Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - First Flight

The poem "The Trees" from Class 10 English illustrates a profound struggle between humanity and the natural world. Through the use of powerful symbolism, the poem depicts trees that are confined indoors but yearn to break free and thrive in the freedom of the forest. Now, let's delve into some thought-provoking Short Answer Questions inspired by this remarkable work of poetry.

Q1: Why do the trees need to relocate from the city? Where were they before and why?

Ans: Humans have cut down trees in the forest, replacing them with artificial or decorative alternatives in urban areas, which makes the trees feel suffocated and out of place. Therefore, they need to relocate back into the forest from where they were removed. They were previously in the forest, and humans had taken them out for their purposes.

Q2: What causes the forest to become empty? What are the consequences of having a tree-less forest?

Ans: The uncontrolled cutting of trees by humans has resulted in empty forests. A tree-less forest cannot provide shelter for birds and insects, making it unsuitable for them to inhabit. Additionally, without the tree canopy, the sun's rays cannot be cooled, leading to the ground being heated.

Q3: How do trees resist their captivity by humans?

Ans: Trees rebel against being captive in human residences. The roots of the trees push through the floors by breaking them, the leaves break the windows to escape, and the branches start to expand themselves to gain freedom. In this way, the trees attempt to return to the forest.

Q4: What kind of whispers does the poet hear, and why will they cease tomorrow?

Ans: The poet can hear the voices of trees talking to each other, asserting their right to be free, and the sounds of their movement as they relocate. It could also be the poet's inner voice reprimanding them for imprisoning the trees. The whispers will end tomorrow as the trees will finally be free and in the forest.

Q5: The poem ‘The Trees’ presents a conflict between Man and Nature. Discuss.

Ans: The poem ‘The Trees’ presents the rebellion of the tree against human oppression and imprisonment within walls. The forest is the natural habitat of the trees. The trees feel suffocated in houses. They rebel against it and move out. 

Q6: What is the central idea of the poem ‘The Trees’?

Ans: The central idea of the poem is the conflict between man and nature. A plant is brought inside the house when it is a sapling. But as it grows into a tree, it gets suffocated with the limited space available. So, it departs to feel free. The tree is thus moving out to occupy the now empty forest, made so by man’s indiscriminate felling of trees. Humans must understand the negative impact of their actions on nature and mend their ways before it is too late.

Q7: Where are the trees at present? What do their roots, and leaves do?
Ans: The trees are in the house. The roots try to free themselves from the cracks of the veranda floor, and the leaves make efforts to move towards the glass perhaps in search of light. The small branches become stiff as they try to pull themselves towards the light.

Q8: Describe the sound and fury of the victorious march of the trees to the forest.

Ans: Now the silent struggle gets more vocal and visible. The trees have won their hard-earned victory. The artificial glasshouse that imprisoned them has been broken to pieces. The trees are stumbling forward toward the forest. Winds rush in to meet them. Even the full moon is covered by the full-grown oak tree. Only a fragmented moon is visible through its expanding leaves and boughs.

Q9: Why is the full moon broken to pieces like a mirror in the last lines of the poem?

Ans: Previously it was a peaceful night hiding the struggle that was going on silently. The moon was full. But now the fully grown trees like oaks with their boughs spread out all around have obstructed the sight of the moon. The full moon appears fragmented and is partly visible only through the top boughs and leaves of a large oak tree.

Q10: What is the message that the poet wants to give to the readers through the poem ‘The Trees’?

Ans: Adrienne Rich uses trees as a metaphor for human beings, more particularly women. In a male-dominated society, women are in bondage. They are struggling to free themselves. Similarly, nature, represented by trees and forests, is struggling to escape itself from the onslaughts of man to destroy it. The victorious march of the trees gives a message of hope that nature can’t be tamed or subdued by the onslaughts and arrogance of man.

Q11: What changes can be seen in the moon during the course of the poem “The Trees”?

Ans: Initially, it was the full moon shining in a clear sky. Then the moon is broken like a mirror. Its rays fall on the top of an oak tree.

Q12: Why is the description of the moon different in the beginning and at the end of the third stanza?

Ans: At the beginning of the third stanza, the poet says that one can see the whole moon shining in the open sky but in the end, the moon seems to be broken like a mirror and its pieces shine in the crown of the tallest oak tree. The change is caused by the shifting of the trees outside.

Q13: Justify the revolt of the trees and state two values that the man should possess to stop the revolt.

Ans: The trees inside the house get suffocated as they grow. They try to free themselves in the cracks of the veranda floor and the leaves stretch out as if to move towards the glass. They are justified in their revolt. Men should learn the importance of trees.

Q14: How does the poet describe the night? How does she feel?

Ans: It is night time. The night is fresh. In the open sky, the full moon is shining. The poet feels the smell of leaves and lichen reaching inside the room. Her head is full of whispers. But she thinks that the next day these whispers will be silent.

Q14: Why are the trees described in the first stanza not useful for birds or insects?

Ans: The trees described in the first stanza are either decorative plants kept inside a house, or they are shown only in a painting or picture. Therefore, they are not useful for birds or insects. Birds cannot sit on their branches. Insects cannot hide in them.

Q15: What happens to the roots and leaves of these trees at night?

Ans: The roots of these trees are entangled into the cracks of the veranda floor. At night, these roots try to free themselves from the cracks. The leaves try to move towards the glass. Twigs become hardened and the boughs try to expand under the roof.

Q16: Why does the poet use the metaphor of newly discharged patients?

Ans: A patient feels depressed in a hospital. As soon as he recovers, he is eager to leave the hospital. He rushes towards the clinic doors. In the same way, the plants in the pots feel suffocated. They are deprived of adequate light. So, they stretch themselves towards the glass door, in the hope of finding the light.

Q16: Why are the trees moving out into the forest?

Ans: In the poem, the trees are presented as a metaphor for human beings. As humans value freedom, nature can’t be subdued and controlled by man. The trees have been brought to the artificial glasshouses. The natural habitat of trees in the forest. Therefore, after a long and hard struggle, they are coming out of the artificial barriers. They are marching victoriously towards the forest which is their original habitat.

Q17: What will be the condition of a treeless forest?

Ans. No one can imagine a forest without trees. They are the lifeline of a forest. Without trees, there will be no activity of birds, insects as well as the sun. The birds will have no place to perch. The insects will have no place to hide in. Even the scorching sun will lose the shade to cool itself in the absence of trees.

Q18: Why is the poet hopeful that the empty forest will be full of trees by the morning

Ans: The poet is quite optimistic. The natural barriers to contain and subdue nature created by man will be broken. The trees that have been deprived of their natural habitat will struggle to free themselves from the clutches of man.
The struggle of these trees will not go in vain. By morning, they will be marching victoriously to the forest. The forest will be full of trees by morning.

Q19: Describe the comparison between boughs and the newly discharged patients in the last lines of the second stanza.

Ans: Freedom is a common theme. The cramped branches of the trees put in artificial glasshouses, want to be free. They are shuffling hard to come out in the open. They want to be free. Similarly, the newly discharged patients are impatient to escape to freedom. They don’t want to be confined to the beds of the hospital. They run towards the doors of the hospital to have a taste of freedom again.

Q20: Why doesn’t the poet make any mention of the struggle waged by the trees to free themselves to move towards the forest in her long letters?

Ans: The poet is sitting inside her room writing long letters. She is witnessing what is going on in her house. The struggle of the leaves, twigs, boughs, and roots of the trees to free themselves takes place in her presence. However, she ignores such a historical event. Perhaps she is shocked and embarrassed by the sudden and unexpected happenings.

Also Check at EduRev:

• Detailed Summary: The Trees
• Worksheet: The Trees
  

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