CBSE Class 10 First Flight Book Poem 7 The Trees Question Answers from previous years question papers (2019-2024)
The Trees Previous Year Questions with Answers – Question Answers from Previous years Board Exam Question papers provide valuable insights into how chapters are typically presented in exams. They are essential for preparing for the CBSE Board Exams, serving as a valuable resource.They can reveal the types of questions commonly asked and highlight the key concepts that require more attention. In this post, we have shared Previous Year Questions for Class 10 English Poem 7, “The Trees”.
Questions which came in 2024 Board Exam
Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
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. [2024]
(i) Identify the figure of speech used in the line : “The Trees are stumbling forward into the night”.
Ans. The figure of speech used in the line “The trees are stumbling forward into the night” is personification. Trees are given human characteristics of “stumbling” and moving “forward into the night.”
(ii) Explain the significance of the line:
“The moon is broken like a mirror, its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest Oak.” Answer in about 40 words.
Ans. The significance of the line “The moon is broken like a mirror, its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest Oak” lies in its vivid imagery and metaphor. The reader can visualize the moon which is shining and it is interrupted by the branches of the tree which make the moon appear to be broken into pieces. The poet has visualized nature in an unusual manner.
(iii) Complete the sentence with the appropriate option. In the third line, the word ‘Listen’ is used to _________.
(A) serve no purpose but to complete the sentence.
(B) emphasize listening carefully to the sound of glass breaking.
(C) emphasize listening carefully as a change is about to take place.
(D) make the reader more attentive.
Ans. (C)
(iv) What does the line: “My head is full of whispers which tomorrow will be silent” tell us about the poet’s state of mind?
Ans. It indicates that the thoughts in the poet’s mind are temporary. She knows that life is not always the same and the botherations of today will fade off with time.
Q2. “The trees” is a symbolic poem and Adrienne Rich has used trees as a metaphor for human beings. What do they symbolize? Explain. [2024, 40-50 words]
Ans. The trees symbolize women who want freedom. They want to escape from the confinement of their homes and become free in the vast open forest. They are trying to release the roots from the ground so that they can go out and meet the air which is a symbol of freedom.
Questions that appeared in 2020 Board Exams
Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
….Winds rush to meet them.
‘The moon is broken like a mirror,
Its pieces flash now in the crown
of the tallest oak. [2020]
(a) The above lines were written by
(i) Robert Frost (ii) John Berryman
(iii) Robin Klein (iv) Adrienne Rich
Ans. (iv)
(b) The crown of the oak lies in its,
(i) top most branch (ii) roots
(iii) rich and tasty fruit (iv) broad leaves
Ans. (i)
(c) The winds are rushing to meet the___.
Ans. trees
(d) Find the word from the extract which means the same as “shine.”
Ans. flash
Q2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
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
the forest that was empty all these nights
will be full of trees by morning. [2020]
(a) What are the trees trying to do?
Ans. The trees are trying to return back to the forests where they belong.
(b) Why was the forest empty?
Ans. The forests were empty because the trees were held captive inside the houses. People were cutting down and uprooting the trees in order to fulfill their needs of beautifying their houses and creating artificial environments for the trees to live in.
(c) All these days, the forest referred to here was ______.
(i) filled (ii) empty
(ii) hidden (iv) separated
Ans. (ii)
(d) The figure of speech used in these lines is _____ :
(i) Simile (ii) Alliteration
(iii) Personification (iv) Metonymy
Ans. (iii)
Q3. What message does Adrienne Rich want to convey through the poem, ‘The Trees’? [2020, 100-150 words]
Ans. The poem “The Trees” by Adrienne Rich is a metaphor which compares the trees to women. The poet is a feminist and highlights the desire of women to be free and go out in the open. The trees want to free themselves from the floor of the house and go in the open forest. They are cramped in the houses and their feelings can be felt and heard by the poet.The roots are shuffling, branches are moving towards the window. The trees move into the open and are greeted by the wind. The moon gets broken by the oak tree’s shadow which looks different and highlights the power of the trees.
2019 Exam Question and Answers from the chapter
Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
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. [2019]
- Why would the whispers be silent tomorrow?
Ans. The whispers will be silent because the trees will move outside to the forest.
- Why are the trees stumbling?
Ans. The trees are stumbling because they hurry to move outside after breaking the glass.
- Which word in the stanza means the same as ‘Quiet’?
Ans. The word is ‘Silent’.
- Which poetic device has been used in the sixth line of the stanza?
Ans. Simile has been used using ‘like’ for comparison.
Q2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
……long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors. [2019]
(a) What are the boughs doing?
Ans. They are shuffling.
(b) What are the boughs compared to?
Ans. Newly discharged patients.
(c) Why does the poet use this comparison?
Ans. The boughs are not sure about their destination and way out of the house just like the newly discharged patients who are under the influence of the anasthesia and are uncertain about the way out of the hospital.
(d) What does ‘half-dazed’ mean?
Ans. It means a state of semi-consciousness. Here it could mean that they are still under the mild influence of the anasthesia that was administered to them.
Q3. Why is the poet writing long letters? Why does she not mention the departure of the trees? [2019, 30-40 words]
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.
Also see:
The Trees Important Questions, NCERT Solutions, Extra Questions
The Trees Summary, Explanation