CBSE Class 10 English The Trees Important Questions Set 01

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

(a). Fill in the blank with suitable words on the basis of your understanding of the given lines.
Barring the first line in the stanza, all the lines start with a small letter to show ______.
Answer: a run-on thought process.

(b). Which poetic device runs through the stanza given above for analysis?
Answer: The poetic device in the given stanza is enjambment.

(c). The poet uses the trees as a symbol of ______.
(a) the emancipation of women from their confinement.
(b) the fight of people for their civil rights.
(c) the emancipation of trees from the room.
(d) the fight of people for their political rights.
Answer: (a) the emancipation of women from their confinement.

(d). Comment on the poet’s use of poetic devices in these lines in 40 words.
Answer: The poet symbolises women as ‘trees’ and uses visual imagery in ‘trees moving out into the forest’ to show that women are breaking the chains of social norms. Further, personification is used in ‘no sun bury its feet in shadow’ because the forest is empty.

(e). Complete the sentence appropriately.
It is clear that personification is the poetic device used in the line, ‘no sun bury its feet in shadow’ because ______.
Answer: the sun is referred to as having feet like human beings and other living things.

(f). The poet has used a poetic device in the given lines. What effect does she wish to create by its use? …no bird could sit no insect hide no sun…
(a) Emphasis
(b) Comparison
(c) Rhyme
(d) Humour
Answer: (a) Emphasis

(g). State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE: The extract uses trees as a symbol for conservative people.
Answer: False. The given statement is false because the poet has used trees as a symbol for women.

(h). Select the appropriate option to complete the sentence, according to the extract. The idea of a forest that has been ‘empty all these days’ is ______.
(a) unnatural
(b) scary
(c) magical
(d) legendary
Answer: (a) unnatural

(i). How does the use of enjambment impact this extract? (CBSE SQP 2022)
(a) It forces frequent pauses.
(b) It simplifies the meaning.
(c) It builds momentum.
(d) It makes the lines lyrical.
Answer: (c) It builds momentum.

(j). Which three things cannot happen in a treeless forest?
Answer: According to the poem, in a treeless forest no birds could sit, no insect could hide, and no sun bury its feet in shadow.

(k). What does the poet mean by empty forest? Why is it empty?
Answer: Empty forest means forest with no trees and it is empty because humans have destroyed the forests for building cities and other uses.

Extract 2

(a). Identify the type of imagery used in the lines of the poem.
Answer: Adrienne Rich has used visual imagery in roots working ‘to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor’.

(b). What is the significance of the use of the words ‘roots’ and ‘disengage’ to describe the social change in the poem and how does this word choice contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: Roots constitute the base of trees. They symbolise the courage and the traditional role of women. The women are struggling to disengage (liberate) themselves from the cracks of the veranda floor. The veranda floor symbolises the burden of domestic duties and cracks refer to the breaking of patriarchal notions. The mood and the tone are optimistic.

(c). The words ‘in the veranda floor’ clearly suggest that the change is taking place ______.
(a) in the veranda and on the walls.
(b) in the clinics and hospitals.
(c) in domestic setups and society.
(d) in the political environment and political parties.
Answer: (c) in domestic setups and society.

(d). In what way does the language used in this extract challenge traditional ideas of what poetry should be?
Answer: The poem has been penned in free verse and uses heavy symbolism.

Extract 3

(a). Fill in the blank with suitable words on the basis of your understanding of the given lines.
The poet describes the state of those struggling as weak and drowsy ______ who are in a hurry to ______.
Answer: newly-discharged patients; move out of the clinic doors.

(b). How does the poet make use of figurative language and to what effect? Answer in about 40 words justifying your observations with concrete evidence.
Answer: The poet uses the symbols of ‘leaves, twigs and boughs’ for women and words like exertion, long-cramped and half-dazed for their distressed mental and physical state. To sharpen the effect of the symbols, the poet has used simile, personification, and visual and auditory imagery.

(c). The leaves strain through the glass, small twigs are stiff with exertion and long-cramped boughs are shuffling under the roof—all indicate the presence of these poetic devices ______.
(a) metaphors and imagery.
(b) enjambment and allusion.
(c) allusion and alliteration.
(d) personification and imagery.
Answer: (d) personification and imagery.

(d). The poet Adrienne Rich was an emancipationist who fought for bringing women’s causes to the front. Comment on the use of ‘leaves’ in the extract.
Answer: Adrienne Rich uses the symbol of leaves to indicate the small steps taken by women towards their freedom.

Extract 4

(a). The poet talks about the house as ______.
(a) a safe sanctuary from predators.
(b) a place of confinement.
(c) a representation of family.
(d) a concrete alternative to a natural one.
Answer: (b) a place of confinement.

(b). The poet uses the indefinite article for ‘sky’ instead of the definite one. This is so because the poet is referring to ______.
(a) the ceiling of the verandah as ‘a sky’ versus the door kept open, being ‘the sky’.
(b) some part of the sky still left open for women to explore, away from limitations set by patriarchal norms.
(c) the opportunities symbolized by an open sky outside can be utilized by a single woman.
(d) the portion of the sky bathed in moonlight versus the part that is still dark.
Answer: (b) some part of the sky still left open for women to explore, away from limitations set by patriarchal norms.

(c). The extract uses ‘open’ twice, suggesting different meanings. Pick the option that lists the correct meanings, respectively.
(a) entry point-vastness
(b) sharing a common space-great view
(c) allowing access and vision-expanse of space
(d) advantage-obstacles ahead.
Answer: (c) allowing access and vision-expanse of space

(d). Choose the option that DOES NOT state the meaning of the underlined word.
‘I scarcely mention…’
(a) tactfully
(b) hardly
(c) barely
(d) only just
Answer: (a) tactfully

(e). Choose the option that correctly depicts the imagery in the last two lines of the extract.
(a) A small moon half-hidden by dark clouds
(b) A thin crescent moon in a dark sky
(c) A bright full moon shining in a wide, clear sky above the grass
(d) A starry night sky over hills with no moon
Answer: (c) A bright full moon shining in a wide, clear sky above the grass

Extract 5

(a). In the line, ‘Listen. The glass is breaking’ who is the poet addressing and why?
Answer: The poet is addressing the readers to get them involved in this change.

(b). What is the significance of the use of the words ‘whispers’ and ‘glass’ in the poem and how does this word choice contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: Whispers symbolise the negative voices and the seeds of self-doubt planted in women to confine them to domestic slavery for life. Now, the glass, a symbol of patriarchal dominance, is breaking because of the movement of the trees. The mood and tone are filled with awe and a quiet confidence.

(c). ‘The trees are stumbling forward / into the night’ is a perfect example of this figure of speech. Choose from the options given.
(a) metonymy
(b) irony
(c) hyperbole
(d) personification
Answer: (d) personification

(d). Where are the trees moving? Describe the movement in a word or two.
Answer: The trees are moving into the forest. Their movement is slow but steady.

Extract 6

(a). Fill in the blank with suitable words on the basis of your understanding of the given lines.
According to the poet ‘the crown of the tallest oak’ refers to ______.
Answer: the oak’s canopy.

(b). Why does the moon look like a broken mirror?
Answer: The moon looks like a broken mirror because it is seen through the branches of a tree.

(c). Who is the wind rushing to meet?
(a) the birds and the insects
(b) the trees
(c) the poet
(d) the sun and the moon
Answer: (b) the trees

(d). Comment on the poet’s use of language in these lines in 40 words.
Answer: The wind symbolises the welcoming spirit of the outside world which also favours the freedom of women. The simile of the moon broken like a mirror is a symbol of the broken dominance of a patriarchal hierarchy, and the tall oak stands for the victory of the strugglers, i.e. the women.

Extract 7

(a). Fill in the blank with an appropriate answer.
The word ‘open’ in ‘a sky still open’ denotes ______.
Answer: That despite the changes happening around, the sky remains vast and symbolises a sense of freedom.

(b). The poet uses the indefinite article for ‘sky’ instead of the definite one. This is so because the poet is referring to:
(a) the ceiling of the verandah as ‘a sky’ versus the door kept open, as ‘the sky’.
(b) some part of the sky is still left open for women to explore, away from limitations set by patriarchal norms.
(c) the opportunities symbolised by an open sky outside can be utilised by a single woman.
(d) The portion of the sky bathed in moonlight versus the part that is still dark.
Answer: (b) some part of the sky is still left open for women to explore, away from limitations set by patriarchal norms.

(c). The extract uses the word ‘open’ twice, suggesting different meanings. State the correct meanings, respectively.
Answer: The word ‘open’ is used by the poet to show vision of the expanded space.

(d). Comment on the imagery used in the stanza.
Answer: The stanza paints a vivid picture of a peaceful night. The imagery of the speaker sitting indoors with open doors to the veranda evokes a sense of connection with nature. The fresh night and shining moon suggest serenity and clarity amidst change.

Extract 8

(a). The trees stumbling forward into the night symbolise:
(a) the resilience and determination of women breaking free from confinement.
(b) the chaos and unpredictability of nature.
(c) the destructive force of wind and storms.
(d) the fading of hope and the approaching darkness.
Answer: (a) the resilience and determination of women breaking free from confinement.

(b). The “broken moon” represents societal constructs. Justify.
Answer: The moon, once whole, is shown ‘broken like a mirror’ as the trees move out into the night. This suggests that the old social structures that confined women are shattering as they break free. The pieces now flash in the crown of the tallest oak, showing that freedom shines.

(c). Comment on the poet’s use of language in these lines.
Answer: The language is rich in imagery and personification — whispers, breaking glass, trees stumbling forward and winds rushing to meet them. Short sentences like ‘Listen. The glass is breaking.’ create drama and urgency.

(d). Fill in the blank with an appropriate statement. When the poet says that his head is full of whispers, he refers to ______
Answer: the many thoughts and feelings about the trees’ departure that she cannot yet express

(e). Why are the trees stumbling?
Answer: According to the given lines, the trees are stumbling because they are hurrying to move outside after breaking the glass.

(f). Why would the whispers be silent tomorrow?
Answer: The poet says that the whispers will be silent because the trees will move outside after breaking the glass.

Extract 9

(a). How does the imagery of "small twigs stiff with exertion" contribute to the overall tone of the stanza?
Answer: The image shows the trees straining with great effort to break free. It creates a tone of struggle and determination.

(b). Identify the type of imagery used in the lines of the poem.
Answer: Visual imagery is used, along with personification and a simile.

(c). Fill in the blank with an appropriate word. In the given stanza, the word "disengage" could be replaced with ______.
(a) connect
(b) detach
(c) entangle
(d) embrace
Answer: (b) detach

(d). What does the phrase "moving to the clinic doors" imply about the urgency of the trees' desire to be free?
Answer: Like patients eager to leave a hospital, the trees are desperate to get out. Even though they are weak and half-dazed, they move with urgency towards freedom.

Extract 10

(a). What does the poet compare the branches to?
Answer: The poet compares the branches to newly discharged patients.

(b). Name the figure of speech used in these lines.
Answer: Simile – the boughs are compared with the patients.

(c). What does the word ‘shuffling’ mean?
Answer: Moving repeatedly from one position to another/mixing up.

Extract 11

(a). Which three things cannot happen in a treeless forest?
Answer: In a treeless forest, no bird could sit, no insect could hide and no sun could bury its feet in shadow.

(b). Why was the forest empty?
Answer: The forests are empty because the trees have been cut down to create land for buildings, houses, etc.; in other words, for the expansion of cities.

(c). Which word here means ‘hide from view’?
Answer: Bury

Extract 12

(a). ‘I’ in the above lines is ______.
(a) a young man
(b) the poet
(c) a boy
(d) a young woman
Answer: (b) the poet

(b). The speaker is ______.
(a) in her house
(b) writing letters
(c) watching the departure of the forest
(d) all of the above
Answer: (d) all of the above

(c). The trees are moving ______.
(a) inside
(b) outside
(c) nowhere
(d) sideways
Answer: (b) outside

Extract 13

(a). Who is ‘I’?
Answer: ‘I’ is the poet.

(b). What is she doing?
Answer: She is sitting inside her house, writing letters and watching the departure of the trees out into the forest.

(c). Where are the trees in the poem?
Answer: The trees were inside the house; now they are trying to move out into the forest.

Extract 14

(a). The above lines were written by
(a) Robert Frost
(b) John Berryman
(c) Robin Klein
(d) Adrienne Rich
Answer: (d) Adrienne Rich

(b). The crown of the oak lies in its
(a) top most branch
(b) roots
(c) rich and tasty fruit
(d) broad leaves
Answer: (a) top most branch

(c). The winds are rushing to meet the ______.
Answer: trees

(d). Find the word from the extract which means the same as ‘shine’.
Answer: flash

Extract 15

(a). What are the trees trying to do?
Answer: The trees are trying to move out into the forest.

(b). Why was the forest empty?
Answer: The forest was empty because there were no trees, birds or insects, and it is because humans have destroyed the forest for building cities and other uses.

(c). All these days, the forest referred to here was ______.
(a) filled
(b) empty
(c) hidden
(d) separated
Answer: (b) empty

(d). The figure of speech used in these lines is ______.
(a) Simile
(b) Alliteration
(c) Personification
(d) Metonymy
Answer: (c) Personification