Navigating through the English Language and Literature curriculum for Class 10 requires an in-depth understanding of symbolic poetry, ecological themes, feminist allegories, and descriptive imagery. Poem 7 of First Flight, “The Trees” by celebrated American poet and feminist Adrienne Rich, is a powerful and evocative poem. On the surface, it portrays the rebellion of decorative indoor trees breaking free from the artificial confines of a house to return to their natural home—the forest. Symbolically and allegorically, the poem represents the emancipation of women breaking out of patriarchal domestic confinement to reclaim their rightful place in society. To help students master every aspect of this high-weightage unit, this comprehensive solutions guide offers textbook-accurate, highly structured, and pedagogically sound responses strictly aligned with the latest CBSE marking schemes and word limits.
Every question presented in the official NCERT textbook—ranging from stanza-by-stanza inquiries and symbolic interpretations to simile breakdowns, feminist subtexts, and an expanded set of 15 board-level FAQs—has been solved with exhaustive detail. Short-answer responses are calibrated strictly to the official 30–40 word limit, while long-answer analytical questions meet the 100–120 word board standard. Key scoring terms, literary devices (such as personification, simile, enjambment, and metaphor), and thematic nuances have been highlighted to ensure students secure maximum marks in their CBSE Board Examinations.
NCERT Class 10 English The Trees Solutions
The poem begins by depicting trees trapped inside human houses as decorative houseplants. Meanwhile, the outside forest has been barren and empty—no birds could sit in its branches, no insects could hide, and no scorching sunlight could bury its feet in cool shadows. However, the trees stage a silent, determined rebellion throughout the night: roots work hard to disengage from veranda floor cracks, leaves strain toward the window glass, small twigs stiffen with exertion, and long-cramped boughs shuffle under the roof like newly discharged, half-dazed hospital patients.
As the poet sits inside writing long letters, the glass window breaks, and the trees march triumphant into the open night. Nature welcomes them back with rushing winds, the smell of leaves and lichen fills the rooms, and the full moon appears fractured like a broken mirror in the crown of the tallest oak tree. Below are the complete, textbook-accurate solutions.
Thinking about the Poem (Page No. 100)
Question 1 (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves and their twigs do? (Page No. 100) [BOARD EXAM FAVORITE]
Answer: At the beginning of the poem, the trees are trapped inside the poet’s house, confined as decorative indoor plants.
Throughout the night, they engage in a determined physical struggle to escape:
- Roots: Work continuously all night to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor.
- Leaves: Strain tirelessly toward the window glass to break free.
- Twigs and Boughs: Small twigs stiffen with exertion, while long-cramped boughs shuffle under the roof trying to reach the outside world.
Question 1 (ii) What was the forest like when the trees were inside? (Page No. 100) [BOARD EXAM FAVORITE]
Answer: When the trees were confined indoors, the outside forest was completely barren, silent, desolate, and lifeless:
- No birds could sit or perch in the empty branches.
- No insects could find shelter or hide.
- No sun could bury its scorching rays in the cool, protective shadows of leaves.
The forest remained an empty, lifeless void until the trees returned to fill it by morning.
Question 1 (iii) What happens to the house when the trees move out? (Page No. 100)
Answer: When the trees break free and move out into the forest, the physical structure and atmosphere of the house undergo a dramatic change:
- The window glass breaks under the pressure of the advancing branches.
- The cool night wind rushes into the room to greet the escaping trees.
- The fresh scent of leaves and lichen lingers inside the rooms like a living voice.
Question 2 (i) Why does the poet use the metaphor/simile of “newly discharged patients”? (Page No. 100) [BOARD EXAM FAVORITE]
Answer: The poet compares the moving branches to “newly discharged patients” who look half-dazed and confused as they move toward the clinic exit doors.
This simile vividly captures the physical and psychological condition of the trees:
- Like patients who have spent long, painful months confined to hospital beds, the branches are cramped, stiff, and weakened from prolonged indoor captivity.
- As they step into the bright, open outdoors, they move cautiously and unsteadily, overwhelmed by the sudden return of natural light and freedom.
Question 2 (ii) Why does the poet say the moon is “broken like a mirror”? (Page No. 100) [BOARD EXAM FAVORITE]
Answer: The poet describes the moon as “broken like a mirror” because of the visual perspective created by the towering oak tree.
Initially, a whole, uninterrupted full moon shone brightly in the clear night sky. However, when the tall oak tree reaches the forest, its dense, spreading boughs and leafy canopy block the moonlight. As a result, the moon’s light is fragmented into small, shimmering pieces that appear like shattered shards of a broken mirror flashing in the crown of the tallest oak.
Question 3 (i) Does the poem present an event that is actually happening, or can you think of it as a metaphor for a human experience? (Page No. 100) [BOARD EXAM FAVORITE]
Answer: The poem operates on two distinct, complementary levels:
- Literal Level: It depicts a surreal, magical event where nature rebels against human domestication and trees physically uproot themselves to restore the barren forest.
- Metaphorical Level: It serves as a powerful feminist allegory for women’s liberation. The trees represent women who have been confined to private domestic spaces for centuries. Their determined march into the forest symbolizes women breaking through social barriers to reclaim autonomy, leadership, and public spaces in the wider world.
Question 3 (ii) What could the trees represent? (Page No. 100)
Answer: The trees represent:
- Nature’s Untamed Power: The primal, uncontrollable force of the natural world resisting human exploitation and confinement.
- Oppressed Women: Women breaking out of traditional domestic boundaries and patriarchal restrictions to enter the mainstream social, intellectual, and professional world.
- Healing and Restoration: The return of vitality and balance to a depleted, lifeless society.
Poetic Devices and Stanza Analysis Explained
Exercise 1: Literary Devices in The Trees Identify and explain the key poetic devices employed by Adrienne Rich:
Answer:
- Personification: Attributing human actions and emotions to non-human elements:
- “No sun bury its feet in shadow” (sun having feet).
- “Trees stumbling forward into the night” (trees stumbling like human beings).
- “Winds rush to meet them” (wind actively greeting the trees).
- Simile: Direct comparisons using ‘like’ or ‘as’:
- “like newly discharged patients / half-dazed, moving to the clinic doors”
- “The moon is broken like a mirror”
- Visual Imagery: Vivid, sensory descriptions creating mental pictures:
- “whisper of leaves,” “smell of leaves and lichen,” “cracked veranda floor,” “broken glass.”
- Enjambment: The continuation of thoughts across line breaks without end-punctuation:
- “I sit inside, doors open to the veranda / writing long letters / in which I scarcely mention the departure…”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Class 10 English Poem 7
Question 1: Who is the poet of “The Trees”? Answer: “The Trees” is composed by celebrated 20th-century American poet, essayist, and feminist Adrienne Rich.
Question 2: What is the primary theme of “The Trees”? Answer: The poem has a dual theme: the ecological restoration of nature escaping human confinement, and the feminist struggle of women breaking free from domestic oppression to reclaim freedom.
Question 3: Where were the trees kept before they escaped? Answer: The trees were kept inside the poet’s house, confined to verandas and rooms as artificial decorative plants.
Question 4: What happened to the forest when trees were removed from it? Answer: The forest became completely barren, silent, and desolate; birds had no place to sit, insects could not hide, and the sun cast no shadows.
Question 5: What struggle do the roots of the trees undergo all night? Answer: The roots work persistently throughout the night to disengage and unfasten themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor.
Question 6: Why are the boughs compared to newly discharged patients? Answer: They are compared to newly discharged patients because they are stiff, cramped, and half-dazed after long indoor confinement, moving unsteadily toward the open exit.
Question 7: What is the poet doing while the trees are escaping? Answer: The poet is sitting inside her room with the doors open to the veranda, writing long letters in which she barely mentions the departure of the forest.
Question 8: Why does the poet scarcely mention the departure of the forest in her letters? Answer: She scarcely mentions it because the event is so monumental, quiet, and revolutionary that conventional words cannot capture the profound transformation taking place.
Question 9: What physical damage occurs to the house as the trees move? Answer: The window glass shatters and breaks as the eager branches push forward into the night.
Question 10: How does the wind react to the moving trees? Answer: The night winds blow fiercely and rush forward eagerly to meet, embrace, and welcome the returning trees.
Question 11: What does the smell of leaves and lichen symbolize? Answer: It symbolizes the lingering presence, vitality, and living voice of nature that cannot be silenced even after the trees have physically left the room.
Question 12: Why is the moon compared to a broken mirror? Answer: The full moon appears fractured like a shattered mirror because its light is broken into multiple flashing fragments by the spreading branches of the tall oak tree.
Question 13: What does the “tallest oak” symbolize in the poem? Answer: The tallest oak tree symbolizes strength, resilience, rooted authority, and the triumphant return of natural majesty.
Question 14: How does the poem inspire modern readers? Answer: It inspires readers to respect the freedom of nature, stop environmental exploitation, and support gender equality by empowering marginalized individuals to break free from social barriers.
Question 15: What is the tone of the poem “The Trees”? Answer: The tone transitions from mysterious and subdued during the nighttime struggle to triumphant, energetic, and celebratory as the trees achieve freedom.
Mastering the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Poem 7, “The Trees”, ensures complete clarity on both literal ecological concepts and metaphorical feminist interpretations. Review the similes, the nighttime struggle of roots and branches, and the 15 board-level FAQs above to secure full marks in your CBSE Board Examinations.