April 10, 2026
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First Flight – Poem 7: The Trees
Complete NCERT Solutions | CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight)
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Thinking About the Poem (Page 119)
Q12 marks
What do the trees symbolise in the poem? Why are they moving out into the forest?
Answer: The trees symbolise freedom, nature, and any living being that is trapped or confined. They are moving out into the forest because they have been confined inside the house (as potted plants) for too long. They want to return to their natural habitat where they can grow freely. The movement represents the natural desire for liberation.
Q23 marks
How does the poet describe the struggle of the trees to free themselves?
Answer: The poet describes the roots "working to disengage" from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves "strain" toward the glass, and the twigs are "stiff with exertion." The long-cramped boughs are "shuffling under the roof" like "newly discharged patients" moving toward the clinic doors. These descriptions show the physical effort and determination of the trees to break free from their confinement.
Q33 marks
What does the poet mean by "the forest that was empty all these days"? Why was it empty?
Answer: The poet means that the forest has been devoid of trees because they have been taken inside houses as potted plants. The forest has been empty because the trees have been confined and not allowed to grow in their natural habitat. By morning, the forest will be "full of trees" as they break free and return to where they belong.
Extra Questions for Practice
Q13 marks
How can the poem "The Trees" be interpreted as a feminist statement?
Answer: The poem can be interpreted as a feminist statement about women breaking free from domestic confinement. The trees trapped inside the house symbolise women confined to traditional roles within the home. Their struggle to break free and move out into the forest represents women's fight for freedom, independence, and equality. The poet's passive observation ("writing long letters" while the trees escape) may represent the writer's role in documenting the liberation movement.
Q23 marks
What is the significance of the line "The glass is breaking" in the poem?
Answer: "The glass is breaking" signifies the moment of liberation. The glass represents the barrier between the confined trees (inside the house) and the freedom outside. When the glass breaks, the trees can finally escape. It is a dramatic and powerful moment, symbolising the breaking of barriers, the shattering of oppression, and the triumph of freedom over confinement.
Q34 marks
What message does Adrienne Rich convey through the poem "The Trees"?
Answer: The poem conveys that freedom is a natural right and that confinement is unnatural and painful. The trees' determination to break free shows that oppressed beings — whether trees, women, or any group — will eventually fight for their liberation. The poem also suggests that nature cannot be tamed or confined permanently; it will always find a way to return to its natural state. The message is one of hope, resilience, and the inevitability of liberation.
The Poem
The Treesby Adrienne Rich
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.
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.
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 pure sky
the forest is the forest.
My head is full of whispers
which tomorrow will be silent.
Listen. The glass is breaking.
The trees are stumbling forward
into the night. Outside,
the wind, the trees are out of control.
The trees will do all this again tomorrow.
The trees 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.
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.
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 pure sky
the forest is the forest.
My head is full of whispers
which tomorrow will be silent.
Listen. The glass is breaking.
The trees are stumbling forward
into the night. Outside,
the wind, the trees are out of control.
The trees will do all this again tomorrow.
The trees are moving out into the forest.
About the Poet
Adrienne Rich(1929–2012)
Adrienne Rich was an American poet, essayist, and feminist. She was known for her powerful and politically charged poetry, often addressing themes of identity, freedom, oppression, and nature. She won numerous awards, including the National Book Award for Poetry.
Summary of the Poem
SummaryKey Points
Summary: "The Trees" is a poem about trees that have been confined inside a house (as potted plants) finally breaking free and moving out into the forest. The trees have been trapped for a long time, unable to grow naturally. At night, they strain against the glass, break free, and move out into the empty forest. The poet sits inside, writing letters, but she is aware of the trees' departure. By morning, the forest will be full of trees. The poem can be interpreted as a metaphor for freedom, liberation, and the natural desire to break free from confinement — whether for trees, women, or any oppressed group.
Theme of the Poem
ThemeCentral Idea
Theme: The central theme of the poem is the desire for freedom and the natural instinct to break free from oppression or confinement. The trees represent any living being that has been trapped, suppressed, or restricted. The poem can be read as a feminist statement about women breaking free from domestic confinement, or as an environmental statement about nature reclaiming its space. The poem celebrates liberation and the power of perseverance.
Literary Devices
DeviceExamples from the Poem
1. Personification: The trees are given human qualities — they "move out," "work," "strain," "stumble," and "are out of control."
2. Simile: "Like newly discharged patients, half-dazed, moving to the clinic doors" — comparing trees to patients leaving a hospital.
3. Imagery: "roots work to disengage," "leaves strain toward the glass," "glass is breaking" — vivid visual and auditory images.
4. Repetition: "The trees are moving out into the forest" is repeated at the beginning and end, emphasising the central action.
5. Contrast: The poem contrasts the inside (confinement) with the outside (freedom).
6. Symbolism: The trees symbolise freedom, nature, and liberation; the house symbolises confinement and oppression.
2. Simile: "Like newly discharged patients, half-dazed, moving to the clinic doors" — comparing trees to patients leaving a hospital.
3. Imagery: "roots work to disengage," "leaves strain toward the glass," "glass is breaking" — vivid visual and auditory images.
4. Repetition: "The trees are moving out into the forest" is repeated at the beginning and end, emphasising the central action.
5. Contrast: The poem contrasts the inside (confinement) with the outside (freedom).
6. Symbolism: The trees symbolise freedom, nature, and liberation; the house symbolises confinement and oppression.
Word Meanings (Vocabulary)
WordMeaning
Disengage: to free or release from something
Cracks: narrow openings or gaps
Veranda: a roofed platform along the outside of a house
Strain: to stretch or exert force
Exertion: physical effort
Cramped: confined, restricted in movement
Boughs: main branches of a tree
Shuffling: dragging one's feet while walking
Discharged: released from hospital or confinement
Half-dazed: confused, not fully alert
Scarcely: barely, hardly
Whispers: soft, quiet sounds or rumours
Cracks: narrow openings or gaps
Veranda: a roofed platform along the outside of a house
Strain: to stretch or exert force
Exertion: physical effort
Cramped: confined, restricted in movement
Boughs: main branches of a tree
Shuffling: dragging one's feet while walking
Discharged: released from hospital or confinement
Half-dazed: confused, not fully alert
Scarcely: barely, hardly
Whispers: soft, quiet sounds or rumours
NCERT Class 10 English | First Flight – Poem 7: The Trees | Complete solutions and study material.
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