The Trees (First Flight)

 

QUESTION ANSWERS

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

Three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest are

Birds cannot sit on trees

Insects cannot hide in trees

Sunbeams cannot hide in shadows of trees

(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’?

The image of sunlight reaching the forest floor through the leaves of trees is created through these words.

The poet possibly means the sun rays when he says sun could not bury its feet in shadow.

2. (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?

The trees are inside the house in the poem.

The roots are trying to free themselves from the cracks in the veranda. The leaves are straining towards the glass while the small twigs become stiff due to the pressure that they exert in moving towards the glass.

(ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?

The poet compares the branches to people who are cramped in small places. The branches have been staying in a cramped position for a long time and now they are shuffling and coming out of the house like newly discharged patients who under medication and are moving out in a half conscious state.

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?

The moon is a full one in the third stanza and appears to be broken into fragments at the end. The coming out of the trees caused this change as one can see the pieces of the moon through the gaps in the leaves.

(ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?

The smell of trees and lichen still reach the house; however, there is some damage caused to the glass panes as they are broken when the trees stumble out of the house. The wind rushes in through the broken glass as it rushes to greet the trees when they emerge from the house.

(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.)

The poet does not mention about the exodus of the trees from their confinement as is it the humans who were responsible for the destruction of the forests and the confinement of the plants and trees. She remains silent about it as the revolution was inevitable and she is not surprised by it. The men do not care about the condition of the trees and would not be interested in their efforts; therefore the poet silently feels the emancipation of the trees.

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’?

Yes, the poem does present a conflict between man and nature. Humans have destroyed the forests with their insatiable greed to own things. Rampant deforestation has led to an ecological crisis for the flora and fauna of the earth. They know that trees are the best decorations possible and have decorated their interiors with plants thus denying their right to natural habitat. This has compelled them to revolt and get their freedom.  Similarly, the mighty but helpless tiger which has also been wrongfully confined in a small cage yearns for a life of freedom in the jungle.

(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?

As Adrienne Rich was an ardent feminist it is safe to suggest that the trees are a metaphor for humans specifically females. She speaks of the suppressed condition of women who have now been healed and are ready to renew the forest of womanhood. They are witnessing a sea change in their identity as they emerge from the confinement of their homes.  

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.

On killing a tree is almost a satirical manual about how to permanently kill a tree. It brings forth the cruelty of humans as they try to destroy the existence of the tree. This poem tells us about the inevitable conflict between man and nature. In ‘The Trees’ the trees revolt and escape into the forest, avoiding exploitation and regaining their freedom to live freely in nature. Both the poems speak about exploitation destruction of nature by cruel humans.

IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS

Q. ‘Departure is painful’. So is the departure of the trees for the poet. What will happen after their departure?

After the trees leave the house, the smell of trees and lichen will still linger in the house for some time.  The wind will rush in through the broken glass which had been broken when the trees struggled out of the house. The poet will feel lonely due to the absence of the plants which had been a part of the house for a long time. The cracks in the veranda will remind her of them. Gradually she will come to terms with their absence and feel happy that they had achieved their freedom.

Q. The process of “moving out” was tedious for the trees. Support the statement with reference to the poem. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

The trees had to go through a lot of struggle to achieve freedom as is evident from the fact that they had to disengage themselves from the cracks of the veranda. The leaves had to strain themselves while the twigs became stiff with exertion. They stumbled out like tired newly-discharged patients from the clinic which shows moving out was a tedious process for trees.

Q. The poet uses trees as a symbol for women breaking patriarchal notions. Do you agree? Why/ Why not? [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Adrienne Rich was an ardent feminist and wrote extensively on equality for women, hence it can be safely suggested that she has used trees to symbolize oppressed women who are bringing sea-change in their status as equals in society. Women, who have not been able to play a major role in the patriarchal society are now breaking glass barriers and reaching the sky. The poet knew that this exodus was inevitable hence is not surprised by it; she simply mentions the paradigm shift in the society in this poem.

Q. The poem ends on a note of victory. Justify with reference to the literal and symbolic meaning. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Humans have not only encroached into the natural habitat of flora and fauna but have also confined them inside houses denying their right to freedom. Women had for a long time been denied their right to equality in a patriarchal society and were bound by invisible chains that society had created for them. The poem ends in a note of victory in the literal sense, as the trees regain their freedom when they move to their natural habitat. Symbolically, it ends in a note of victory as women free themselves from their domestic confines and emerge as free individuals breaking glass ceilings of the patriarchal society.

Q. Sometimes moving out of a comfort space is extremely important for maturation and growth. Point out how Wanda Petronski moving into a big city was similar to the movement of the trees. [CBSE Q B, 2020- 21]

it is necessary to move out of the comfort zone in order to grow as an individual. The trees symbolize oppressed women in the patriarchal society who were hitherto confined within false comforts of their homes. They struggled to free themselves physically and mentally from the invisible chains and achieve freedom to live the life that they choose. Similarly, when Wanda moves to the big city she is no longer teased and humiliated for having a different name. As a result she gains self confidence as is evident from her letters.

Q. 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. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

The poem has a literal and a symbolic meaning. In the literal sense, the poet gives us the message that man has harmed the environment through deforestation and there is need to heed the right to life and freedom for the trees. Trees yearn for a life of freedom in natural environment and are struggling to liberate themselves from the clutches of man. At the symbolic level, as a feminist the poet is expressing her concern about women’s right to equality. Women have been suppressed and barred from reaching their full potential in the patriarchal society. However, they have managed to break the false glass barriers which had confined them to their homes and are now ready to become a part of the mainstream in the society.

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