Class 10 Poem 8 The Trees Question Answers

 

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight The Trees Important Question Answers Poem 8

Class 10 English The Trees Question Answers –  Looking for The Trees question answers (NCERT solutions) for CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Book Poem 8? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the board exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Poem 8: The Trees question answers now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions

Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams. 

 

 

Class 10 English The Trees Question Answers Poem 8 – Extract Based Questions

Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

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A. “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.”

 

Q1. Which three things cannot happen in a treeless forest ?

Ans. A forest is a natural habitat for numerous birds and insects. When forests are cleared no bird can make its nest, nor can insects hide in the bark of the trees and there’s nothing to shade the area from sunlight.

Q2. Why was the forest empty?

Ans. The forests were empty and devoid of trees because they were cut down to create land for cultivation and expansion of cities.

Q3. Which word here means ‘hide from view’ ?

Ans. In the given extract, ‘bury’ means to hide from view.

Q4. Name the poem and the poet

Ans. The poem ‘The Trees’ is written by Adrienne Rich.

 

B. “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.”

 

Q1. Why did the birds not do?

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Ans. The birds did not sit on the trees as there were no trees.

Q2. Why was the forest empty?

Ans. The forest was empty because there were no trees. It is so because humans have destroyed the forests for building cities and other uses.

Q3. What does ‘The trees are moving’ refer to?

Ans. The poet imagines that the trees are moving to the empty forest to settle there forever. This will enable the forest to be full of trees.

Q4. What does “no insect can hide” mean ?

Ans. No insect can hide as there are no trees.

 

C. “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.”

 

Q1. Why do the leaves strain towards the glass ?

Ans. The leaves strain towards the glass to escape their captivity.

Q2. What are branches compared to ?

Ans. Branches here are compared to patients.

Q3. What is the figure of speech in “Like newly discharged patients” ?

Ans. Simile

Q4. Which word means the same as ‘leaves’ ? 

Ans. Twigs

 

D. “I sit inside, doors open to the verandah 

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 sky still open

the smell of leaves and lichen

still reaches like a voice into the rooms.”

 

Q1. Find the word from the passage which means ‘hardly’.

Ans. The word is “scarcely”.

Q2. What is she doing?

Ans. She was writing long letters.

Q3. Where are the trees in the poem?

Ans. The trees are inside the house in the poem.

Q4. What do you mean by veranda?

Ans. Veranda means a platform with an open front built on the ground floor of a home.

Q5. What are lichens?

Ans. A lichen, or lichenised fungus, is actually two organisms functioning as a single, stable unit.

 

E. “My head is full of whispers

which tomorrow will be silent.

Listen. The glass is breaking.

The trees are stumbling forward

into the night. Winds rush to meet them.

The moon is broken like a mirror,

its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest oak.”

 

Q1. Why would the whispers be silent tomorrow?

Ans. The whispers will be silent because the trees will move outside to the forest.

Q2. Why are the trees stumbling?

Ans. The trees are stumbling because they hurry to move outside after breaking the glass.

Q3. Which word in the stanza means the same as ‘Quiet’?

Ans. The word is ‘Silent’.

Q4. Which poetic device has been used in the sixth line of the stanza?

Ans. Simile has been used using ‘like’ for comparison.

Q5. What is the significance of oak trees?

Ans. The oak is cherished across the world as a symbol of wisdom, strength and endurance.

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Class 10 English First Flight The Trees Poem 8 Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.

 

1.  What is the poetess doing?

A. Watching trees
B. Writing long letters
C. Weeding
D. Worrying about deforestation
Ans. B. Writing long letters

2. Choose the correct option that mentions the correct poetic device against the correct example.

i) Simile: long cramped boughs
Metaphor: like newly discharged patients

ii) Personification: small twigs stiff with exertion
Simile: like newly discharged patients

iii) Refrain: under the roof
Simile: leaves strain toward the glass

iv) Personification: like newly discharged patients
Refrain: half-dazed, moving

A. Option (i)
B. Option (ii)
C. Option (iii)
D. Option (iv)
Ans. B. Option (2)

3. Long-cramped and half-dazed are combinations of two words joined together to form compound words.
Choose the option that DOES NOT correctly fit the definition of the same.

i. discharged
ii. backstage
iii. comeback
iv. toward
v. knighthood

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A. i, iii,v
B. ii, iii, iv
C. ii, iii, v
D. i, ii, iv
Ans. Option C. ii, iii, v

4.The phrase, “newly discharged patients” suggests that the trees were
A. angry or irritated because they were not receiving medical help or remedy, but now they’re cured and want to stay away from clinics.
B. discontent or disturbed and in need of support from the clinic staff, but now their complaints have been addressed, and they are content to live their lives.
C. misunderstood or mistreated and in need of medical attention or care, but now they’re healthy and ready to step out and promote the facility.
D. unwell or unhappy and in need of medical help or remedy, but now they’re cured and ready to venture out and live their lives.
Ans. Option D. unwell or unhappy and in need of medical help or remedy, but now they’re cured and ready to venture out and live their lives.

5. The poem talks about trees breaking out of confined spaces. This is a reference to women-
A. shifting away from their domestic confines.
B. seeking revenge for their age-old oppressions.
C. realizing the difference between friends and enemies.
D. focusing on their family and home
Ans. Option A. shifting away from their domestic confines.

6. Based on the extract, choose the option that lists the most likely symbolic meaning of (1), (2), (3), (4), respectively.

symbolic

A. caution, women, restrictions, individuality
B. individuality, caution, ideas, women
C. restrictions, women, opportunities, individuality
D. opportunities, support, caution, women
Ans. Option C. restrictions, women, opportunities, individuality

7. The poet talks about the house as
A. a safe sanctuary from predators.
B. a place of confinement.
C. a representation of family.
D. a concrete alternative to a natural on
Ans. Option B. a place of confinement.

8. In the line – The night is fresh, the whole moon shines
in a sky still open
The poet uses the indefinite article for ‘sky’ instead of the definite one. This is so because the poet is referring to
A. the ceiling of the verandah as ‘a sky’ versus the door kept open, being ‘the sky’.
B. some part of the sky still left open for women to explore, away from limitations set by patriarchal norms.
C. the opportunities symbolized by an open sky outside can be utilized by a single woman.
D. the portion of the sky bathed in moonlight versus the part that is still dark.
Ans. Option B. some part of the sky still left open for women to explore, away from limitations set by patriarchal norms.

9. Choose the option that DOES NOT state the meaning of the underlined word.
‘I scarcely mention…’

A. tactfully
B. hardly
C. barely
D. only just
Ans. Option A. tactfully

10. “The night is fresh, the whole moon shines
in a sky still open…”

Choose the option that correctly depicts the imagery in the last two lines of the extract.

moon shines

A. Option (1)
B. Option (2)
C. Option (3)
D. Option (4)
Ans. C. Option (3)

11. The word “boughs” mean
A. seeds
B. fruits
C. branches
D. roots
Ans. C. branches

12. What does the poetess not mention in the letters?
A. The arrival of the forest from the house.
B. The departure of the forest from the office.
C. The departure of the forest from the house.
D. None of the above
Ans. C. The departure of the forest from the house.

13. What do the roots do all night?
A. try to free themselves
B. try to respire
C. try to appear long
D. none of the above
Ans. A. try to free themselves

14. Name the literary device used in “The moon is broken like a mirror,”
A. metaphor
B. simile
C. alliteration
D. imagery
Ans. B. simile

15. What rushes to meet the trees?
A. wind
B. light
C. Sun
D. Moon
Ans. A. wind

16. By morning, the forest will be full of _____
A. insects
B. Sun
C. trees
D. birds
Ans. C. trees

17. What does “half dazed” mean
A. half-shocked
B. half-asleep
C. confused
D. All of the above
Ans. D. All of the above

18. Choose an option which is not a synonym of “whisper”.
A. mumble
B. howl
C. whir
D. swish
Ans. B. howl

19. Since the earliest ties between humans and oaks, a very strong symbolic image of oaks has developed in which these trees have become associated with –
(i) longevity, strength, stability, endurance
(ii) power, justice, and honesty
(iii) fertility, fecundity, prolificacy
(iv) scarceness, scarcity, poverty
(v) unavailability, deficiency

A. Option (i) and (v)
B. Option (iii) and (iv)
C. Option (ii) and (v)
D. Option (i), (ii) and (iii)
Ans. D. Option (i), (ii) and (iii)

20. Identify the poetic device used in “Winds rush to meet them”
A. Simile
B. Personification
C. Alliteration
D. Metaphor
Ans. B. Personification

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Class 10 English The Trees Question Answers (including questions from Previous Years Question Papers)

In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from the poem The Trees for CBSE Class 10 Boards in the coming session. These questions have been taken from previous years class 10 Board exams and the year is mentioned in the bracket along with the question.

 

Q1. In the poem “The Trees”, the poet compares the trees to “newly discharged patients”. Highlight any two reasons for the same. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. In the poem, the poet compares the ‘trees’ to ‘newly discharged patients’. Secondly, the trees were exerted like patients, due to their effort that they had to put in order to be freed from the house.

 

Q2. The process of “moving out” was tedious for the trees. Support the statement with reference to the poem. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. Every part of the confined trees rises in revolt and struggles hard to free itself. The roots and leaves struggle to come out of the glass. Small twigs become hard due to over work and the long-cramped boughs are trying to break open the roof. So ‘moving out’ is tedious for trees.

 

Q3. The trees have been shown to have human qualities in the poem. Justify the statement with any two instances from the text. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. The trees have shown some human qualities in the poem. The way they struggled to get themselves free from the boundary of the house is similar to the struggle of the oppressed people who are deprived of their freedom. Similarly, the trees did not give up when enslaved and were determined like humans to get freedom. Humans, too, fight till the end and finally win.

 

Q4. The poet symbolizes women as forests, not trees. What does this suggest? [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. It is shown in the poem that nature, represented by trees and forest, is struggling like women to escape itself from the onslaughts of man to destroy it. The victorious march of the trees is a message of hope that nature can’t be tamed or subdued by the arrogance of man. In the same way women have been struggling to liberate themselves from the bondage of men under patriarchal social norms and they are also succeeding bit by bit. One day the women would have their due natural realm of freedom as the trees succeeded in finding their due natural home.

 

Q5. Change never comes easy. Justify the quote in the context of the poem “The Trees”. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. It is true that change never comes easy. In the poem ‘The Trees’, the trees of the forest were cut down by man for selfish purposes. The forest was turned into a barren land as the trees were captivated inside the house. However, the trees struggled really hard to free themselves from the confines of the house and return to their natural habitat, i.e., forest.

 

Q6. The forest undergoes tremendous transformation overnight. Discuss with reference to the poem “The Trees” [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. The roots of these trees are engaged 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.

 

Q7. The poet uses trees as a symbol for women breaking patriarchal notions. Do you agree? Why/Why not? [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. Indeed, the poet uses trees as a symbol for women breaking patriarchal notions. In a male dominated society, women are in bondage. They are struggling to free themselves. Similarly, nature representing trees and forests, is struggling to escape itself from the onslaughts of men to destroy it.

 

Q8. The poem ends on a note of victory. Justify with reference to the literal and symbolic meaning. [CBSE Q B, 2020-21]

Ans. The poem emphatically portrays the determined and concerted efforts to get liberated from unnatural bondage for a natural home. Each and every part of the tree rises against the slaughtering of men and wage a long and hard struggle to liberate themselves from the bondage of man. Ultimately, they are victorious. They return to their original home where they should be. In the literal sense, the poem ends with the trees successfully returning back to their natural habitat, i.e., the forest. However, symbolically, it ended with the victory of women to get themselves free from the confines of the patriarchal society and domination of man.

 

Q9. Why is the poet writing long letters? Why does she not mention the departure of the trees? (CBSE 2019)

Ans. The poet is writing long letters probably to keep herself busy in some activity. She does not mention the departure of the trees in her long letters because she doesn’t want anyone to know that the trees inside her house are rebelling and fighting their way out to reach the forest. The trees struggle silently at night to break free from their captivity when no one is watching them. She wants the trees to be liberated and be one with nature where they belong. Therefore, she feels that it is best not to say a word about it to anybody.

 

Q10. What happens to the house when trees move out of it? [CBSE 2017]

Ans. When the trees move out, the glass walls break due to the efforts of various parts of the tree

(leaves, twigs) to escape. The smell of lichens and leaves still lingers in the house like the voice of the trees. The roots of the trees would have left cracks in the veranda floor. The poet said that she could still smell the lichens and leaves in the house

 

Q11. What are the three things that can’t happen in a treeless forest? [CBSE Delhi, 2017]

Ans. The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest are—the sitting of a bird on trees, the hiding of insects and the sun burying its feet in the shadow of the forest.

 

Q12. In the poem ‘Trees’, where are the trees? What are their roots, twigs, etc. trying to do? [CBSE 2017]

Ans. The trees are inside the house. The roots, leaves, twigs, etc. all are trying to make an escape from the house. The roots disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor, leaves strain towards the glass, small twigs and boughs move to the doors. The trees work all night to move to the forest. The leaves exert a lot of force on the glasses to break them and twigs become stiff with exertion. The poet wants to give the message that keeping the trees inside homes is like keeping them in a prison.

 

Q13. How is the issue of deforestation raised in the poem “The Trees” ?

Ans. The poet uses ‘the trees’ to connote the significance of forests and raise the issue of ‘deforestation. People keep plants and trees in their homes and have the false impression that it can replace the lost forests. The poet uses the trees as symbolism to say that the issue of deforestation can be tackled only by planting trees.

 

Q14. Discuss the metaphors used in the poem “The Trees”.

Ans. Metaphor is a literary device used to represent a comparison without using the words “like” or “as”.

The poet uses ‘trees’ metaphorically to represent the helplessness of women in the patriarchal society. The metaphor extends throughout the poem and therefore the poem is a good example of ‘extended metaphor’.

The struggles of nature or trees to be freed from the confinements of man is compared to that of the women’s struggle for the same to get freedom from the men dominated society.

 

Q15. 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.

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Class 10 The Trees Long Answer Questions Poem 8

Q1. What message does Adrienne Rich want to convey through the Poem “The Trees”. [CBSE 2020]

Ans. In the poem ‘The Trees’, the poet Adrienne Rich subtly gives the message about the importance of trees for everyone. Without trees, the birds would not get a place to sit, insects would have no place to hide and the sun would not bury its feet in shadow. We enjoy looking at the saplings as they beautify our surroundings. But slowly as the saplings grow into the trees, they spread their roots, their branches and leaves and seem to yearn to go outside where they can live and grow without any restrictions. Then the trees no longer look attractive indoors. The trees are, however, welcomed into nature by strong winds and the moon. The author hereby emphasizes that the trees need to be kept alive, by not imprisoning them inside the house for the mere reason that they look beautiful indoors.

 

Q2. 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]

Ans. In the poem ‘The Trees’, the trees were deprived of their comfort zone of being into the forest. After their freedom was snatched away by man, they were helpless in the confines of a house. However, this movement of the trees out of their comfort zone, made them truly determined and strong. In captivity, they struggled too hard to get out of the house and return to their natural habitat. They finally became free as a result of their efforts. Similarly, Wanda became extremely strong and outspoken as soon as she moved out to a big city. Earlier in the school, Wanda was made fun of because of her dull dress and different name. She kept quiet as she was an introvert. She was also embarrassed by the bullying that she had to go through in the school. However, when she moved to the big city, no one made fun of her different name. This enhanced her self-confidence and she became outspoken, a face clear from the letters she wrote to her previous class teacher, Miss Mason.

 

Q3. 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]

Ans. In her poem ‘The Tree’ poetess Adrienne Rich subtly drives home the message about the importance of trees. Without trees, the birds would have no place to sit, insects would have no place to hide and the sun would not bury its feet in shadow. The trees do not look attractive indoors. The poetess hereby emphasizes that trees need to be kept alive, but should not be ‘imprisoned’ inside the house as they look more beautiful and tend to thrive outdoors that is where trees belong. On the deeper level, we discover that Adrienne Rich her concern about women and their emancipation. The liberation of the crushed women is based on the same theme. In a male-dominated society, women are struggling to come out of the clutches of men to gain freedom. The victorious march of the trees gives a message of hope that mature can’t be tamed or subdued by the onslaughts and arrogance of man.

 

Q4. The trees in the poem stretch out their branches, break barriers and struggle hard to move out in the open in their natural environment. Analyse the efforts that one puts in to break away captivity and strive for freedom.

Ans. For anyone, freedom is much more important than any kind of comfort, growth or development. Even when we have all the riches in the world but no freedom, we do not really have anything. Freedom is the most wanted thing in this world. A bird in a golden cage also does not feel happy. When it is freed, it flies chirpy and happy. And those who live with bare minimum necessities but are able to live freely are always the happiest. Just like the trees in the poem, freedom is gained after a lot of effort. For example, the freedom movements of countries all around the world, where people give up their lives to get freedom.

 

Q5. A conflict between man and nature is going on. In this civilization pursuit men are disregarding the natural growth of plants and trees. In total confinement, nature also rebels against civilization and becomes destructive. Elaborate.

Ans. In the conflict between man and nature, man has caused much harm to nature. With civilization, man has learnt to acquire a lot of material goods but forgotten the importance of nature and cut down large forests, killed animals, destroyed water bodies and done several other such acts. But man wrongly judges nature to be weak, , while nature is the most powerful.

No matter how technologically advanced we become, we can never prevent any natural disaster from taking place. Such destructive forms of nature like flood, earthquake, volcanoes, tornadoes, etc, teach man that the real power lies with nature and it can do anything. Moreover, natural calamities are a reminder to man that by spoiling nature, man is inviting threat to his peaceful existence as nature will lash back at man only in the form of more rains, global warming etc.

 

Q6. ‘Departure is painful’. So is the departure of the trees for the poet. What will happen after their departure?

Ans. Just like the departure of someone close to us is painful, so also is the departure of a tree. When they are planted as a sapling, they look nice and enhance the beauty of our surroundings. But as they grow and spread out their branches, they look wild and require more space for their growth. The roots create cracks in the floor and the leaves stretch out as if to move towards the glass, perhaps in need of sunlight. The soft twigs become strong and stiff. So the trees need to be removed from the house. No more do the leaves cover the sky, but the trees breathe and they are welcomed by the wind. The moon resembles a broken mirror, reflecting off the leaves. The poet reveals that she will feel lonely after the trees’ departure.

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