The Trees

Textual  Solutions for Class 10 English 

Poem – The Trees

The poem "The Trees" by Adrienne Rich talks about a bunch of trees stuck in a greenhouse, maybe even fake ones. These trees seem like they're trying to escape from this confined space. They're moving towards the forest. The forest missed having the trees, and without them, birds have nowhere to build nests and bugs have nowhere to hide. Without the trees, the sun shines extra bright and doesn't make any shadows. The roots of the trees start to crack, and the branches and twigs move towards the forest too. At first, it's hard for the trees, but they start to get better slowly. The poet sits inside, writing letters, and sees the moon shining in the sky. The glass in the greenhouse starts to break more as the trees move out, and the moon looks broken as it shines through the treetops.

1. (i) Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.

The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest are listed below:

1. the sitting of a bird on trees
2. the hiding of insects in the trees
3. the sun burying its feet in the shadow of the forest

(ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: “… sun bury its feet in shadow…”? What could the poet mean by the sun’s ‘feet’?

The sun’s ‘feet’ refers to the heat and rays of the sun that fall on the ground. Since there are no trees, there will be no shadow, the sun rays will fall on the ground directly. However, in a forest full of trees, the shadow hides the sun rays and it appears that the sun is burying its feet in the shadow of the trees in the forest.

2. (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?

In the poem, the trees grow near the poet's house. Their roots try hard at night to break free from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves try to reach the glass and push against it to break it. Even the small branches become stiff and tense as they work hard.

(ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?

The poet says the branches of the trees under the roof are like patients leaving a hospital after a long illness. They seem disoriented, like they're not used to being free. The branches want to spread out in the open air outside because they feel cramped under the roof.

3. (i) How does the poet describe the moon: (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end? What causes this change?

In the third stanza, the poet says the full moon is shining brightly in the open sky on a fresh night. Later, she describes how the moon seems to break into many pieces, like a cracked mirror, and its light shines on the tallest oak trees. As the trees move outside from her home, they block some of the moonlight, so only small bits of it can be seen. This explains why the poet says the moon has broken into pieces.

(ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?

When the trees move out of the house, the glass breaks and the smell of leaves and lichen reach the rooms of the house like a voice.

(iii) 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.)

The poet hardly talks about "the trees leaving the house" in her letters because people usually don't pay attention to nature. So, she believes no one would care about how much the trees struggle to break free. She also says if people truly cared for trees, they wouldn't think of harming them. This shows the poet appreciates the beauty of the trees returning to the forest, and it makes her very happy.

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?

The poem may connote different meanings to different readers. The poet tries to explain two different things using the same metaphors in the poem.

(i) 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’?

The poem shows a problem between people and nature. Humans often harm nature without understanding its importance and benefits. They cut down a lot of trees, which upsets the balance of nature and ruins the beauty of landscapes. Humans also restrict plants and trees in small areas, stopping them from growing freely. That's why the tree branches in the poem want to spread out and feel the fresh air outside. Similarly, in another poem called 'A Tiger in the Zoo', the poet talks about how animals kept in cages also want to be free

(ii) 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?

If we think of trees as a symbol for people, then it's like saying humans also want to break free from their busy lives and the limits they face. People work hard every day to make a living, but they don't always get to enjoy life's rewards. While modern life offers comfort, it also comes with challenges. So, like trees, humans also crave freedom from their responsibilities and long for the peace of nature.

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.

Both "The Trees" by Adrienne Rich and "On Killing a Tree" by Dr. Gieve Patel explore the theme of nature, specifically focusing on trees, but they present contrasting perspectives.

In "The Trees," Rich describes the trees moving out of a confined space into the open forest, symbolizing liberation and freedom. The poet observes this transition from inside her house, feeling the whispers of nature but remaining detached from the trees' departure. The poem celebrates the natural world's resilience and the cyclical nature of life.

On the other hand, "On Killing a Tree" by Dr. Gieve Patel presents a darker perspective. The poem describes the difficulty of killing a tree, highlighting the tree's strength and resilience. It emphasizes the destructive process of killing a tree, from hacking and chopping to pulling out its roots. The poem portrays nature as a formidable force that cannot be easily subdued.

Overall, while both poems explore the theme of nature, "The Trees" celebrates its beauty and resilience, while "On Killing a Tree" emphasizes its strength and the destructive consequences of human intervention.