The Tress by Adrienne Rich

About the Poet: Adrienne Cecile Rich (May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist
and feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the
20th century". Rich criticized rigid forms of feminist identities.

Summary:

“The Trees,” by Adrienne Rich, is a short symbolic poem focusing on the movement of trees that are
initially indoors but seeking to escape to freedom in the forest. The trees represent nature but also the
nature of being—womanhood in particular.

What makes this poem unusual is the speaker’s attitude towards the trees. In the first two stanzas there
is a definite attachment as the speaker objectively describes the escape of the trees to their new
environment.

In the last two stanzas the speaker, now a first-person “I,” seems to want to ignore this profound
shifting of the trees but paradoxically by mentioning her own aloofness brings the whole situation into
sharper focus.

The use of simile is clear as the branches of the trees are seen like newly discharged patients heading for
the clinic doors. This portrayal of the trees as people in need of medical help means the poem cannot be
taken literally.

The poem then is an extended metaphor; the trees are indeed people, specifically females, females who
are in need of healing or having been healed, are now ready for their true purpose, renewing the empty
forest.

Written in 1963 and published in her book Necessities of Life, published in 1966, this poem appeared at
an important point in Adrienne Rich’s development as a poet and cultural figurehead.

In the same year, she moved to New York with her family and started to teach, as well as throw herself
into political activism, particularly anti-war protests. Years later she became an ardent feminist and
wrote many poems and essays reflecting her strong political views and ideas.

“The Trees” is influenced by Robert Frost’s poem “Birches,” yet it has its own distinct, quiet revolution
going on.

Analysis
“The Trees” is a curious poem that demands several read-throughs before the reader can fully grasp
what is happening with both form and content. The varying line length, unusual syntax and powerful
imagery needs careful handling.

Although enjambment is used throughout to convey a sense of flow and maintain sense, there are
certain lines that cause hesitation for the reader because of the need for a natural break or pause
(caesura). This adds to a feeling of slight unease which enhances the idea that this movement of trees is
anything but natural.

Since when have trees moved of their own accord? Only in fairy tales, only in the imagination. But here
they are, breaking out of their interior, be it house, conservatory, greenhouse, or covered veranda.
They’re shifting away from domestic confines and out into the forest. This is a highly significant change.

Why so significant? Well, trees normally make up the forest but until now it’s been empty – for many
days and nights. This is symbolic of certain types of people being left in the dark for too long not
knowing their true identities and where they belong.

Knowing the poet’s feminist leanings and yearnings it is safe to suggest that the forest is the forest of
womanhood.

The new forest will take shape very quickly, overnight says the speaker, pointing towards a sort of sea
change in identity, a collective identity.

All of this action is taking place at night—the change is profound, of roots and all, the whole tree—note
the imagery and sense of physical movement in the second stanza:

Work/disengage/strain/stiff/shuffling/moving

An extra clue in line 14 gives the reader more clarity, that simile like newly discharged patients surely
suggesting that the trees were sick or unhappy, in need of medical help and healing, but now they’re
healed and free to go and live their lives.

The third stanza introduces the speaker, in the first person. Here is a woman, the reader must presume,
writing long letters (to whom?) and remaining aloof from all this tree action. She doesn’t bother to
mention the quiet revolution, or rather, she scarcely mentions it—which means she does acknowledge it
but isn’t that surprised by it?

She has seen it coming perhaps, she has known for quite some time that the trees would one day break
out. As this exodus takes place she can still smell the remains of the trees—like a voice—that turns into
whispers in her own head? The whispers are the last messages of her old life, soon to be renewed.

In the final stanza the speaker exhorts the reader to listen. She wants attention. Glass is breaking, a sure
sign that this change is serious and permanent; there may be damage done.

Then the imagery completely takes over, the poem becoming cinematic as the moon, that symbol of
femininity, emotion and physical change, breaks like a mirror (another symbol of the reflected former
self) the fragmented image lighting up the tallest tree, an oak, the strongest, most durable of trees.

Literary and Poetic Devices

“The Trees” is a free verse poem of four stanzas, making a total of 32 lines. There is no set rhyme
scheme and no regular metric beat pattern—each line is different rhythmically—and the lines vary from
short to long.

The poem begins with a description of the actions of the trees as they start to move out at night. This is
quite an objective view of the scene, the first two stanzas going into lots of objective detail.

Repetition (anaphora) occurs in the first stanza (the forest that was empty), reinforcing the idea that
previously there was no life outside. Take note also of: where no bird/no insect/no sun.

Similes, in the second, third and final stanzas, involve both human and domestic elements: like newly
discharged patients/like a voice/like a mirror.

Personification is to be found in the first stanza (no sun bury its feet in shadow), the second stanza
(small twigs stiff with exertion/long-cramped boughs shuffling) and the fourth stanza (The trees are
stumbling forward).

Extract Based Questions

Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow :

Question 1.

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.

(a) Which three things cannot happen in a treeless forest ?

(b) Why was the forest empty ?

© Which word here means ‘hide from view’ ?

(d) Name the poem and the poet

Answer:

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.

(b) The forests are empty and devoid of trees because they are cut down to create land for cultivation
and expansion of cities.

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

(d) The poem ‘The Trees’ is written by Adrienne Rich.

Question 2.
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

(a) The bird did not sit on trees as ………..

(b) The forest was empty because there were no ………..

© Here, ‘The trees are moving’ refers to …………

(d) No insect can hide as……

Answer:

There were no trees.

(b) trees.

© g owing out of the glass.

(d) as there are no trees.

Question 3.

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.

(a) Why do the leaves strain towards the glass ?

(b) What are branches compared to ?

© What is the figure of speech in ‘ like newly discharged patients’ ?

(d) Which word means the same as ‘boughs’ ?

Answer:

(a) The leaves strain towards the glass to escape their captivity.

(b) Branches here are compared to patients.

© simile.

(d) Twigs.

Question 4.
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.

(a) The names of the poem and the poet are ……….

(b) The figure of speech used in the last line of the stanza is ………..

© The doors are opening in the ………

(d) Which word means the same as ‘fragrance’ ?

Answer:

(a) The name of the poem is ‘Trees’ and its poet is Adrienne Rich.

(b) Simile.

© Verandah.

(d) Smell

Question 5.

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.

(a) Who is breaking the glass ?

(b) The wind rushes to greet the ……..

© The figure of speech used in the line.

The moon is broken like a mirror is …………….

(d) The pieces of the mirror flash …………

Answer:

(a) The branches of the tree are breaking the glass.

(b) trees.

© Simile.
(d) in the crown of the tallest oak

Question 6.

The moon is broken like a mirror;

Its pieces flash now in the crown Of the tallest oak.

(a) Whom do winds rush to meet ?

(b) How does the moon look ?

© Name the poem and the poet ?

(d) Which poetic device is used in the above lines ?

Answer:

(a) Winds rush to meet trees.

(b) It looks like a broken mirror.

© ‘ Trees’ by Adrienne Rich.

(d) Simile

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words & 2 marks each)

Question 1.

Where are the trees in the poem ? What do their roots, their leaves and twigs do ? [NCERT]

Answer:

The poem by Adrienne Rich is referring to the trees grown indoor for their aesthetic beauty. The poet
imagines that the trees are stifled in confined places and struggle to move in the open towards their
natural habitat. The roots make a deliberate effort to disentangle themselves from the cracks in the
floor while the leaves and twigs exert themselves to break the glass barrier of the window and emerge
into the open.

Question 2.

What does the poet compare the branches of the trees to ? [NCERT]

Answer:

The poet compares the boughs and branches of the trees to newly discharged patients moving out of
the clinic doors in a half dazed condition, stifled under the strain of confinement. They are desperate to
stretch themselves in the open and get a breath of fresh air.
Question 3.

How does the poet describe the moon: (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end ? What
causes this change ? [NCERT]

Answer:

As the poet watches the night sky from the window overlooking the verandah, the moon is whole,
shining brightly in the open sky. As she imagines the trees moving out of the house she envisions the
moon light rippling over the crown of the oak tree and she metaphorically compares it to moon being
broken into several pieces and each piece reflecting its light separately.

Question 4.

What happens to the house when the trees move out of it ? [NCERT]

Answer:

The fragrance from the trees is filling the house like low whisperings of people. Thus, the poet
personifies that the house would be empty and silent, once the trees leave.

Question 5

What kind of whispers can the poet hear? Why will these be silent tomorrow?

Answer:

The poet can hear the voices of the trees talking to each other, asserting their right to be free and the
sounds of their moving out. It may also be her inner voice that reprimands her for imprisoning the trees.
The whispers will be silent tomorrow as the trees will move out into the forest and will be free.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Question 1.

What is the central idea of the poem ‘The Trees’.

Answer:

The poem ‘The Trees’ states that in the conflict between man and nature, man has caused much harm
to nature. Man has learnt to acquire a lot of material goods, but forgotten the importance of nature and
large forests have been cut down, animals have been killed and water bodies have been destroyed. Man
has judged nature wrongly to be weak, whereas nature is the most powerful. Any natural disaster can
not be prevented, though we are moving in a technologically advanced world. The destructive forms of
nature For eg : flood, earthquake, volcanoes, tornadoes etc. teach man that the real power lies with
nature and it can do anything.

Question 2
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’?
(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? NCERT

Answer:

(i) The poem “The Trees’ depicts the serious problem of deforestation worldwide, which
causes ecological imbalances and the risk of global warming. The poet means to say that we
are depriving the forest of their trees and creating concrete jungles in the cities. The irony of
the situation is that we are decorating our homes and cities with trees and plants and
cutting the trees from the forest. If we compare this poem to another poem, ‘A Tiger in the
Zoo’, we find many similarities.

We imprison the tigers and other animals in the zoo whereas their true places is in the forest. Similarly,
we ‘imprison’ the trees and plants in our houses and cities whereas their true place is in the forests.
There is nothing wrong with decorating the houses and cities with the plants and trees. But it is
something unpardonable to deprive the forests of the trees and plants. That is why the poet imagines
that the trees from the houses want to be liberated and move to the forest.

(ii) There is another aspect of this beautiful poem. Adrienne Rich in many of her poems has
used trees as a metaphor for human beings. So, if we think of the poem from this point of
view, it signifies that human beings are constantly going away from the country life.
Everybody seems to settle in big cities where we are deprived of the qualities of enjoying
nature in its various forms. Migration of more and more people towards city life creates a
vacuum in the minds of such human beings. So, they crave and long for moving to natural
surrounding. They earnestly and eagerly desire to go back to nature.