The Trees Poem by Adrienne Rich can be considered and well explained through Introduction of The Trees Poem, Message from The Trees Poem, Theme, Title, Characters of The Trees Poem, Summary in English The Trees Poem, Summary in Hindi, Word meanings of The Trees Poem, complete lesson in Hindi, Extracts, Long answers, Short answers from The Trees Poem, Very short Answers, MCQs of the chapter The Trees Poem and much more.
The Trees
By– Adrienne Rich
COMPREHENSION OF STANZAS
Read the following stanzas and answer the questions that follow :
STANZA 1
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 the shadow
the forest that was empty all these nights
will be full of trees by morning.
Questions :
(a) From where are the trees moving out into the forest?
(b) Why can’t birds sit in them or insects hide in them?
(c) How was the forest ‘all these nights’?
(d) Are these trees useful for birds and insects?
(e) What type of trees are these?
Answers :
(a) The trees are moving out of the mind of the painter and coining on the canvas.
(b) These are not real trees. These are the trees in a picture or decorative trees in a house. So birds can’t sit in them and insects cannot hide there.
(c) All these nights, the forest was empty.
(d) No, these trees are not useful for birds and insects.
(e) These are decorative or picture trees
STANZA 2
All night the roots work
to disengage themselves from the cracks
on 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.
Questions :
(a) What do the roots do all night?
(b) How are the small twigs?
(c) What are the boughs compared to?
(d) What do the leaves do?
(e) Name the poem and the poetess.
Answers :
(a) All night the roots work to free themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor.
(b) The small twigs are stiff.
(c) The boughs are compared to newly discharged patients.
(d) The leaves strain towards the glass.
(e) Poem: The Trees,
Poetess: Adrienne Rich.
STANZA 3
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.
Questions :
(a) Where is the poetess sitting?
(b) What is the poetess doing?
(c) What does she not mention in her letters?
(d) How does the poetess describe the night and the moon?
(e) How is the sky?
Answers :
(a) The poetess is sitting in her room.
(b) The poetess is writing long letters.
(c) She does not mention the departure of the forest from the house.
(d) The night is pleasant and fresh. The full moon is shining.
(e) The sky is still open.
STANZA 4
the smell of leaves and lichen
still reaches like a voice into the rooms.
My head is full of whispers
which tomorrow will be silent.
Questions :
(a) Where is the poetess sitting at present?
(b) Which smell is reaching her?
(c) What is her head full of?
(d) What will be silent tomorrow?
(e) Name the poem and the poetess.
Answers :
(a) At present, the poetess is sitting in her room.
(b) The smell of leaves and lichen is reaching her.
(c) Her head is full of whispers.
(d) Tomorrow, the whispers will be silent.
(e) Poem: The Trees,
Poetess: Adrienne Rich.
STANZA 5
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.
Questions :
(a) What is happening to the glass?
(b) What does the poetess say about the trees?
(c) What rushes out to meet the trees?
(d) How does the poetess describe the moon?
(e) Why does the wind rush?
Answers :
(a) The glass is breaking.
(b) The poetess says that the trees are stumbling forward into the night.
(c) The wind rushes out to meet the trees.
(d) The poetess says that the moon is like a broken mirror.
(e) The wind rushes to meet the trees.
Stanza-6: (Page 99)
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.
Word-Meaning: Empty— vacant, Insect— small arthropod, Bury— to hide the thing in the sand, etc, Shadow—shade,
Paraphrase
The tees are coming out of their artificial habitat—the glasshouses. They are moving out to their natural habitat—the forest. The forest has been empty of trees all these days. No bird could sit on the tree-tops now. Nor could any insect could hide in the cracks of the trees. The scorching rays of the sun had no shade of trees to cool themselves. The forest which has been empty without trees will be full of trees by morning.
Questions:
(a) Where are the trees moving out?
(b) What was the condition of the forest all those days?
(c) What is the effect of empty forest on birds, insects and the sun?
(d) What will happen by morning?
Answers:
(a) The trees are moving out of the artificial glasshouses and going to the forest.
(b) Of late, the forest has become empty without trees.
(c) Birds can’t perch, insects can’t hide themselves and the sun rays can’t find shade without trees in the forest.
(d) By morning, the forest will be full of trees.
Stanza-7: (Page 99)
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.
Word-Meaning: Roots— the extension of plants buried under the earth, Disengage— free, Strain— struggle hard, Twigs— small branches, Stiff- hard, Exertion — overwork, tiredness, Cramped- become hard, Stiff— hard, Boughs— branches, Shatter— moving about changing their position, Discharge— to grant permission Dazed- surprised, Clinic— hospital,
Paraphrase
The whole night the roots of the trees have been struggling hard to come out from the cracks of the veranda floor. The leaves have been hying hard to come out of the glass- house. Small branches have become very hard due to their overwork. Large cramped branches are shuffling under the roof as the newly discharged half-dazed patients are running fast to the hospital door to go out.
Questions:
(a) What are the roots doing all night?
(b) What are the leaves doing?
(c) What have small twigs become?
(d) What is the poetic device used in the last lines?
Answers:
(a) The roots have been struggling all night to come out from the cracks of the veranda floor.
(b) The leaves are struggling to move towards the glass to break open it.
(c) Small twigs have become hard with exertion.
(d) There is an effective use of simile when the shuffling cramped boughs are compared to the freshly discharged patients.
Stanza-8: (Page 99)
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.
Word-Meaning: Scarcely— hardly, Mention— to refer, Departure— (here) going out, Lichen— a very small grey plant that spreads over trees.
Paraphrase
The poetess is sitting inside the house. The doors of the room open to the veranda. She is writing long letters. In that letter, she doesn’t describe how the forest is going out of the house. The night is fresh. The full moon is shining in the sky. The smell of leaves and lichen is reaching like a voice in the room.
Questions:
(a) What is the poetess doing?
(b) Does she mention the departure of the forest in the letters?
(c) How is the night?
(d) What is the smell of leaves compared with?
Answers:
(a) The poetess is writing long letters sitting inside her room.
(b) No, she makes no mention of the departure of the forest in her letters.
(c) The night is fresh and the full moon is shining in the sky.
(d) The smell of leaves and lichen is reaching the rooms like a voice.
Stanza-9: (Page 100)
My head is full of whispers which tomorrow will be silent.
Listen. The glass is breaking.
The trees are stumbling forward into the night.
Word-Meaning: Head- mind, Whisper— low soft voice, Silent— quiet, Stumble— struggle to walk,
Paraphrase
The head of the poetess is echoing with whispers. But all these whispers will become silent the next morning. The poetess asks us to listen to the breaking sound of the glass. The glass is breaking and the trees are struggling but marching forward victoriously towards another forest.
Questions:
(a) What is echoing in her mind?
(b) When will these whispers be silent?
(c) What is breaking and why?
(d) Where are the trees stumbling forward?
Answers:
(a) The poetess’s mind is full of whispers.
(b) These whispers will become silent the next morning.
(c) Glass is breaking as the trees are forcing to come out of it.
(d) The trees are stumbling forward victoriously towards the forest.
Stanza-10: (Page 100)
Winds rush to meet them.
The moon is broken like a mirror, its pieces now flash in the crown of the tallest oak.
Word-Meaning: Winds— moving air, Rush— run forward, Flash— shine brightly, Crown— tile upper branches and leaves, Oak— a huge tree,
Paraphrase
Winds rush forward to meet the trees. The moon has broken into many pieces like a mirror. Only some parts of the broken moon can be seen shining through the top branches of a huge oak tree.
Questions:
(a) What does the word ‘them’ in the first line refer to?
(b) Where do winds rush to?
(c) What is broken into pieces?
(d) Where are the pieces of the broken moonshining?
Answers:
(a) The word ‘them’ refers to the trees.
(b) Winds rush to meet the trees.
(c) The full moon is broken into many pieces like a mirror.
(d) The pieces of the broken moon are shining on the top branches and leaves of the tallest oak tree.
Want to Read More Check Below:-
The Trees- About the Author & Introduction
The Trees- Central Idea & Style of the Poem
The Trees- Short & Detailed Summary
The Trees- Value Points of the Poem
The Trees- Summary in Hindi – Full Text
The Trees- Multiple Choice Questions in Quiz
The Trees- Extract Based comprehension test Questions
The Trees- Important Extra Questions- Very Short Answer Type
The Trees- Important Extra Questions- Short Answer Type
The Trees- Important Extra Questions- Long Answer Type
