class 10 English - Very Important & Question Anwers

Short Answer Type Questions (2-3 Marks)

Word limit: 30-40 words

Q1. Where are the trees in the poem and what are they doing?

Ans: The trees are currently inside the poet’s house. They are struggling to move out into their natural habitat—the forest. Their roots are working to free themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor, and their leaves are straining toward the glass windows to reach the outside world.

Q2. Why has the forest been empty for so long? What are the consequences of an empty forest?

Ans: The forest has been empty because humans have moved the trees into artificial, indoor spaces for decoration. An empty forest means no bird can sit on a branch, no insect can hide, and the sun cannot bury its rays in the shadow of the leaves. It represents a total imbalance in nature.

Q3. To what does the poet compare the “strained branches”?

Ans: The poet compares the long-strained branches to “newly discharged patients” who are half-dazed as they move toward the hospital doors. Like patients who are eager yet confused to leave the clinic after a long illness, the trees are moving toward the outside world after being confined indoors.

Q4. What is the poet doing inside the house? Does she participate in the trees’ struggle?

Ans: The poet is sitting inside, writing long letters. She describes the smell of leaves and lichen reaching the room like a voice. However, she mentions that she “scarcely” mentions the departure of the forest in her letters, acting more as a silent observer of this natural revolution.

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Long Answer Type Questions (5 Marks)

Word limit: 100-120 words

Q1. Discuss the symbolic meaning of the poem “The Trees”.

Ans: On the surface, the poem is about nature reclaiming its space. However, symbolically, it is a feminist poem. The “trees” represent women who have been confined within the four walls of the house (the domestic sphere) for centuries. The “house” represents the traditional, male-dominated society. The trees moving out into the forest symbolize women breaking free from their restricted roles and moving into the “forest” of the outside world to find their true identity and freedom. The struggle of the roots and leaves represents the effort women make to liberate themselves from social bondage. The “empty forest” represents a society that lacks the presence and contribution of women.

Q2. How does Adrienne Rich use imagery to describe the struggle of the trees?

Ans: The poet uses vivid and intense imagery to show the desperation of the trees.

• Tactile Imagery: “Roots work to disengage themselves,” showing the physical effort.

• Visual Imagery: “Small twigs stiff with exertion” and “boughs shuffling under the roof” create a picture of a crowded, restless space.

• Metaphorical Imagery: Comparing branches to “newly discharged patients” creates a sense of fragility combined with the hope of freedom.

• Nature Imagery: The “broken mirror” of the moon seen through the crown of the oak tree suggests that the trees have finally succeeded in reaching the sky, breaking the old reflection of their indoor lives.

Q3. What message does the poet intend to convey through the “departure” of the trees?

Ans: The message is one of inevitable change and liberation. The poet suggests that anything kept in an unnatural state—whether it is nature in a house or women in restricted roles—will eventually fight for its freedom. Nature cannot be “tamed” or “decorated” inside houses forever; it belongs to the wild. Similarly, human spirit cannot be suppressed. The “departure” signifies a revolution. The poem encourages the reader to accept the natural order and warns that the “glass” of artificiality will eventually break when the truth (the trees) moves out to fulfill its destiny.

Q4. Why does the poet mention that the “night is fresh” and the “moon is full” at the beginning and then “broken like a mirror” at the end?

Ans: This change in the moon’s appearance symbolizes the success of the trees’ struggle. At the beginning, the moon is “whole” because there is nothing between the poet and the sky—the trees are still inside. At the end, as the trees reach the forest, the tallest oak tree’s branches spread out against the sky. These branches “block” and “break” the view of the moon into many pieces. This “broken mirror” effect is a sign that the trees have finally reclaimed their height and their rightful place in the forest, standing tall and proud against the night sky.