- The death of a great soul affects everyone around them, as the fall of a great tree shakes a whole forest.
- Grief moves through shock, regret, emptiness and, slowly, healing.
- We are changed for ever, but not destroyed.
- The memory and influence of great people live on and inspire us to become better.
(2025 specimen Q1(x): the theme is the impact of the death of a loved one on those left behind.)
Foundation first
Three ideas decide the answer to "What is the poem about?"
- Theme: the effect of the death of a loved one on those left behind.
- Message: grief is painful, but the memory of a great soul can make us better.
- Mood: it moves from fear and shock to hope.
When a question gives two statements, check each one separately before choosing. A statement may be partly true.
Worked examples
Example 1 (4 marks; ICSE 2025 specimen, Q7(v)). What is a "great tree" a metaphor for? What is the central message of the poem?
Model answer. A "great tree" is a metaphor for a great soul. The poem says that the loss of someone great is painful but has to be borne. Their memory and influence stay with us, bring hope and healing, and help us to become better people.
Why this scores: the metaphor (1 mark), grief as painful but inevitable (1 mark), the lasting influence (1 mark) and the hope that we can be better (1 mark).
Example 2 (MCQ, 1 mark; ICSE 2027 specimen, Q1(ix)). Statement I: When great trees fall, the world is left permanently unstable. Statement II: In the poem, the natural world is depicted as reacting with fear and uncertainty when great trees fall. (a) Both are true (b) Both are false (c) I is true, II is false (d) I is false, II is true.
Solution. (d). Nature does react with fear and uncertainty, so II is true. But the poem ends with peace, so the world is not left unstable for ever, and I is false. The ICSE 2025 paper asked the same pair of statements in a different order, so check each statement on its own.
Example 3 (MCQ, 1 mark; ICSE 2025 Improvement, Q1(ix)). The poem ends on a note of (a) despair (b) joy (c) disbelief (d) hope.
Solution. (d). Peace returns, and we are urged to be, and be better. Joy is too strong a word, because the loss is not forgotten.
Example 4 (4 marks; ICSE 2026 Improvement, Q7(v)). To what does the poet compare the death of a great soul at the beginning of the poem? Comment on the suitability of this comparison. Write a simile or metaphor of your own to describe the loss of a great soul.
Model answer. The poet compares the death of a great soul to the fall of a great tree. The comparison is suitable because a great person, like a great tree, towers above others, gives shelter and support to many, and leaves a vast empty space when gone. The death of a great soul is like the setting of the sun: the world turns dark and cold, but we know that light will return.
Why this scores: the marks are shared across all three parts: the comparison (the fall of a great tree), its suitability (towers above others, gives shelter, leaves an empty space), and an original figure (a simile with "like") that links to the poem. Do not skip the first two parts.
Doubts cleared
Q. What is the most important line of the poem? Many students choose "Be and be better. For they existed." It sums up the message: a life that has existed continues to inspire us.
Q. Is the poem against grief? No. It treats grief as natural and honest. It only shows that grief is not the end.
Q. Does the poem name the great soul? No. The soul is not named, so the poem can speak to everyone who has lost someone.
Q. How should I answer "What aspect of the poem appeals to you?" Pick one aspect, such as the tree comparison or the hopeful ending, and give one reason.
Mistakes to avoid
- Marking Statement I as true. The world is not left permanently unstable.
- Giving the mood as sadness only. It moves from fear to hope.
- Naming an aspect that appeals to you with no reason. The 4-mark question asks for a reason.
Check yourself
- On what note does the poem end?
- What does "Be and be better" ask of us?
- Is the world left permanently unstable in the poem?
Answers: 1. Hope. 2. To live and grow better because the great souls lived. 3. No; peace returns after a period.