Grandma Climbs a Tree

Introduction

The poem ‘Grandma Climbs a Tree’ portrays Ruskin Bond’s love for his family. The storyline is as follows: Ruskin Bond, in this poem tells us how his grandmother had a passion for climbing trees from a very young age and how she could climb trees till the age of sixty-two! The only problem was that Bond’s family was scared that one day, she would fall. Once when everyone except Grandma was out of town, the old lady climbs a tree but is unable to come down. After being ‘rescued’ as Bond puts it, the doctor advises her rest. However, Grandma is not able to live without a tree, so she tells Bond’s father to build a tree-house. Accordingly, Bond and his father build a tree-house and this way, Bond and his Grandma spend evenings sitting in the tree- house, drinking sherry. This poem shows the unconditional love Bond has towards his family. It shows his ability to enjoy unusual events and actions.

Idea of the poem

Context of the poem

About the Author

Transacting the text

Meaning making

Pictures/ video clips are an interesting way of assisting students to comprehend a poem. A picture helps in creating a visual memory and can also help in understanding new words.

Figures of speech

A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, or personification. Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer from their use, as any figure of speech introduces an ambiguity between literal and figurative interpretation. A figure of speech is sometimes called a rhetorical figure or a locution. To know more click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_of_speech

Assessment

Ask the learners to write a short paragraph using the hints given below.

Hints:

• What is the poem about?
• Which is the most striking image and why?