Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - First Flight

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Q1: The poem ‘Trees’ appears to be about trees, environment, deforestation and afforestation. On a deeper level we discover that Adrienne Rich is expressing her concern about women and their emancipation. Elaborate with reference to the poem.
Ans: Adrienne Rich’s The Trees highlights the importance of trees and draws parallels to women’s emancipation. Trees, she notes, belong outside, thriving naturally. Indoors, they can’t grow properly, symbolizing the confinement of women in a male-dominated society. Just as trees break free and flourish in nature, women yearn for liberation and independence. The poem portrays the victorious march of trees as a metaphor for hope—just as nature resists and overcomes human control, women too cannot be permanently oppressed.

Q2: ‘Departure is painful’. So is the departure of the trees painful for the poetess. What will happen after their departure?
Ans: The departure of trees mirrors personal loss for the poetess. Initially, saplings beautify their surroundings, but as they grow, their wild nature demands more space, causing disruptions. Leaves stretch toward light, roots crack floors, and twigs stiffen. Trees are then removed to thrive outdoors, welcomed by the wind and moonlight. Post-departure, the sky loses its leafy canopy, and the poetess feels a deep sense of loneliness.

Q3: How does the poem ‘The Trees’ make a strong plea against deforestation?
Ans: In The Trees, Adrienne Rich critiques deforestation by emphasizing trees' role in sustaining life. Without them, there’s no shade, no habitat for birds or insects, and no forests. As saplings, trees beautify, but as they grow, their removal becomes necessary for their survival. Rich metaphorically addresses human exploitation of nature, lamenting the silent destruction of forests. However, the poem offers hope, suggesting forests can regenerate if humans act responsibly.

Q4: How does Adrienne Rich use trees as a metaphor for men? Isn’t the struggle of the trees to free themselves and go to the forest the struggle of crushed men, particularly of women against the powerful and atrocious men?
Ans: Adrienne Rich uses trees as metaphors for women and their struggles against oppression. Just as humans confine trees in artificial spaces, women face societal constraints. However, trees resist confinement, breaking barriers to return to forests, symbolizing freedom. This struggle mirrors women’s fight for liberation in patriarchal societies. Rich conveys hope, illustrating that, like trees reclaiming nature, women will overcome challenges to attain equality and freedom.

Q5: The poem ‘The Trees’ presents a conflict between man and nature. Describe the struggle of the trees and their victorious march to their natural habitat—the forest.
Ans: The Trees explores man’s conflict with nature. Human greed has led to deforestation, robbing birds, insects, and even the sun of their natural harmony. Despite attempts to confine them to artificial spaces, trees resist and break free, returning victoriously to forests. Rich highlights nature’s resilience and reminds us that no amount of human interference can permanently subdue it. Nature inevitably prevails over-exploitation.