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10th Class - English-AP

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10th Class - English-AP
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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;

Important Question

Important Question

AP 10th Class English Important Questions 1st Lesson will help students prepare well for the exams.

AP Board 10th Class English 5th Lesson The Trees Important Questions and Answers

1. Who is the poet of "The Trees"?
A) Robert Frost
B) Adrienne Rich
C) William Wordsworth
D) Sylvia Plath

Answer: B) Adrienne Rich

2. What does the poem "The Trees" mainly talk about?
A) Love and friendship
B) Freedom of women and nature
C) The beauty of the city
D) Human inventions

Answer: B) Freedom of women and nature

3. Where are the trees moving at night?
A) Into the forest
B) Into the house
C) Into the garden
D) To the city

Answer: A) Into the forest

4. What does the word "empty forest" signify?

Answer: The forests have become empty because trees have been cut down or removed.

5. What are the trees described as doing in the poem?

Answer: They are described as moving out of the house to return to nature.

6. What do the "walls" symbolize in the poem?

Answer: Barriers created by humans that restrict nature and women’s freedom.

7. What does the phrase "long-cramped roots" mean?

Answer: Roots that have been confined and unable to grow freely.

8. What does the poet compare the trees to?

Answer: Women who have been confined and now seek freedom.

9. What time of day do the trees start moving?

Answer: At night.

10. What sound can be heard in the poet’s house?

Answer: The rustling sound of the trees moving out.

11. Where were the trees kept?

Answer:Inside the house, away from nature.

12. Why do the trees want to go out?

Answer:To return to their natural environment - the forest.

13. What do "cramped roots" symbolize?

Answer:Suppression and lack of freedom.

14. What is the theme of the poem "The Trees"?

Answer:Liberation - of nature and women.

15. What does the poet do at night?

Answer:She opens the door and listens to the trees moving out.

16. Why are forests empty according to the poet?

Answer:Because humans have removed all the trees.

17. What is meant by "the forest that was empty all these days"?

Answer:The forest became empty after deforestation.

18. What literary device is used in "the roots work to disengage themselves"?

Answer:Personification.

19. What symbolizes freedom in the poem?

Answer:The trees moving back to the forest.

20. What symbolizes confinement?

Answer:The walls and glass of the house.

21. What message does Adrienne Rich convey through "The Trees"?

Answer:The poem highlights the importance of freedom - both for nature and for women. It criticizes human interference in natural processes and supports liberation from artificial boundaries.

22. Why does the poet describe trees as moving?

Answer:It’s a metaphor showing the trees’ struggle for freedom - just like women trying to break free from oppression.

23. How does the poet describe the night?

Answer:Calm and quiet, with the poet hearing the movement of trees as they leave the house.

24. What happens when the trees move out?

Answer:They fill the empty forests, symbolizing rebirth and freedom.

25. How is the poem related to women’s liberation?

Answer:The trees represent women confined in domestic life; their movement shows the women’s desire for independence.

26. Why does the poet feel the moon is broken?

Answer:The moonlight appears fragmented as it filters through the moving branches.

27. What emotions does the poet experience at night?

Answer:A mix of guilt, realization, and admiration for nature’s resilience.

28. What is the role of the poet in the poem?

Answer:A silent observer who realizes the necessity of freedom.

29. Why is the forest described as "empty"?

Answer:It represents loss due to human greed and destruction of nature.

30. What change occurs at the end of the poem?

Answer:Nature restores itself - the forest is no longer empty.

31. "The trees inside are moving out into the forest."
a) Where were the trees earlier?

Answer:Inside the house.
b) Why are they moving out?
To return to their natural habitat.
c) What does it symbolize?
Liberation and natural balance.

32. "The forest that was empty all these days."
a) Why was the forest empty?

Answer:Because the trees were removed.
b) What will happen now?
The forest will regain its trees.
c) What does it suggest?
The healing power of nature.

33. "The night is fresh, the whole moon shines in a sky still open."
a) What does "fresh" night indicate?

Answer:A sense of renewal and freedom.
b) What is the poet observing?
The night when trees move out.
c) What mood is created here?
Peaceful and hopeful.

34. "The smell of leaves and lichen still reaches like a voice into the rooms."
a) What literary device is used?

Answer: Simile ("like a voice").
b) What does it convey?
Nature is reconnecting with the indoors.
c) What feeling does it evoke?
Nostalgia and connection to nature.

35. Discuss the central idea of the poem "The Trees."

Answer: The poem conveys the theme of freedom and regeneration. Trees symbolize both nature and women - confined, exploited, yet powerful. Adrienne Rich uses vivid imagery to show the trees’ struggle to break free and restore natural balance. The poem is both ecological and feminist, emphasizing the interdependence between humans and nature.

36. How does the poem relate nature to human life?

Answer: Nature is personified to reflect human emotions. Just like humans, trees feel trapped when confined. The poem suggests that true happiness lies in freedom and living according to natural laws.

37. Explain how Adrienne Rich combines feminist and ecological themes in "The Trees."

Answer: Rich compares trees’ struggle for freedom to women’s struggle against oppression. Both are confined within man-made walls and both yearn to escape. The poem is a call for liberation - for women and for the planet.

38. Describe the imagery used by the poet in "The Trees."

Answer: The poem uses visual imagery like "cramped roots," "glass walls," and "forest empty all these days." The auditory imagery of "rustling leaves" and the "smell of leaves" adds depth and emotion.

39. What transformation takes place in the poem?

Answer: The trees transform from being confined indoors to returning to the forest, symbolizing the victory of freedom over control.

40. What is the poet’s tone throughout the poem?

Answer: Calm, reflective, yet hopeful - recognizing the inevitability of nature’s return to balance.

41. Figure of speech in "The trees inside are moving out"?

Answer:Personification & symbolism.

42. What poetic device is used in "roots work to disengage themselves"?

Answer:Personification.

43. Find an example of metaphor in the poem.

Answer:The trees as a metaphor for women.

44. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Answer:The poem is written in free verse - no rhyme scheme.

45. Tone of the poem "The Trees"?

Answer:Reflective and liberating.

46. Which sensory images are used?

Answer:Sight, sound, and smell.

47. What is personified in the poem?

Answer:Trees.

48. What is the setting of the poem?

Answer:Nighttime, when the trees move out of the poet’s house.

49. What message does the poet want to give society?

Answer:Respect and restore natural freedom and equality.

50. What is the main conflict shown?

Answer:Man vs. Nature (and Patriarchy vs. Women).

51. What would happen if humans stop interfering with nature?

Answer:Nature would heal and balance itself.

52. How does the poem connect ecology and feminism?

Answer:Both nature and women are controlled by patriarchal systems, but both seek liberation.

53. What does the movement of trees signify in a larger context?

Answer:The inevitable return of nature and justice.

54. Why does the poet not stop the trees?

Answer:She respects their need for freedom.

55. What lesson does the poem teach the reader?

Answer:Freedom is essential for all living beings.

56. Why were the trees kept inside the house?

Answer:The trees were used for decoration and confined in pots by humans for aesthetic pleasure.

57. What happens when trees are kept indoors for long?

Answer:They lose their natural growth, strength, and identity.

58. What kind of atmosphere is described in the poem?

Answer:A silent night with a sense of movement and rebirth.

59. What does the poet mean by "their long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof"?

Answer:The branches have been confined and are now struggling to move out.

60. How does Adrienne Rich use nature to express human emotions?

Answer:By comparing the trees’ struggle for freedom with human desires for liberation.

61. What change does the poet observe from her window?

Answer:The movement of trees leaving the house and the moonlight shifting due to their motion.

62. What does the moon symbolize in the poem?

Answer:Change, awareness, and renewal.

63. What feeling does the poet experience when she opens the door at night?

Answer:A mix of surprise, admiration, and hope.

64. What does the smell of leaves signify?

Answer:The presence of nature reclaiming its space.

65. What kind of relationship does the poet depict between humans and nature?

Answer:A broken relationship that needs healing and respect.

66. What do the "glass walls" symbolize?

Answer:Fragility of human-made barriers; artificial separation between humans and nature.

67. Why are the trees compared to women in the poem?

Answer:Both have been suppressed and confined but yearn for freedom and self-expression.

68. What does the phrase "No sun bury its feet in shadow" mean?

Answer:The trees have been deprived of sunlight due to confinement.

69. How does the poem depict human selfishness?

Answer:Humans confine trees indoors for decoration, ignoring their need for freedom.

70. What is the central conflict of the poem?

Answer:Nature’s freedom vs. human control.

71. What message does Adrienne Rich give through the movement of trees?

Answer:Liberation is natural and inevitable.

72. How does the poet feel about deforestation?

Answer:She disapproves of it and shows concern for the environment.

73. Why does the poet say the forest was empty?

Answer:Because human actions destroyed or removed its trees.

74. What does the poem teach us about the balance of life?

Answer:Humans must live in harmony with nature, not dominate it.

75. Why are the trees personified in the poem?

Answer:To make readers emotionally connect with nature’s struggle for freedom.

76. Find a word in the poem that means "tight or restricted."

Answer:Cramped.

77. What does "disengage" mean in the poem?

Answer:To free or detach from restriction.

78. Find a phrase that shows movement.

Answer:"Moving out into the forest."

79. Find a word that means "unoccupied or barren."

Answer:Empty.

80. What is the opposite of "freedom" as shown in the poem?

Answer:Confinement or captivity.

81. What is the synonym of "fresh" used in the poem?

Answer:New or renewed (symbolic freshness of night).

82. Find two examples of personification from the poem.

Answer:"The roots work to disengage themselves" and "The leaves strain toward the glass."

83. Find a metaphor that conveys women’s liberation.

Answer:Trees moving out of the house (symbolizing women breaking free).

84. What is the tone of the last stanza?

Answer:Hopeful and calm, indicating renewal and freedom.

85. What poetic form is used in "The Trees"?

Answer:Free verse - no rhyme or fixed meter.

86. How does the poet use contrast between indoors and outdoors?

Answer:Indoors represents confinement, while outdoors (the forest) represents freedom and natural life.

87. How can this poem be read as a protest?

Answer:It protests against both ecological destruction and social oppression (especially of women).

88. What change does the poet witness at the end?

Answer:The forest becomes alive again as trees return to their natural space.

89. Why does the poet remain silent while the trees move out?

Answer:She respects their right to freedom and observes quietly without interference.

90. What does the poem suggest about human domination over nature?

Answer:It’s temporary; nature will eventually reclaim its place.

91. How is the poem relevant in modern times?

Answer:It highlights deforestation, climate change, and gender equality - issues still relevant today.

92. What lesson do we learn from the poem?

Answer:Everything in nature has a right to freedom; we must respect natural balance.

93. What do the "leaves and lichen" represent?

Answer:Signs of life, continuity, and connection with nature.

94. What is the poet’s attitude toward nature?

Answer:Respectful, empathetic, and supportive of its freedom.

95. Why does the poet describe the night as "fresh"?

Answer:Because with the trees’ escape, there’s renewal and a sense of cleansing.

96. How does Adrienne Rich use imagery to show movement in the poem?

Answer:She describes the rustling leaves, shuffling branches, and moonlight shifting - creating vivid images of trees escaping confinement.

97. What message does the poet give to humanity through "The Trees"?

Answer:Humans must stop exploiting nature and allow both nature and women to live freely and equally.

98. How can the poem "The Trees" be called both environmental and feminist?

Answer:Environmentally, it depicts nature’s reclaiming freedom; feministically, it parallels women’s fight for liberation and equality.

99. How does the poet blend emotion and intellect in the poem?

Answer:Through symbolic expression - she uses emotional imagery to convey an intellectual message about freedom and balance.

100. Summarize the poem "The Trees" in your own words.

Answer:The poem "The Trees" by Adrienne Rich shows trees breaking free from human captivity and returning to the forest. It symbolizes liberation - of nature and women - and teaches that freedom and coexistence are essential for harmony in the world.

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