
The speaker has used the plural pronoun 'us' here. This suggests the fact that these 'great souls'
touched the lives of many people, and so their loss is felt widely. The use of such pronouns throughout the
poem also implies that the loss of 'great souls' affects entire humanity.
The speaker suggests that the bereaved find their 'senses' overwhelmed by the Joss of their loved
ones. Their eyes see only briefly. These short bursts of sight are tinged by 'a hurtful clarity. Here, it is
suggested that most of the time, after the death of a loved one, the bereaved seem to see nothing at all; and
when they do see, it becomes too painfully clear to them that the world has changed forever, that things will
never be the same without the 'great soul' they are grieving.
The speaker then goes on to say that mourning seems to intensify 'memory' by making recollections
'suddenly sharper'. The bereaved remember the moments spent with their loved one, whom they have lost. In
fact, their memory 'gnaws' and missed opportunities, suggesting that people find themselves unable to stop
themselves from thinking about all the things they should have said to and the time they should have spent
with the recently deceased.
The word 'gnaws' here is suggestive of the fact that with loss comes a terrible emptiness and the
grieving allows the bereaved to keep this emptiness at bay by 'gnawing' on what could have been. The speaker
is referring to the feelings of regret that often plague a person who has lost someone dear. This regret may be
due to the kind words' unsaid' or the 'promised walks never taken.' Having never fulfilled these intentions
leaves the bereaved person with a gnawing pain of despair and regret.

Stanza 4: This stanza begins with the words 'Great souls die,' suggesting that death is an inarguable fact of life.
The loss of these souls truly alters a person's 'reality'. This is because their 'reality' was 'bound' to these souls.
When such souls are gone, the world appears unrecognisable, turned upside down.
The speaker then makes a comparison between 'great trees' and 'great souls' by saying that like 'great
trees' in the forest provide shelter and sustenance for many creatures, great people support and nourish those
around them. When such people leave the world, those left behind are robbed of this nourishment that they
(the great souls) provided. They feel their 'souls' are suddenly starving and have shrunk to become shrivelled
up. Similarly, they lose their 'minds,' which were 'formed/and informed' by the 'radiance' of those they have
lost.
Here the terms 'formed' and 'informed' emphasise the immense influence these great souls had; they
did not simply inform the people but shaped their way of thinking, 'forming' their very minds. Here, it is worth
remembering that Maya Angelou wrote this poem in response to the death of James Baldwin, whose writing
and ideas certainly shaped the way many, including her, saw the world (Refer to Critical Remarks for details).
The speaker says that despite the loss due to the death of a loved one, the bereaved 'are not so much
maddened to have been reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark cold caves. In other words, the despair

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felt by the bereaved person is described as a 'cold dark cave. The feeling of despair is so strong that it seems
unutterable. Another connotation of 'dark, cold/caves' is the loneliness and incomprehension that accompany
such a loss.

Stanza 5: The last stanza, like all the stanzas before it, begins with anaphora−this time with an 'And' placed in
front of the repeated phrase: 'And when great souls die,' This 'And' conveys that the speaker is finally winding
up things. Here, the speaker instead of talking about the immense grief at the loss of 'great souls' talks about
what eventually fills in the empty spaces left behind by the great souls.
The speaker seems to suggest that time allows healing to occur and 'a period of peace blooms'
eventually. The use of the word 'blooms' suggests that healing follows grief just as spring flowers inevitably
follow the emptiness of winter. So 'peace' comes 'slowly and always/irregularly.' The speaker then goes on to
say, "Spaces fill/with a kind of/soothing electric vibration' suggesting that there exists a comforting feeling, a
new spark of something coming to life.
When the loved one departs from this world, there appear to be gaping holes in the world. However,
these holes do not last forever. The speaker says grief, fear and despair do not last forever and eventually,
'Our senses' are restored. This allows people to think, feel, and perceive the world again, although the
perception will never be the same as it was earlier.
But they feel their 'senses' whisper' to them to remind them that those 'great souls' who died 'existed.'
Although they are gone now, nothing can change the fact that those souls once were here and that they
inspired those who knew them. The living, the speaker says, can continue to Be' and 'be/better' knowing that
the great souls were with them at one point of time.
The repetition of 'They existed' emphasises that death does not change the fact that these people lived
and shed their 'radiance' all around them. And their existence will continue to inspire the bereaved to keep on
living and try to make the world a better place in spite of the pain they suffered after losing the 'great souls'.

NOTES
shudder: to shake suddenly clarity: the quality of being clear and easy to
hunker down: crouch down (often used understand, see or hear
metaphorically when talking about trying to avoid a Wizened: shrivelled or wrinkled with age
natural disaster maddened: made angry or crazy
lumber: move slowly, heavily, and awkwardly unutterable: unspeakable; not able to be put into
recoil: draw back, as in fear words
eroded: worn down blooms: appears or occurs
rare: scarce Spaces: here, void created by the death of loved
sterile: barren; lifeless one

TITLE
When Great Trees Fall' is an extended metaphor utilised as a refrain throughout the poem to convey
that the death of great souls, i.e., larger−than−life individuals who nurture the world around them, affects
everything around them. The poet has used the example of the great trees in the forest to convey her
thoughts. She says that when huge trees fall in the forest, the impact is felt far and wide in the woods. Both
large and small creatures are startled; the small creatures even curl up in fear. The mention of the effect on
large rocks on the top of the faraway hills, as well as on lions and elephants reflect how powerful is the impact
of such loss; it makes even the strongest, sturdiest and most fearsome elements of the natural world cower in
shock. Similarly, the death of great individuals shakes the world around them. In their absence, the life−giving
air appears flimsy and scarce. The bereaved gradually begin to see things with sudden bursts of sharp, painful
clarity, especially the memories of the days spent with the departed souls. They regret the words they did not
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say and the promises they did not keep when this person was alive. They feel the world has become 'sterile'
and hostile with the departure of those who nurtured them and all those around them.
The poet, however, suggests that initially, for the bereaved, the grief caused by the loss of their loved
ones may feel all−consuming, but with the passage of time they are able to accept the loss and are at ease by
remembering the contributions made by the 'great souls' they have lost. The poet has rightly described all that
happens When the Great Trees Fall' or when the great souls die, thus, justifying the title.

THEMES
Loss of a Loved One: Grief and Acceptance
Maya Angelou wrote 'When Great Trees Fall' in response to the death of her friend, the renowned
poet, playwright, essayist and civil rights activist, James Baldwin. The speaker in the poem has metaphorically
used the fall of great trees to compare the loss of 'great souls' such as Baldwin, the impact of which is felt far
and wide. As such, the speaker identifies with all those who have felt the intense pain caused as a result of
losing someone close. The speaker says that such a loss eats away the very heart and soul of a bereaved
person. All this makes it quite hard for people to carry on with their daily routine lives, they feel they have lost
not only an important person, but everything this person represented. However, the 'spaces' or the void
created by such people do not remain forever. The poem suggests that the bereaved people ultimately find
comfort by remembering how these great souls' improved the world with their presence. Though the poem
was written specifically as a tribute to Baldwin, it applies universally to the experience of losing someone
important and the ways in which even the most poignant grief, with the passage of time, gives way to
acceptance.
The speaker has used the image of a huge tree falling to explain how far and wide the impact of this
loss is felt. The speaker at first describes its impact through nature, ie, forests and its inhabitants. The speaker
says that 'when great trees fall/rocks on distant hills shudder' and 'lions hunker down/in tall grasses. In other
words, death shakes sturdy and immovable objects such as 'rocks' and causes fear in the fearless such as lions.
Even elephants/lumber after safety. suggesting that even the mightiest feel powerless after losing their loved
ones.
The speaker says that the fall of the great trees in the forest cause even the small things to recoil into
silence. This is suggestive of the way people fall into silence in the midst of despair The bereaved are not even
sure what they feel for their 'senses' are 'eroded beyond fear This refers to the numbness of heart and soul
that often follows the loss of someone close to the heart.
The speaker provides an insight into the mental and emotional effects of losing someone close The
speaker says that the death of a loved one can truly change a person's reality as one's soul depends on the
nurture from the great soul, and when that person dies, it leaves one feeling small, as if one's very soul has
shrunk The poem describes the way in which one's mind can be informed by their Great One's) radiance' and
the way the loss can be felt as though their minds have fallen away.
In fact, the speaker identifies with others who have felt this loss by using the second−person point of
view by saying. We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves.
This suggests that the speaker feels a sense of despair at the loss. This despair is described as a cold dark cave
The feelings are so strong that they are 'unutterable
However, the speaker offers hope for the bereaved by assuring them that with the passage of time,
they will take comfort in knowing that the person they lost made the world a better place. Though it happens
'slowly and always/irregularly. the speaker says that eventually peace blooms and a kind of/soothing electric
vibration replaces the emptiness of the loss, thus suggesting that time is a great healer Though the bereaved
will 'never/to be the same, they will find solace in the fact that their loved ones once existed. The poem
suggests that although grief feels all−consuming, gradually it finds acceptance and peace by remembering the
contributions of the 'great souls' they have lost.

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Individual Greatness and Cultural Change

When Great Trees Fall' explores the ways the death of a great person impacts the whole world around
him/her. The poem implies that 'great souls te, the most impressive or talented people in a community have a
far reaching impact on the world. Both in life and death, the reshape the entire culture, just as the falling of a
huge tree in a forest can impact the entire landscape in the forest
The poem suggests the individual death of 'great' people as having a profound impact not only on their
near and dear ones but also on the entire community. Just as other plants and animals are 'dependent' on the
'nurtur[ing]' presence of a giant tree, communities thrive and grow under the leadership of 'great' individuals.
But when such individuals die, the whole system that grew up around them appears to have collapsed; even
the 'reality' they helped define seems to disappear. The speaker says that the death of a great personality
causes people's very 'senses' to be 'eroded' . People feel as if it is not an individual that has gone but their
vision for the world has gone with them, leaving the world 'dark' and 'cold.'
The poem suggests that heroic individuals can induce broad cultural changes and that certain rare
individuals can even define the whole 'period[s].' After a time, it becomes clear that the contributions of 'great
souls' do not just disappear: after the death of great souls, their ideas live on and make the world a better'
place. In other words, even in death, 'great' individuals have the power to change the world.

SETTING
The poem 'When Great Trees Fall', does not have a specific setting. It is not confined to a particular
place or time. In fact, it describes the general impact of losing a 'great' person regardless of when or where
that loss takes place.
The first two stanzas of the poem use a metaphorical setting. That is, the speaker describes the loss of
a 'great' person as being similar to the falling of a 'great tree' in the forest. When such a tree falls, it affects
everything in its surroundings: the rocks on distant hills, fearsome lions,' sturdy 'elephants,' and creatures too
'small' to name. The tree's death utterly shakes up the environment it once 'nurture[d]. This metaphorical
setting is suggestive of the fact that like the impact of the fall of a huge tree in the forest, the death of a great
person can be just as catastrophic since the loss of someone truly special can be felt in every direction.

STYLE
Form and Structure
The poem "When Great Trees Fall" consists of five stanzas. The stanzas of the poem are divided into uneven
sets of lines. The stanzas consist of a minimum five lines and maximum 14 lines. The poem is without any
specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. However, it moves freely and unpredictably, not bound by a rigid
structure. The poem's lines are also quite short in general, creating a long, narrow layout on the page that
subtly resembles the trunk of a tall tree. The use of so many short lines also adds to the poem's thoughtful,
deliberate pacing.

Meter: As a free verse poem. When Great Trees Fall' doesn't follow a set meter The poem's rhythm is natural,
conversational, and easy to follow. This helps the poem connect with all types of the audiences including
those who do not typically read poetry.

Enjambment: It refers to the continuation of a sentence to the next new line without a pause. Enjambment is
used frequently in this poem. This makes the poem's language appear free and natural with its pace mimicking
the cadence of natural speech The examples of enjambment in the poem is:
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill

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with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.

Use of Capital Letters: The poet uses words with capital letters to stress on the importance of the words and
phrases First example of capitalisation of first letters of words is in the title When Great Trees Fall. The
significance of the title can be measured from its use in every line of the first two stanzas. It intensifies the
theme of death from its very inception.
Other words and phrases with capitalisation are: 'Our eye' and 'Our memory' in the third stanza, 'Great
souls', 'Our minds', and pronoun 'We' in the fourth stanza, and in the fifth and final stanza: 'Our sense', 'We
can be. Be and be.' These capitalised words stress on the gloominess caused by the death of loved ones

Figures of Speech
The poet has used the following figures of speech to emphasise her point of view

Anaphora: It is the repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses,
sentences or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect. Anaphora is a major part of 'When Great Trees
Fall. Each stanza starts with a variation on the same phrase (which also grants the poem its title):
● When great trees fall,
● When great souls die,
● Great souls die and
● And when great souls die,

Repetition: Besides Anaphora, repetition of different types has been used. These include the following:
➔ Epistrophe: the opposite of anaphora, ie., the repetition of the same word or words at the end of
successive phrases, clauses or sentences.
We breathe, briefly
Our eyes, briefly,
➔ Polyptoton: It is a figure of speech that involves the repetition of words derived from the same root.
The example of polyptoton in the poem are
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance, fall away.
The repetition of the root word ‘formed’ emphasises just how influential these great individuals have
been. They have not simply informed people, but ‘formed,’ or shaped, their very minds, affecting the
way people think about the world.

➔ Epizeuxis: It is repetition of a word or phrase in immediate succession, typically within the same
sentence, for emphasis. The last three lines of the poem use Epizeuxis. For example:
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be.

Alliteration: It is the close repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words. The examples of
alliteration in the poem are:
• When great trees fall in forests (f sound)
• Small things recoil into silence, their senses (s sound)
• after a period peace blooms (p sound)

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Asyndeton: It is a figure of speech in which normally occurring conjunctions like and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet
are intentionally omitted in successive phrases or clauses. The example of Asyndeton in the poem is when the
speaker says:
When great souls die,
The air around us becomes
Light, rare, sterile.
In the above lines there are no coordinating conjunctions between the adjectives. This speeds up the list,
conveying the overwhelming rush of emotions that accompanies the loss of ‘great souls.’ Another example of
asyndeton is when the speaker says that the ‘memory’ of the bereaved seems to ‘suddenly’ improve,
whereupon it,
Examines,
Gnaws on kind words
Unsaid,
Promised walks
Never taken.
Once again, the lack of coordinating conjunction between ‘kind words / unsaid’ and ‘promised walks/never
taken’ suggests that these are not the only thoughts grieving minds are ‘gnaw[ing] on’ these are just the ones
that came to mind for the speaker

CRITICAL REMARKS

A Tribute to James Baldwin

Maya Angelou wrote "When Great Trees Fall' in 1987, upon hearing of the death of James Baldwin, her friend
and fellow writer. She even read the poem at his funeral and included it in her 1990 collection I Shall Not Be
Moved. Her close friendship with Baldwin also deeply influenced her thinking, the two were both members of
the Harlem Writers Guild, a group that supported and honoured writers of African origin. Baldwin was one
such 'great soul' who 'formed and informed' his readers' minds, and whose death reverberated far and wide.
His death affected Angelou, especially the sense of hope, determination and resilience that infuses much of
her work.
For Angelou and her contemporaries like Baldwin there often was little divide between literature and
activism. In fact, they used art to reflect, represent, and advocate the rights of African people and to protest
against the prejudices based on the colour of the skin and race. Maya Angelou's memoirs, poetry, and activism
had a profound and lasting effect on American society. In recognition of her life's work, Barack Obama, the
then President of the USA, awarded Maya Angelou, 'the Presidential Medal of Freedom' in 2010.

Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Which of the following poetic devices is used in the title of the poem?
(a) Simile (c) Personification
(b) Metaphor (d) Metonymy

2. What happens to the 'small things' when great trees fall?

(a) They die due to shock (c) They curl up in silence
(b) They look up to large things for shelter (d) None of the above.

3. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?

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'the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile.'

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(a) Asyndeton (c) Refrain
(b) Anaphora (d) Polyptoton

4. Which of the following poetic devices is used in the lines given below?
We breathe,
Our eyes, briefly,/see with
(a) Anaphora (c) Epizeuxis
(b) Polyptoton (d) Epistrophe

5. What is suggested by the phrase−memory 'gnaws on?

(a) The phase of forgetfulness (c) Unsaid words and unkept promises
(b) Time spent on grieving for the dead (d) None of the above.

6. How do the survivors see the world after the departure of the great souls from this world?
(a) The world becomes unrecognisable (c) The world loses its beauty
(b) The world remains the same (d) All of the above.

7. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?

'Our minds, formed and informed by their radiance,.
(a) Alliteration (c) Metaphor
(b) Simile (d) Polyptoton

8. What is suggested by the line 'Our minds, formed and informed?

(a) The great souls remain in our mind
(b) The great souls shape the way people think
(c) The great souls have great minds
(d) The great souls cannot touch the minds of people.

9. The image of 'dark, cold caves' conveys which of the following?

(a) Loneliness and incomprehension that accompanies the loss of great souls.
(b) The feeling of despair felt by the bereaved.
(c) The world after the departure of great souls.
(d) Both (a) and (b)

10. What is suggested by Maya Angelou when she says, 'after a period peace blooms?
(a) Healing follows grief
(b) Peace occurs while remembering the great souls
(c) People remain silent during the period of mourning .
(d) None of the above

11. How does the speaker think that the bereaved can continue to 'Be and be better?
(a) By forgetting the departed souls after sometime
(b) By the inspiration provided by the great souls
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(c) By accepting the fact that they are gone forever

(d) None of the above.

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12. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as the one in the title, When Great Trees
Fall'?
(a) Were gathered there for vengeance and I knew That if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.
(b) The woods decay, the woods decay and fall The vapours weep their burden to the ground
(c) Admit impediments, love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to
remove
(d) In small towns by the river We all want to walk with the gods.

Section B: Reference to Context

I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
When Great Trees Fall,
Rocks On Distant Hills Shudder,
Lions Hunker Down
In Tall Grasses,
And Even Elephants
Lumber After Safety.

(i) State three effects of the fall of great trees in the forest?
Ans: Three effects of the fall of great trees in the forest are:
Rocks on distant hills shudder.
Lions hunker down in tall grasses.
Even elephants lumber after safety.

(ii) Why do the ‘rocks on distant hills shudder what is suggested by their shuddering?
Ans: The rocks on distant hills shudder because they are impacted by the reverberations caused by the fall of
great trees. Their shuddering suggests the magnitude of the event and its effect on the surrounding
environment.

(iii) Lions are regarded as fearsome predators. Still they ‘hunker down in tall grasses”? Why? What does
their fear symbolise?
Ans: Lions, despite being fearsome predators, hunker down in tall grasses as a response to the disturbance
caused by the fall of great trees. Their fear symbolizes the disruption of their natural habitat and the
instinctual need to seek safety and protection.

(iv) (A) Explain briefly the meaning of the line : “…..and even elephants lumber after safety.”
(B) Which figure of speech is used in the above line?
Ans: (A) The line “even elephants lumber after safety” means that even elephants, which are typically
considered large and powerful animals, move slowly and cautiously in search of safety after the fall of great
trees. They are concerned about their well−being and seek refuge from the potential dangers posed by the
disturbance.
Ans: (B) The figure of speech used in the line is a metaphor, where the movement of elephants is compared to
“lumbering,” indicating their slow and heavy gait as they move cautiously.

(v) Explain with examples the metaphoric use of ‘trees’ in the poem.
Ans: The metaphorical use of “trees” in the poem represents individuals or entities that are significant,
influential, or powerful in society. Just as trees provide shelter, stability, and protection in a forest, these
“great trees” symbolize figures of authority, leadership, or inspiration whose presence is fundamental to the

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well−being and security of others. Their fall represents the loss of such figures and the subsequent impact on
the surrounding environment, causing upheaval and uncertainty.

II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
When Great Trees Fall
In Forests,
Small Things Recoil Into Silence,
Their Senses
Eroded Beyond Fear.

(i) What are the ‘small things’ referred to in this extract? What happens to them when great trees fall?
Ans: The “small things” referred to in this extract are likely the smaller organisms, creatures, or elements
present in the forest ecosystem. When great trees fall, these small things recoil into silence, suggesting a
reaction of retreat or withdrawal from the disturbance caused by the falling trees.

(ii) What are the ‘small things’ contrasted with in the previous extract of the poem?
Ans: In the previous extract, the “small things” are contrasted with large, powerful entities like rocks on
distant hills, lions, and elephants.

(iii) What happens to the ‘senses’ of small things when great trees fall? How can this be compared with
those of human beings?
Ans: When great trees fall, the senses of small things are eroded beyond fear, indicating a state of shock or
trauma. This can be compared to the numbing effect of trauma on human beings, where extreme events can
overwhelm the senses to the point where fear is surpassed, and a sense of numbness or detachment prevails.

(iv) State two poetic devices used in this extract. Give an example of each.
Ans: Two poetic devices used in this extract are:
● Personification: The personification of “small things” recoiling into silence suggests a human−like
response to the event, attributing human qualities to non−human entities.
● Metaphor: The metaphorical use of “senses eroded beyond fear” compares the impact of the fall of
great trees on the senses of small things to erosion, implying a gradual wearing away or degradation
beyond the capacity for fear.

(v) Explain briefly how the fall of great trees impacts both big and small things.
Ans: The fall of great trees impacts both big and small things by disrupting the natural balance and harmony of
the forest ecosystem. Large entities like rocks, lions, and elephants react to the physical disturbance caused by
the falling trees, while smaller organisms and creatures retreat into silence, experiencing a numbing effect on
their senses. Overall, the event creates a sense of upheaval and vulnerability for all elements of the forest
ecosystem.

III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
When Great Souls Die,
The Air Around Us Becomes
Light, Rare, Sterile.
We Breathe, Briefly.
Our Eyes, Briefly,
See With

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 ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG
A Hurtful Clarity.
Our Memory, Suddenly Sharpened,
Examines,
Gnaws On Kind Words
Unsaid,
Promised Walks
Never Taken.

(i) What is the effect of the death of great souls on the air around us? What does it suggest?
Ans: The death of great souls has an effect on the air around us, making it “light, rare, sterile.” This suggests a
profound change in the atmosphere, indicating a sense of loss, emptiness, and absence left behind by the
departed souls.

(ii) Which figure of speech is used in the lines given below? What does it suggest?
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,/see
Ans: The figure of speech used in the lines “we breathe, briefly. Our eyes, briefly, see” is anaphora. It
emphasises the brevity and fleeting nature of life, highlighting the transient moments experienced after the
death of great souls.

(iii) What do our eyes see with ‘hurtful clarity’? Why?

Ans: Our eyes see with “hurtful clarity,” suggesting that in the wake of loss, our perception becomes sharper
and more acute. We become acutely aware of the absence of the departed soul, as well as the things left
unsaid and the promises unfulfilled.

(iv) What happens to ‘our memory’ after the death of a loved one?
Ans: After the death of a loved one, “our memory” becomes suddenly sharpened, examining and gnawing on
kind words unsaid and promised walks never taken. This indicates a heightened awareness of missed
opportunities and unfulfilled connections, as well as a deep sense of regret and longing for what could have
been.

IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow;
Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance, fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of
dark, cold
caves.

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 ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG
(i) What happens to ‘our reality’ when great souls die?
Ans: When great souls die, “our reality” takes leave of us. This suggests a profound disruption and
disorientation in our understanding of the world, as the departure of great souls fundamentally alters our
perception of reality.

(ii) Explain how do our souls depend on great souls for their nurture. What happens when these great souls
depart?
Ans: Our souls depend on great souls for their nurture, meaning that the guidance, wisdom, and inspiration
provided by great souls contribute to the growth and development of our own souls. When these great souls
depart, our souls shrink and become wizened, indicating a loss of vitality, inspiration, and guidance.

(iii) (a) Which figure of speech is used in the line given below Our minds formed/and informed…
(b) How do the great souls impact our minds?
Ans: (A) The figure of speech used in the line “our minds, formed and informed by their radiance,” is
anaphora, emphasising the transformative influence of great souls on our minds.
(b) the great souls impact our minds by shaping and informing them with their radiance, wisdom, and insight.
Their presence illuminates our minds and expands our understanding of the world.

(iv) Why does the speaker say that ‘we are not so much maddened’?
Ans: The speaker says that “we are not so much maddened” to suggest that the response to the loss of great
souls is not primarily one of madness or insanity. Instead, the departure of great souls reduces us to “the
unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves,” indicating a state of profound ignorance, despair, and isolation.

(v) Explain the connotations associated with the phrase 'dark, cold caves.'
Ans: The phrase “dark, cold caves” connotes a sense of deep, desolate isolation and ignorance. It suggests a
state of being cut off from the light of knowledge, wisdom, and guidance that great souls provide. In this state,
individuals feel lost, alone, and unable to comprehend the world around them, as if trapped in a bleak and
inhospitable environment.

V. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow;
And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.

(i) How does peace bloom after a period?

Ans: Peace blooms after a period slowly and always irregularly, indicating that the process of healing and
reconciliation takes time and occurs in an unpredictable manner. It suggests that the restoration of peace is
gradual and may not follow a linear trajectory.

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 ASHOKA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, ASHOKA MARG
(ii) Which 'Spaces' is the speaker talking about? How are these spaces filled?
Ans: The “Spaces” referred to by the speaker could symbolize the voids or gaps left behind by the departure of
great souls. These spaces are filled with a kind of soothing electric vibration, implying that the absence left by
great souls is filled with a sense of comfort, energy, and inspiration.

(iii) How are our senses restored? What do they whisper to us?
Ans: Our senses are restored as we experience a renewed awareness and appreciation for the impact and
legacy of the great souls who have passed away. They whisper to us, reminding us of the existence and
influence of these remarkable individuals, prompting us to recognize their significance and honor their
memory.

(iv) Which poetic device is used in-They existed. They existed? What is suggested by this repetition?
Ans: The poetic device used in “they existed. they existed.” is anaphora, where the repetition of the phrase
emphasizes the undeniable reality of the existence of great souls. it suggests the profound impact and lasting
legacy of these individuals, reinforcing their significance and influence.

(v) Explain how does this extract signify the role played by 'great souls' or immensely talented people to
bring about massive cultural change.
Ans: This extract signifies the role played by great souls or immensely talented individuals in bringing about
massive cultural change by highlighting their enduring influence and legacy. Their presence inspires others to
strive for greatness and to make positive contributions to society. Additionally, their existence serves as a
reminder of the potential for human achievement and progress, motivating others to aspire to greatness and
to continue their legacy of excellence.

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