(Poem) The Trees English class 10 in English Medium ncert book solutions NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

Chapter 5. (Poem) The Trees

This section contains the NCERT textbook questions and answers based on the poem The Trees. The answers are written in simple, accurate, and exam-oriented language according to the latest CBSE syllabus.

NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

The following questions are based on the poem The Trees by Adrienne Rich. Read them carefully to understand the symbolic meaning of the poem and the poet's message about nature and freedom.

Thinking About the Poem

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

Answer:

According to the first stanza, the following three things cannot happen in a treeless forest:

• The birds cannot sit on the trees.
• The insects cannot hide in the shade of the trees.
• The sun cannot bury its feet in the shadow of the forest.

Question 1. (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'?

Answer:

These words create the image of the setting sun whose rays fall gently on the forest floor and disappear into the shadows of the trees. The poet uses the word "feet" symbolically to refer to the lower rays of the sun touching the earth.

Question 2. Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do? What does the poet compare their branches to?

Answer:

The trees are inside a house and are trying to move back into the forest. Their roots struggle to free themselves from the cracks in the floor. Their leaves move towards the glass windows as if searching for fresh air and open space. Their twigs become stiff with effort as they try to escape. The poet compares the branches to newly discharged patients who move carefully after recovering from illness.

Question 3. How does the poet describe the moon?

Answer:

The poet describes the moon as bright, calm, and shining in the open sky. Its light falls gently on the trees and the forest, making the silent movement of the trees appear peaceful and beautiful.

Question 4. What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?

Answer:

When the trees leave the house, it becomes empty and silent. The smell of leaves and lichens disappears, and the house loses the freshness and liveliness that the trees had brought. At the same time, the forest becomes alive again as the trees return to their natural home.

Question 5. 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:

The poet does not mention the trees leaving the house because the event is symbolic rather than ordinary. She quietly observes nature restoring its balance instead of trying to explain it. The silence also suggests that some experiences are so deep and meaningful that words cannot fully describe them.

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