The Trees Poem NCERT Q&A Class 10 English

The Trees Poem NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English are shared here. Class 10 Students studying ‘The Trees’ poem would benefit from such NCERT solutions.

Class 10 Poem ‘The Trees” Q&A

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

Ans. (i) Three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest:

• No bird can sit.
• No insect can hide.
• No sun can bury its feet in shadow.

(ii) The phrase “…sun bury its feet in shadow…” creates an image of sunlight casting long shadows under trees. The sun’s ‘feet’ symbolize sun rays touching the ground, which is only possible if trees exist to create shade.

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

Ans. (i) The trees are inside the house, and they are struggling to break free.

• Their roots try to detach from the cracks in the veranda floor.
• Their leaves strain towards the glass windows.
• Their twigs are stiff with effort, eager to move.

(ii) The poet compares the branches to newly discharged patients who are weak and unsteady as they step out into the world after confinement.

3. (i) How does the poet describe the moon: (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end? What causes this change?
   (ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?
   (iii) 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.)

Ans. (i) The moon’s description:

• Beginning of the stanza: The moon is described as whole and shining in the open sky.
• End of the stanza: The moon is broken like a mirror, with its pieces reflecting on the trees.

Cause of this change: The trees break free, shattering the glass, symbolizing a dramatic transformation and rebellion.

(ii) When the trees move out of the house, it becomes empty and silent. The presence of trees gave it life, but now only their absence remains.

(iii) The poet does not mention “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters because she silently supports the trees’ escape. She chooses silence over acknowledgment, just as people often ignore major changes when they feel powerless or conflicted.

4. Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here are two suggestions. Can you think of others?
   (i) Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the Zoo. Is the poet suggesting that plants and trees, used for ‘interior decoration’ in cities while forests are cut down, are ‘imprisoned’, and need to ‘break out’?
   (ii) On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings; this is a recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be symbolic of this particular meaning?

Ans. Interpretation of the Poem

(i) Conflict between Man and Nature:
Yes, the poem presents a conflict between human control and nature’s freedom. Like A Tiger in the Zoo, where the tiger is confined and longs for the wild, this poem shows trees trapped in houses instead of flourishing in forests. The poet suggests that trees used for urban decoration are imprisoned and must break free—just as animals should not be caged, plants should not be confined.

(ii) Trees as a Metaphor for Human Beings:
If we see trees as symbolic of people, especially women or oppressed individuals, the poem takes on a deeper meaning. The trees’ struggle to break out represents human rebellion against oppression. Just like the trees, people long for freedom from restrictive environments—whether patriarchal systems, societal norms, or personal limitations. This idea aligns with Adrienne Rich’s feminist themes, suggesting that change is difficult but necessary for growth and self-liberation.

5. You may read the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’ by Gieve Patel (Beehive – Textbook in English for Class IX, NCERT). Compare and contrast it with the poem you have just read.

Ans. Comparison with “On Killing a Tree” by Gieve Patel

Both poems show human interference with nature, but The Trees highlights freedom, whereas On Killing a Tree emphasizes violence against nature and how trees fight to survive.