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The Trees English First Flight 5th

Thinking about the Poem
Question 1.
  1. Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest
  2. What picture do these words create in your mind: . sun bury its feet in shadow."? What could the poet mean by suns feet

Answer:

  1. In a treeless forest birds find no place to sit and insects see nowhere to hide themselves. And even the sun fails to find any shade to put his feet
  2. "..sun bury its feet in shadow" evokes an interesting image. The plain meaning is that there are no trees and therefore no shadows. It is not the suns feet that need shades to bury, but it is our feet that need protection
Question 2.
  1. Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do
  2. What does the poet compare their branches to

Answer:

  1. The trees are in the house in the poem. The trees roots, leaves, twigs and boughs are toiling hard to free themselves from the confines and moving out into the open forests
  2. The poet compares the branches to just discharged patients moving out of hospitals
Question 3.
  1. How does the poet describe the moon : (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end? What causes this change
  2. What happens to the house when the trees move out of it
  3. Why do you think the poet does not mention "the departure of the forest from the house" in her letters? (Could it be that we are often silent about important happenings that are so unexpected that they embarrass us? Think about this again when you answer the next set of questions.)

Answer:

  1. The moon is shining in full in the cloudless sky. But later, when the trees move out the moon is broken like a mirror. The moving out of the trees from the house to the open forest causes this change
  2. When the trees move out, the rooms of the house are filled with the smell of leaves and lichen
  3. The poet was so embarrassed at the unexpected departure of the trees that she fails to write about them in her letters
Question 4.
Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here are two suggestions. Can you think of others?
  1. Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the Zoo. Is the poet suggesting that plants and trees, used for interior decoration in cities while forests are cut down, are imprisoned, and need to break out
  2. On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings; this is a recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be symbolic of this particular meaning

Answer: Yes, the poetess presents the conflict between man and nature. In A Tiger in the Zoo it is the animals that are confined. Here in "The Trees" it is the plants that are restricted to a small space. It is against the laws of NATURE. The poetess also uses the suffering of imprisoned trees as a metaphor to fully reflect the pain of human beings when they are subjected to restrictions

Question 5.
You may read the poem On Killing a Tree by Gieve Patel (Beehive - Textbook in English for Class IX, NCERT). Compare and contrast it with the poem you have just read?

Answer: Adrienne Richs poem "The Trees" and Gieve Patels work "On Killing a Tree" deal with trees. They have many common features. Contrast is also striking

Both the poems emphasise the need to preserve greenery and protect trees. "The Trees" tells us that trees can revolt, fight against mans onslaught and win over man. "On Killing a Tree", on the other hand, emphasises how hard it is to kill a tree completely. The poem explains the reasons for that difficulty. The ultimate indication, through irony, there is: "Dont destroy trees". Both the poems highlight the value and power of trees. "The Trees" metaphorically suggests the need to liberate women from the clutches of a male-dominated world

Additional Questions : I. Read the following stanza

The trees inside are moving out into the forest, the forest that was empty all these days where no bird could sit no insect hide no sun bury its feet in shadow the forest that was empty all these nights will be full of trees by morning

Question 1.
What is the main transformation described in the stanza ?
  1. Trees moving out of the forest
  2. Birds flying into the forest
  3. Insects emerging from hiding

Answer: Trees moving out of the forest

Question 2.
What was the condition of the forest before the transformation?
  1. It was full of trees
  2. It was empty during the day and night
  3. It was teeming with birds and insects

Answer: It was empty during the day and night

Question 3.
When does the transformation of the forest occur?
  1. During the day
  2. At night
  3. By morning

Answer: By morning

Question 4.
What does the line "no sun bury its feet in shadow" suggest about the forest?
  1. It is always brightly lit
  2. It is dense with trees
  3. It lacks sunlight

Answer: It lacks sunlight

Question 5.
What is the tone of the stanza ?
  1. Joyful
  2. Melancholic
  3. Hopeful

Answer: Hopeful

Question 6.
What is the implied significance of the forest becoming full of trees by morning ?
  1. Renewal and growth
  2. Destruction and decay
  3. Pollution and degradation

Answer: Renewal and growth

II. Read the following stanza

All night the roots work to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves strain toward the glass small twigs stiff with exertion long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof like newly discharged patients half-dazed, moving to the clinic doors

Question 1.
What is the mafn action of the roots described in the stanza ?
  1. Disengaging from cracks in the veranda floor
  2. Reaching toward the glass
  3. Straining under the roof

Answer: Disengaging from cracks in the veranda floor

Question 2.
What do the leaves and twigs symbolize in the stanza?
  1. Renewal and growth
  2. Desperation and struggle
  3. Surrender and acceptance

Answer: Desperation and struggle

Question 3.
What does the imagery of "long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof" suggest?
  1. The trees are comfortable
  2. The trees are in pain
  3. The trees are restrained

Answer: The trees are restrained

Question 4.
What is the overall mood conveyed by the stanza?
  1. Contentment
  2. Restlessness
  3. Serenity

Answer: Restlessness

Question 5.
What does the comparison of the boughs to "newly discharged patients" suggest ?
  1. Relief and freedom
  2. Suffering and illness
  3. Resilience and recovery

Answer: Relief and freedom

Question 6.
What is the significance of the imagery of the leaves and twigs straining toward the glass ?
  1. They seek warmth
  2. They long for freedom
  3. They desire light

Answer: They desire light

III. Read the following stanza

I sit inside, doors open to the veranda writing long letters in which I scarcely mention the departure of the forest from the house. The night is fresh, the whole moon shines in a sky still open the smell of leaves and lichen still reaches like a voice into the rooms

Question 1.
What is the main focus of the letters mentioned in the stanza?
  1. The departure of the forest
  2. The fresh night
  3. Personal matters

Answer: Personal matters

Question 2.
What does the phrase "the whole moon shines in a sky still open" suggest ?
  1. The sky is clear and vast
  2. The moon is partially hidden
  3. The night is ending

Answer: The sky is clear and vast

Question 3.
What is the significance of the smell of leaves and lichen reaching into the rooms?
  1. It brings comfort and familiarity
  2. It signals danger and decay
  3. It represents isolation and loneliness

Answer: It brings comfort and familiarity

Qution 4.
What is the authors attitude towards the departure of the forest from the house?
  1. Indifference
  2. Sadness
  3. Excitement

Answer: Indifference

Question 5.
What does the authors choice to focus on the night and the moon suggest about their state of mind?
  1. They are feeling lonely
  2. They are seeking solace in nature
  3. They are indifferent to their surroundings

Answer: They are seeking solace in nature

Question 6.
How does the imagery of the smell of leaves and lichen reaching into the rooms contribute to the atmosphere of the stanza ?
  1. It creates a sense of intimacy and connection
  2. It evokes a feeling of discomfort and unease
  3. It symbolizes decay and deterioration

Answer: It creates a sense of intimacy and connection

IV. Read the following stanza

My head is full of whispers which tomorrow will be silent. Listen. The glass is breaking. The trees are stumbling forward into the night. Winds rush to meet them. The moon is broken like a mirror, its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest oak

Question 1.
What is the main imagery used to describe the moon?
  1. Broken glass
  2. Flashing pieces in the crown of the oak
  3. Whispering voices

Answer: Flashing pieces in the crown of the oak

Question 2.
What does the breaking glass symbolize in the stanza?
  1. Destruction and chaos
  2. Renewal and transformation
  3. Silence and stillness

Answer: Destruction and chaos

Question 3.
What is the atmosphere created by the imagery of the trees stumbling forward into the night ?
  1. Fear and uncertainty
  2. Determination and purpose
  3. Tranquility and calmness

Answer: Fear and uncertainty

Question 4.
What do the winds rushing to meet the trees suggest ?
  1. They are welcoming the trees
  2. They are trying to stop the trees
  3. They are amplifying the chaos

Answer: They are welcoming the trees

Question 5.
What does the imagery of the moon being broken like a mirror convey ?
  1. Beauty and elegance
  2. Loss and fragmentation
  3. Serenity and tranquility

Answer: Loss and fragmentation

Question 6.
What is the overall mood of the stanza ?
  1. Calm and serene
  2. Chaotic and turbulent
  3. Joyful and celebratory

Answer: Chaotic and turbulent

The Trees Poem Summary in English

The Trees is an unusual poem. It is symbolic. It presents the conflict between man and nature. It highlights the need of natural habitat for any living being. It emphasises the value of freedom to all creatures. The poem first describes the forest that has no trees. The forest was empty all those days

There was no place for any bird to sit and rest, no shelter for an insect to hide. There was no shade. The forest was empty all these nights. The poem then presents the struggles of trees to move from inside the house to the forest outside. The roots move out from the floor. The leaves exert themselves to break the glass

The branches approach the door. They are like the newly discharged patients. They are eager to leave the clinic and reach their home - the forest. The poet watches the movement of trees. But she does not want to record that event. The night is fresh. The moon shines

The smell of the leaves spreads all around like the voice of someone. The poets head is full of thoughts. But the next day they will subside. Trees are moving out. Winds welcome them. The moon embraces them. Order is restored. This is what needs to be done

Glossary :

disengage (v) : release; loosen; detach; free;

cracks (n-pl) : narrow openings in previously solid material;

strain (v) : exert; struggle beyond limits;

stiff (adj) : rigid; hard to bend;

exertion (n) : tiredness as total energy is spent;

long-cramped (adj) : pressed into a narrow space for a long time;

boughs (n-pl) : tree branches;

shuffling (v+ing) : moving;

scarcely (adv) : hardly; practically not;

departure (n) : leaving a place;

lichen (n) : a spread of algae and fungi;

stumbling (v+ing) : walking clumsily;

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