§ The Trees
By Adrienne Rich
Analysis
of the poem :
The poem ‘The Trees’ is composed by Adrienne Rich, an American 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 free 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 mercilessly captivated by humans
in their houses, verandah and balcony, but they have decided to revolt and go
to their natural place - the forest. The forest has been
empty, the birds have no place to sit, insects to hide and for the other living
creatures to rest under the shade. 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.
The trees have become
weak and 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 pace as they
are weak.
The poet is sitting in her house and 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. She can smell the leaves and lichen which seem to leave the message that they are going to their right place.
The sky is clear and the moon is shining brightly. The glass of the window pane is breaking, where the leaves have rested for a long time. The trees are moving out and the fast blowing wind embraces 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 in its natural place.
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Line by Line Explanation
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.
Today, the trees
have decided to revolt and go back to their natural place - the forest where
they are supposed to grow naturally and freely. The poet here compares the
trees to women who have been stripped off their rights and due place in society
for ages. The revolt of tress metaphorically suggests that women have decided
to move out of their houses to carve a place in the society exploring their
potential and recognise their identity. Till now, the
forest has been empty, the birds have no place to sit and insects to hide as
there were no trees in the forest. The Sun rays fall on bare land and can’t
make a shadow as there are no trees. Here, sun is
compared to a tired traveller who can't rest under shade as he can’t find any
trees. However, next day, the forest will be full of trees, and the birds, insects
and all the natural elements will find their home in trees and they all together
would make it a happy and complete forest by next morning.
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
like newly
discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic
doors.
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. The trees have become weak and they are described as patients who have
been sick for many days. Here, the poet wants to tell that the leaves have
suffered lot of strain or pain when they had to rest on glass of window pane. The
small branches are twisted and the big boughs are cramped as they struggled
under the roof of house where they have remained suffocated and twisted due to
lack of space. The trees are trying to move towards the forest in a struggling
gait/manner, and haven’t recovered fully. They are weak like patients who are
moving towards clinic for recovery. They haven’t gained strength as they have
pulled their roots from ground and it will time to firm up their roots in new
ground in forest. Metaphorically, the women who decided to move out to find
their due place in society, will find it difficult initially to carve their
place and may feel weak and less confident.
I sit inside, doors
open to the veranda
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.
The poet is sitting in her house and the doors of the veranda are open. She could very well see the movement of trees towards the forest. She is writing letters but does not want to mention this movement of trees as she thinks, very soon everyone will come to know about it as it is such a revolutionary change and people will get to know about it sooner or later. May be she feels that the human society is selfish and won’t care and show much interest or concern regarding this movement. The trees are heading towards the forest and now the scene changes. The night is fresh and the sky is clear without any clouds. Full moon is shining brightly in the open sky. The poet still can smell the lingering smell of leaves and lichen. This smell appears like voice of living beings as they are saying something to the poet. Even after the trees have left, the lingering smell of leaves and lichen is echoing like soft voices in the rooms of the poet. They seem to leave the message that they are going to their right place forever.
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.
The poet compares
the smell of leaves and lichen to voice which appears to speak to her. She feels that
her head is full of soft voices of leaves and lichen. But, she knows that next
day these voices will be silent as by then the smell also will go completely. She also hears the sound of glass of the
window pane which is breaking as the leaves which were resting on glass have pulled themselves off with tremendous efforts, making the glass break. The moon is shining brightly in the night sky. As the
trees move out, the fast wind coming from the forest welcomes them as if entire forest is extremely happy and eager to receive the trees. As the trees move ahead in 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. Here, mirror is presented as a symbol for beauty and the poet wants to convey that the revolutionary step of women has broken the stereotype that women are an object of beauty and need to look attractive and pleasing. The broken pieces of moon
look like diamonds studded in the crown of oak. This crown symbolise victory of trees as Oak tree stands triumphantly signifying
that it has attained freedom and its right to live a normal life in its natural
place.
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Rhyme Scheme
The poet is
composed in free 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, Irony
the forest that was
empty all these days – Refrain, Imagery, Irony
where no bird
could sit - personification
no insect hide - enjambment
no sun
bury its feet in shadow – personification, Imagery, Metaphor
the forest that was
empty all these nights – Refrain, Alliteration, Consonance
will be full of
trees by morning. – Imagery, Consonance
All night the roots
work – personification
to disengage
themselves from the cracks
– Alliteration, Consonance, Personification, imagery
in the veranda
floor. – enjambment
The leaves strain toward the glass – Repetition, Personification,
Imagery, Consonance, pathos
small twigs stiff with exertion – Alliteration, Assonance, Pathos
long-cramped boughs
shuffling under the roof – Assonance, Imagery, Personification, Consonance
like newly discharged patients – Simile, Pathos
half-dazed, moving
- personification
to the clinic
doors. – Metaphor, enjambment
writing long
letters - enjambment, Alliteration
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, Imagery
in a sky still open – Assonance, Alliteration, enjambment
the smell of leaves and lichen –
Alliteration
still reaches like a voice into the rooms. – Alliteration, Assonance, Simile, personification
The trees are stumbling forward – personification, imagery
into the night. Winds rush to meet them. – personification, Imagery, alliteration, enjambment
The moon is broken like a mirror, - Simile, Alliteration, imagery, Symbolism
its pieces flash now in the crown
– Metaphor,
Imagery, alliteration, Symbolism
of the tallest oak
- enjambment
Video on The Trees
Important Question Answers
Q1. Why do you think the poet doesn’t mention in her letter the departure of the forest from the house?
Ans. It is because Adrienne Rich feels that the humans won't be interested in knowing about the freedom of trees as she considers them insensitive and unconcerned about nature that's why they want to captivate trees and animals for their selfish purposes. She feels that there is no use mentioning of it in her letters as it would not invite anyone’s attention and interest. Later on, the story of trees' movement to the forest would eventually reach the world and people would get to know about it.
Q2. What does the poet want to convey through the poem?
Ans. Adrienne Rich feels that the human beings are far too selfish and insensitive to understand others' pain, desires and needs. She considers them insensitive and unconcerned about nature that's why they want to captivate trees and animals for their selfish purposes and entertainment. Through this poem the poet pours out her agony describing that the trees have to revolt for their rights and freedom. The poet wishes to convey that right place for trees is forest, not a house. Similarly, the women have been kept within the four walls since ages and they are, now trying to move out in the world and break their domestic shackles to explore their potential and make their place in the society and the outside world.
RTC
Q. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.
“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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