The Trees Summary

The Trees Summary Class 10 English

Cat the poem ‘The Trees’ written by Adrienne Rich, is a poem about decorative plants. These plants are grown in houses in small pots and pans. They are not useful for birds and insects. Birds can’t sit on the branches. Insects can’t hide in them. They don’t give any shade. Their twigs are stiff. Their boughs are like a newly discharged patient. They are devoid of light. Their leaves rush towards the glass window for light because they feel suffocated in their small pots and pans. The poetess is sitting inside her room. She is writing long letters. It is night time. She feels the smell of leaves and lichen reaching inside her room. The poetess longs that these trees should strive to get light and air.

Adrienne Rich’s “The Trees” is a nature poem. Forest is the natural habitat of trees, birds and insects. In the absence of trees in the forest, the ecological balance will be disturbed. In this poem, the poetess has personified nature. Man has confined nature within his four walls. Man has uprooted trees and kept them in the modern artificial glasshouses. But nature can’t be subdued for long. The trees struggle to break the artificial bathers. They become free breaking all the bondages and move towards their natural habitat — the forest. Only there they can grow to the natural vastness, grandeur and dimensions. The poetess tries to convey that like human beings trees also need freedom. They can get their natural growth and freedom when they are in the forest and not in artificial houses made by human beings. Please refer The Trees Summary for more revision notes.