Death: Death is the foremost theme in this poem. The cutting down of trees is equated with death. Every time Patel talks of cutting down a tree, he portrays it as killing it. The death the poet incorporates in this poem is both natural and spiritual.
Deforestation: Deforestation is another major theme. Deforestation has become a problem, especially in the modern times, where forests are cleared to make roads, or for furniture of for fossil fuel. It is incredibly harmful to the ecosystem and the imminent danger is felt throughout the poem.
Pain: Patel spins a very visual tale of pain where the reader can almost feel the hacks made at a tree. The ‘bleeding bark’ is the visual representation of the pain Patel envisions the tree going through.