The Trees

Introduction

The Trees is a poem written by Adrienne Rich.

Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore, in Maryland on May 16th, 1929. She went to Radcliffe College and graduated in the year 1951. She was selected by Sir W. H. Auden to win the famous Yale Series of Younger Poets prize for A Change of World that same year. The poetess wrote around 20 volumes of poetry. She is often addressed as a feminist and a radical poet.

As the title of the poem suggests, The Trees is about the existence of trees. The poetess has expressed how humans have become inhuman as they deliberately cut down trees for their own contentment and they forget that trees also have souls. They use them for their home decoration, to beautify their own habitat but forget about their freedom. Trees have the right to live in their own niche and not to be in captivation.

Summary

In the first stanza, the poetess conveys that humans have tried to confine the trees to their home for their own satisfaction and even have undergone deforestation like heartless souls. But now the trees are gradually moving to their own habitat. There were no trees before but now trees are moving to their places and hence now birds can chirp and sit on the trees, insects can hide within them and the sunlight does not disappear in the shadowed condition. She says that the trees have started moving to the forests on a fresh morning

The second stanza portray all about the struggling phase of the trees in freeing themselves from their four walled captivation. The roots of the trees have tried to separate themselves from the cracks formed in the veranda, the leaves of the trees have tried breaking through the glass walls so that they can step forward from the suffocated world. The stems have become hardened enough to achieve the utmost freedom they were craving for and the long branches have shrunk themselves due to the inadequate spacing. The trees felt like the feed patient getting discharged from the hospital. They were bit muddled as in which direction of the forest they will move as they were going back to their native place after a very long time.

In the third stanza the poetess was sitting alone in the room with the doors of the veranda opened. She wishes to write long letters where she does not mention about the trees going back to their native place. When she was sitting alone in her room it was night time and the moon was glittering in the sky. She got the smell of the trees and lichens and a voice was coming to her mind as if the trees were saying something to her.

In the last stanza, the poetess felt the whispering and murmuring sounds as the trees were leaving the house towards the forest. The trees will be reaching the forests the very next day and the entire house will be emptied. The poetess hears sounds of glass breaking down as the trees will be hurrying up to leave the place. The trees will feel that the wind is blowing so fast as if it wants to meet them and is eagerly waiting for them to come. The tallness of the trees broke the moon into pieces like a mirror and the moon resembles a crown over the oak trees.

Conclusion

The poem narrates the inhuman activities done to nature by human beings. This poem unfolds the struggle of a group of trees who escaped their prolonged captivation inside the house.

Questions and Answers

Q. What three things cannot happen in a treeless forest?

Ans. The three things that cannot happen in the forest are as follows

Birds cannot sit on the branches of the tree.

Insects cannot hide any more within the trees

The sun cannot bury down its feet as no shadow will be created

Q. Where are trees present in the poem? What are their roots, leaves and twigs doing?

Ans. The trees are inside the poet's house. The roots of the trees have tried to separate themselves from the cracks formed in the veranda, the leaves of the trees have tried to break through the glass walls so that they can step forward from the suffocated world they were sustaining in for so many days. The stems have become hardened enough to achieve the utmost freedom they were craving for and the long branches have shrunk themselves due to the inadequate spacing.

Q. In the poem, what are branches compared to?

Ans. The poet has used the word cramped for the long branches as they are trying hard to be firm due to lack adequate spacing. Hence the poet has compared them with the newly discharged patients after their recovery from the hospital.

Q. What does the poet say about the moon?

Ans. The poet calls the moon as a glittering and shining constant in the night sky. She also stated that the tallness of the trees can break the moon into pieces like a mirror and the moon resembles a crown over the oak trees

FAQs

Q. What is the major theme of the poem ‘The Trees’

Ans. The major theme of the poem is the relation between nature and human beings. In today’s era Humans have captivated and confined the greens in their homes. Trees are not getting their rightful place to survive in forests. Thus the poetess has tried to bridge the gap between nature and trees and tried to show the feelings undergone by the trees as well.

Q. According to the poet, what does the night look like?

Ans. The night was calm and silent and there was a solace somewhere. In the night sky the moon was shining and glittering. The smell of the young leaves and lichens were coming to her like a voice in her mind.

Q. Why is the description of the moon different in the first and the third stanza?

Ans. Initially the moon seems to be shining in the night sky but in the third stanza the poet felt the tallness of the trees broke the moon into pieces like a mirror and the moon resembles a crown over the oak trees.

Q. Justify the revolt brought about by the Trees.

Ans. The second stanza of the poem portray all about the struggling phase of the trees in freeing themselves from the their four walled captivation for days. The roots of the trees have tried to separate themselves from the cracks formed in the veranda, the leaves of the have tried breaking through the glass walls so that they can step forward from the suffocated world they were sustaining for so many days. Thus they revolted