The Trees Class 10 Poem

 




Adrienne Rich’s poem ‘The Trees’ Summary (Read or Listen to☝️πŸ‘‡)


The poem “The Trees” is about the silent but powerful movement of trees from confinement back to their natural home, the forest. For a long time, the trees have been trapped inside a house, their roots struggling in cracks of the veranda floor and their branches cramped under the roof. Slowly, during the night, they free themselves, straining towards the glass and finally breaking through it. They move like patients leaving a hospital—weak but determined to regain freedom.


The poet, sitting inside and writing letters, observes this quiet revolution without mentioning it directly. The night feels alive—the moonlight, the smell of leaves, and the whispers of nature fill the air. At last, the trees escape into the open world, welcomed by the winds. The moon itself seems to shatter into pieces of light, reflecting in the crowns of the tall trees, symbolizing a new beginning.


This poem is not only about trees but also about the longing for freedom, the breaking of barriers, and the return of life to its rightful place. 


For Trees Summary Drag and Drop Exercise 


Competency Based Assessment πŸ‘‡


1. What is the central theme of the poem ‘The Trees’?

  • a) Joy of spring
  • b) Human friendship
  • c) Freedom and escape
  • d) Beauty of moonlight

2. The trees in the poem symbolize:

  • a) Plants only
  • b) Caged birds
  • c) Nature’s struggle for freedom
  • d) A city garden

3. Why is the forest described as ‘empty all these days’?

  • a) Because the trees were confined indoors
  • b) Because there was no rain
  • c) Because animals left it
  • d) Because people cut them all

4. Which sense is most strongly evoked in ‘the smell of leaves and lichen’?

  • a) Sight
  • b) Smell
  • c) Hearing
  • d) Taste

5. ‘The moon is broken like a mirror’ is an example of:

  • a) Simile
  • b) Personification
  • c) Alliteration
  • d) Hyperbole

6. ‘My head is full of whispers’ suggests:

  • a) The poet hears gossip
  • b) The poet’s imagination is restless
  • c) The wind is strong
  • d) The birds are singing

7. The trees breaking the glass represent:

  • a) Anger
  • b) Resistance to confinement
  • c) Beauty of glass
  • d) Carelessness of people

8. What does ‘long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof’ convey?

  • a) Freedom of trees
  • b) Joy of dancing
  • c) Tiredness and struggle
  • d) Strength of branches

9. Why does the poet compare trees to ‘newly discharged patients’?

  • a) To show their weakness and slow movement
  • b) To show they are healthy again
  • c) To show their anger
  • d) To show their silence

10. The poet scarcely mentions the ‘departure’ in her letters because:

  • a) She is careless
  • b) She is detached and reflective
  • c) She is forgetful
  • d) She dislikes trees

11. What is the poet doing while trees are moving?

  • a) Sleeping
  • b) Writing long letters
  • c) Watering the plants
  • d) Reading books

12. The poet’s tone in the poem can best be described as:

  • a) Angry and violent
  • b) Calm and observant
  • c) Happy and playful
  • d) Fearful and anxious

13. Why does the poet leave the ‘doors open to the veranda’?

  • a) To let the air in
  • b) To allow the trees’ escape
  • c) To see the moonlight
  • d) To talk with others

14. The empty forest becoming full again symbolizes:

  • a) Hope and renewal
  • b) Destruction
  • c) Boredom
  • d) Urbanization

15. ‘Whispers’ in the poet’s head represent:

  • a) Voices of people
  • b) Inner thoughts and secrets of nature
  • c) Noise of traffic
  • d) Sound of broken glass

16. The poem highlights the conflict between:

  • a) Man and man
  • b) Man and woman
  • c) Nature and human confinement
  • d) Day and night

17. Why do the roots ‘work all night’?

  • a) To search for water
  • b) To free themselves from cracks
  • c) To grow flowers
  • d) To damage the veranda

18. The act of ‘trees stumbling forward’ signifies:

  • a) Their weakness
  • b) Their determination to escape
  • c) Their anger at humans
  • d) Their confusion

19. Which natural element ‘rushes to meet’ the trees?

  • a) Sunlight
  • b) Rain
  • c) Winds
  • d) Clouds

20. Why does the moon appear ‘broken like a mirror’?

  • a) Because of clouds
  • b) Because branches block its light
  • c) Because trees are moving
  • d) Because it sets

21. The poem suggests that keeping trees indoors is:

  • a) Necessary for decoration
  • b) Against their natural growth
  • c) A symbol of love
  • d) A part of gardening

22. The forest without trees is like:

  • a) A room without air
  • b) A garden without flowers
  • c) A bird without wings
  • d) All of the above

23. If the trees symbolize human freedom, their escape means:

  • a) Rebellion against suppression
  • b) Laziness
  • c) Anger of people
  • d) Joy of entertainment

24. The poem indirectly criticizes:

  • a) Nature’s weakness
  • b) Human confinement of nature
  • c) Forests and animals
  • d) Gardening practices

25. The breaking of glass in the poem shows:

  • a) Nature breaking human-made barriers
  • b) Carelessness of people
  • c) Storm’s violence
  • d) Fragility of the night

26. The line ‘no sun bury its feet in shadow’ is an example of:

  • a) Personification
  • b) Alliteration
  • c) Hyperbole
  • d) Metaphor

27. ‘The whole moon shines / in a sky still open’ creates an image of:

  • a) Darkness
  • b) Freedom and vastness
  • c) Confinement
  • d) Silence

28. The poet uses ‘clinic doors’ to compare:

  • a) The poet’s house with a hospital
  • b) Trees’ struggle with patients leaving slowly
  • c) Doctors with trees
  • d) The moon with medicine

29. What lesson does the poem teach us?

  • a) To cut trees for beauty
  • b) To respect nature’s need for freedom
  • c) To keep plants indoors
  • d) To plant fewer trees

30. Which of these best captures the poem’s message?

  • a) Human power is supreme
  • b) Nature finds a way to reclaim its freedom
  • c) Trees are weak and helpless
  • d) Forests are unnecessary

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