§ The Trees
By Adrienne Rich
Analysis
of the poem :
The poem ‘The Trees’ is composed by Adrienne Rich, an Amarican poet and a reformist. Adrienne Rich is a feminist and has been known to write about women rights and equality.
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The poet uses
trees as a metaphor for human beings especially for women.
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The tone of the
poem is sarcastic and criticising as the poet criticises the male dominated
society to be unfair, unjust and inhuman to a section which has been suppressed,
downtrodden and illtreated for ages.
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The poet wants to
sensitise the society against its cruel, unjust and unsympathetic treatment
towards fair section and trees.
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It is composed in
blank verse and doesn’t follow any rhyming scheme. The poem is divided into four
stanzas but the line length is irregular.
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The poem
highlights the theme that all the entities of this universe have a soul just
like all of us and all deserve equal rights, respect and recognition.
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A very
significant message is conveyed through the poem that we should be sympathetic
towards all the creatures and their rights shouldn’t be stripped in any case.
Summary
The poem describes the trees metaphorically as
rebels. The trees are compared to women who have been stripped off their rights
and due place in society for ages. They have decided to move out of their
houses to carve a place in the society and recognise their identity.
The trees are mercilessly captivated by humans in
their houses, verandah and balcony, but they have decided to revolt and go to
their natural place - the forest where they are supposed to grow naturally and
freely.
As women have confined indoors for ages, they have
come weak and inconfident. They find it difficult to pull their roots and go
out of the fourwalls just the trees look like newly discharged patients who are
trying to recover and gain strength. Meanwhile, the forest has become empty,
the birds have no place to sit and insects to hide. The Sun rays fall on bare
land and can’t make a shadow as there are no trees.
However, next day, the forest will be full of trees,
birds and all the natural elements. The roots of the trees are trying hard to
pull off from the floor of the veranda and branches and leaves are doing the
same to get away from the walls and windows of the house where they have
remained suffocated and twisted due to lack of space. The trees move towards
the forest in a struggling gait as they are weak and not recovered fully.
The poet is sitting in her house with the doors of
the veranda open and very well could see the movement of trees. She is writing
letters but does not want to mention this movement as she thinks, very soon
everyone will come to know about it. May be she feels that the society won’t
care and show any interest in this regard.
The moon is shining brightly in the night sky. The poet can smell the leaves and lichen which seem to leave the message that they
are going to their right place. She can also hear as the window pane is breaking. As the trees move out, the fast wind coming from the forest welcomes them. As the trees reach the forest, the branches
of tall and strong oak tree partially hide the moon. It appears as if the moon
has been broken into several pieces like a mirror. The broken pieces of moon
look like diamonds in the crown of oak which stands triumphantly signifying
that it has attained freedom and its right to live a normal life in its natural
place.
Rhyme Scheme
The poet is
composed in blank verse as the lines of the poem don’t rhyme. the line length is irregular.
Poetic Devices
The trees inside are moving out into the
forest, - personification
the forest that was
empty all these days – Refrain, Imagery
where no bird
could sit - personification
no insect hide - enjambment
no sun
bury its feet in shadow – personification, Imagery
the forest that was
empty all these nights – Refrain
will be full of
trees by morning. – Imagery
All night the roots
work – personification
to disengage
themselves from the cracks
– Consonance, Personification, imagery
in the veranda
floor. – enjambment
The leaves strain toward the glass – Personification,
Imagery, Consonance
small twigs stiff with exertion – Alliteration, Assonance
long-cramped boughs
shuffling under the roof – Imagery, Personification
like newly discharged patients – Simile
half-dazed, moving
- personification
to the clinic
doors. – Metaphor, enjambment
writing long
letters - enjambment
in which I scarcely mention the departure –
Assonance
of the forest from the house. – Alliteration, repetition
The night is fresh, the whole moon shines –
Repetition
in a sky still open – Alliteration, enjambment
the smell of leaves and lichen –
Alliteration
still reaches like a voice into the rooms. – Simile, personification
The trees are
stumbling forward – personification, imagery, pathos
into the night. Winds rush to meet them. – personification, Imagery, alliteration
The moon is broken like a mirror, - Simile, Alliteration, imagery
its pieces flash now in the crown
– Metaphor,
Imagery, alliteration
of the tallest oak
- enjambment
Q. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow. RTC 1
“All night the
roots work
to disengage themselves
from the cracks
in the veranda floor.
The leaves strain
toward the glass
small twigs stiff with
exertion
long-cramped boughs
shuffling under the roof”
i. Complete the
sentence appropriately.
All the night the roots
will be working because _____
ii. The poet has used a
poetic device for ‘long cramped boughs’. What effect does she wish to create?
A. pathos
B. comparison
C. rhythm
D. humour
iii. State whether the
statement ‘Trees are comparatively used for living creatures’ is TRUE or FALSE.
iv. What types of
change is predicted through this lines?
A. political
B. religious
C. revolutionary
D. natural
v. How have the small
twigs become stiff?
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