vAC
Name of College :- Maharani shree nandkumarba mahila arts and commerce College.
Name. :- gohil Kinjalba Rajendrasinh
Year. :- F.Y.B.A.
Semester. :- 2nd
Subject. :- English
Paper name. :- V.A.C
Date. :- 3march 2026
Professor :- rachana Ma'am
🍂Class assignment 🍂
Ecocriticism is a new and modern theory in literary criticism. It developed
in the 21st century. Today, scientists are very worried about the earth and
its natural resources. Modern science and technology have created many
dangers for the future of humans.
Because of too much carbon dioxide, heavy use of natural gas, crude oil,
and other resources, the ozone layer is getting damaged. These problems make
us think seriously about how to protect the earth and environment so that we
and future generations can live safely.
DEFINITION OF ECOCRITICISM
Good literature talks about the important problems of its time. Today, the
biggest problem is saving our earth and nature.
Ecocriticism is a new branch of literary criticism. In this approach,
critics study how literature talks about nature and environmental problems.
They examine how literature helps to create balance between humans and the
earth.
Ecocriticism studies the relationship between humans and nature in
literature. It looks at:
Environmental problems:-
Cultural issues related to nature
Human attitudes towards nature
ORIGIN OF ECOCRITICISM
The idea of connecting ecology and literature was first introduced by
Joseph Meeker. He used the term “literary ecology” in his book The Comedy of
Survival: Studies in Literary Ecology published in 1972.
Later, in 1978, William Rueckert used the word “Ecocriticism” in his essay
Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism.
Ecocriticism became popular in the USA in the 1980s. In the 1990s, it
became popular in Europe as “Green Studies.”
It officially became an important method of studying literature after two
important books were published in the mid-1990s at:
MAJOR FOLLOWERS OF ECOCRITICISM
Jonathan Bate – Father of Ecocriticism in England
Cheryll Glotfelty – Father of Ecocriticism in the USA
Laurence Coupe
Patrick D. Murphy
Raymond Williams
Ecocriticism in American and British Literature
The ideas of ecocriticism can be seen in 19th-century American writers
called Transcendentalists. They loved nature, freedom, and the beauty of the
wild.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Henry David Thoreau were
important writers who wrote about nature.
Emerson’s book Nature (1836) talks about self-reliance and the strong
influence of nature on human life.
Margaret Fuller’s book Summer on the Lakes (1843) is about her travel
experiences in the American landscape. She was the first woman student at
Harvard, and nature influenced her thinking.
Thoreau’s Walden (1845) describes how he lived for two years in a small hut
near Walden Pond. He left modern life and returned to nature to live
simply.
In the UK, ecocriticism developed from British Romantic writers of the
1790s.
Ecocriticism in Britain and America
In Britain, ecocriticism grew through institutions and books like Laurence
Coupe’s The Green Studies: From Romanticism to Ecocriticism.
In America, the term used is “Ecocriticism.”
In England, the term “Green Studies” is used.
American writers mainly praised nature.
British writers warned people about environmental dangers.
Ecocriticism studies the relationship between culture and nature. Some
theories say everything is created by society and language. But ecocritics
do not fully agree. They believe nature also has real power and importance,
not just society and language.
Nature and Wilderness
The outdoor world moves from:
Wild forests (wilderness)
Beautiful natural scenes (mountains, oceans)
Countryside life
Culture and city life
American Transcendentalists loved wild nature.
Wordsworth wrote about beautiful natural scenery.
Thomas Gray and Samuel Johnson wrote about countryside life.
Ecocritics say today there is no completely pure wilderness left because
global warming and human activities affect all parts of the world. Even
remote places are not fully natural anymore.
WHAT DO ECOCRITICS DO?
Ecocritics:
• Study literature from an environmental point of view.
• Examine how human life is connected to nature.
• Study civilization together with nature.
• Show how literature talks about natural resources.
• Study how human actions, wars, and industries disturb ecological
balance.
EXAMPLES OF ECOCRITICISM
We can study Wordsworth’s poem Daffodils from an ecological view because it
shows the poet’s love
We can study Alexander Pope’s poem Ode on Solitude from an ecological view.
The poem shows how nature gives peace in modern busy life.
🍂Home Assignment 🍂
: Felling of a Banyan TreeAuthor:
Dilip ChitreMain idea: The poem uses the cutting of an ancient banyan tree as a symbol ofcultural, emotional, and ecological loss caused by modernization and urbanmigration.
Summary:-
The speaker describes how his family uproots a huge ancient banyan tree when theymigrate from Baroda to Bombay (now Mumbai). The tree, which is hundreds of yearsold, resists being cut down. Its deep roots, spreading into the earth like a complexsystem of veins, symbolize the family’s own deep connection to their homeland. Asthe tree falls, the poet experiences emotional conflict: the move to a modern citymeans progress, but also painful loss. The poem ends with the banyan treebecoming just a memory—an emblem of a vanished past.
Symbolism:-
Banyan Tree
● Heritage & ancestry – it has “three hundred years” of history.
● Roots: Represent deep cultural ties and personal identity.
● Trunk & branches: The older generation, community, shared memories.
● Felling: Symbolizes the loss involved in modern progress.
City of Bombay (Mumbai)
● Represents modernization, ambition, and the future.
● Stands in contrast to nature and cultural inheritance.
Message of the Poem
The poem warns that modernization often brings emotional and ecological damage.In the pursuit of progress, people may lose their roots, cultural identity, and harmonywith nature. The felling of the banyan becomes a powerful metaphor for theuprooting of an entire way of life.
Stanza-wise
Summary
Stanza 1
The poet describes how his family had to leave their ancestral home in Baroda andmigrate to Bombay. His father decided that the banyan tree, which had been growingfor nearly 300 years, had to be cut down. The poet tells us how enormous the treewas—its roots were so deep and spread out that chopping it was extremely difficult.This stanza highlights the tree’s size, age, and significance.
Stanza 2
The poet explains how the tree “refused to die.” Even after cutting the trunk, newshoots emerged from the roots. The workmen kept chopping it day after day. Thetree seemed almost alive, resisting destruction. This gives the banyan a human-likequality and emphasizes how strongly nature fights back against human interference.Despite all the cutting and burning, the tree kept returning, showing its resilience.
Stanza 3
Finally, the poet describes the emotional impact of the tree’s fall. The banyan, whichhad been a powerful symbol of the poet’s childhood and ancestral home, was gone.The family left for Bombay, a city of concrete and tall buildings, where there were nosuch ancient trees. The poet expresses a sense of loss, dislocation, and nostalgia.The banyan remains only as a memory of a past that can never return.
Thematic Explanation
“Felling of a Banyan Tree” explores several deep and interconnected themes.Together, they reflect the emotional, cultural, and ecological loss that occurs whentradition is uprooted by modernity.1
.
Tradition vs. Modernity
A central theme of the poem is the conflict between traditional life and modernprogress.The banyan tree represents heritage, ancestral identity, and the poet’s childhoodworld.Cutting it down symbolizes the family’s forced break from their roots as they move tothe modern city of Bombay. The poem suggests that modernization often demandspainful sacrifices.
2. Uprooting and Displacement
The physical uprooting of the tree parallels the psychological uprooting of the poet.Migration is shown not just as a physical move but as a deep emotional rupture.Leaving behind the tree means leaving behind a secure, familiar world.The poem captures the sadness, confusion, and disorientation that come withdisplacement.
3. Man vs. Nature
Another major theme is the tension between human power and natural resilience.Though the family cuts the tree, the banyan initially “refuses to die” and keepsgrowing back.This depicts nature as enduring and alive, whereas human actions appeardestructive and hurried.The repeated chopping shows how humans often overpower nature in the name ofdevelopment.
4. Loss of Cultural and Ecological Identity
The tree is not just a plant—it is a symbol of community, memory, and continuity.Its destruction reflects the loss of:● ecological balance● rural culture● family history● personal identityThe banyan’s fall becomes a metaphor for the vanishing of an old way of life.
5. Nostalgia and Emotional Conflict
The poem conveys the poet’s deep emotional turmoil.He is torn between accepting the family’s move to the city and grieving thedestruction of the tree.This mixture of necessity and regret shows how progress can coexist with emotionalpain.The banyan tree survives only in memory, making the poem nostalgic andintrospective.
6. Modern Urban Life vs.
Natural WorldBombay (Mumbai) is depicted as a place of concrete, buildings, and a lack of naturalrootedness.The contrast between the ancient banyan and the modern city highlights howurbanization often disconnects people from nature and spirituality.
In Essence
The poem uses the felling of a large, ancient banyan tree as a powerful metaphorfor:
● the destruction of nature,
● the loss of tradition,
● emotional uprooting, and
● the painful side of modernization.It reminds us that growth often comes with loss, and that memory becomes the onlyplace where some things survive.
Eassy
🌳 Save a tree
Trees are very important for our life. They give us oxygen to breathe and take in carbon dioxide from the air. Without trees, life on Earth would not be possible. That is why we should save trees.
Trees help to keep the environment clean and fresh. They reduce air pollution and control temperature. In summer, trees give us cool shade. They also bring rain and help in maintaining the water cycle. Many birds and animals live in trees. If we cut trees, these animals lose their homes.
Trees give us many useful things like fruits, flowers, wood, medicine, and paper. We use wood to make furniture and houses. Many medicines are made from tree plants. Trees also make our surroundings beautiful and peaceful.
Nowadays, many trees are being cut down for buildings, roads, and factories. This causes problems like global warming, floods, and soil erosion. If we continue cutting trees, our future will be in danger.
We should plant more trees and take care of them. Everyone must understand the importance of trees. Schools and colleges should organize tree plantation programs. The government should also make strict laws to stop cutting trees.
In conclusion, trees are our best friends. They protect us and support life. So, we must save trees to save our planet and our future. 🌍🌱