Don't Cut Down the Trees, Brother Woodcutter
By: Bal Krishna Sama
Literal Comprehension: The poem "Don't Cut Down the Trees, Brother Woodcutter" is composed by Nepali poet Bal Krishna Sama. The main theme of the poem is about conservation of nature. Specially, the poet argues that trees are very important in our lives and they need to be protected. The poet considers the trees as our dead mother who are silent observers, but they protect us from natural calamities. The poet personifies the tree. The tree is like our mother that is around us and takes care of us. When we remember our childhood, we find that most of the time we play around the tree. It gives us fruits and flowers as if our mother cares us. Thus, no child is hungry. Their leafy lips kiss us and when they feel tired, they sigh and weep. They never speak a word. They are able to tolerate and their pains and grieves are only for our sake. They never complain.
Further, the poet says that in winter the family sits around the fire burnt from the wood, and sing and talk. In the winter, the trees are covered with white frost that makes them bow at us. Nevertheless, we are ignorant. We do not understand all the scarifies and tolerance that the trees endure to sustain our lives. They silently and secretly pass the cold nights dreaming of our happy and cheerful days we spent during our childhoods under their guardianship. They also hear us singing the songs they had taught us. They bless our laugher all the time. They always love us. But, they cannot express their inner thoughts to us. It does not mean that they are lifeless, ignorant and thoughtless. They wait for us until winter ends. As soon as spring arrives, they again spread out their arms and appeal us not to cut off their arms.
Interpretation: In this pro-environment poem, the poet is trying to be more concerned with the pressing problems of deforestation and environmental degradation. He repeats the idea of considering the earth and its plants as respectful and forgiving to us, the selfish humans who ceaselessly fell down trees for fulfilling their present needs. The poet is indirectly criticizing the human act of clearing the lands, thus, making the life of our children and grandchildren insecure. The trees need to be saved for our future in case the human species may become extinct.
Critical Thinking: The poem "Don't Cut Down the Trees, Brother Woodcutter" has contemporary message to all the generation. Keeping the environment balance is the upmost property for the benefit of human beings. Some of the ideas presented in this poem are not common to cover all sorts of ecological parts. For instance, those who live in hot place do they find frost on the top of the trees during winter?
Assimilation: After reading this poem, once I felt to think of our dense forest found in Terai belt. There was "Charkose Jhadi" which was the great economic source of Nepal. Now we do not find it. if the then government was alerted like the poet Sama even nowadays we could find that dense forest. Thus, I appeal citizens and the government to conserve the forest whatever is left for our future generation.
