The Trees

Summary

The Tree is a short symbolic poem and it focuses on the movement of trees that are initially indoors but seeking to escape to freedom in the forest. The trees represent the nature and womanhood in particular. It is written by Adrienne Rich. Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore USA. She was a famous poet, essayist, and feminist.

This poem presents a conflict between men and nature. The poetess suggests here that the trees and plants used in the interior decoration in cities are as imprisoned. They need freedom. These trees want to move out to the forest where trees decreasing day by day due to cutting. The poetess says that everything has a deep desire for freedom. It is necessary for growth and wellbeing. We must follow the nature of laws.

This poem is a voice with a body engaged in the activities and sensing intrusion which are not organic to the conventions of a native poem. This poem is demonstrating the unsuitability of language itself as a greenhouse or container of nature. She knows that once the trees move to the forest area, the house will have complete silence.

In this poem, “I” is the voice of the speaker of the poem Adrienne Rich.  Poem The Trees is the voice with a body engaged in the activities and sensing intrusions that are not organic to the conventions of a nature poem.  This is actually an unnatural poem that narrates the struggle of a population of trees to escape the confined surrounding of a greenhouse.  Through the trees, this poem demonstrates the unsuitability of the language itself as a greenhouse. The poetess is the witness for the trees exodus but making distances herself from participating in the making of something out of the spectacle. She can sit and write too.

Even though the speaker addresses the audience, her own head is full of whispers and she is an audience as well.  We, however, the audience to the poem, are compelled with the command. The speaker reaches across the barrier between the poem and the audience. A transaction that occurs on the page, and says for listening.

Poetess articulates her consciousness of the many levels of inner and outer and the blurring of the boundaries between them.  In the poem, the trees are in the house of the poet. Their roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks of the floor in the veranda. The leaves are making efforts to move towards the glass.  An open door is for the night and the whole moon and the sky is available to the speaker. This tree is at the same time, through this door the smell of leaves still reaches back in.  The speaker’s head is another interior and implicitly entered by the whispers.

The poetess is especially intrigued by the image of the trees similar to newly discharged patients. The poet is making a comparison to the long-cramped branches which are shuffling under the roof with the newly discharged patients from the hospital. As they are moving towards the hospital doors after their long illnesses. The branches have cramped under the gaps with the roof. Therefore they want to get out into the open to spread themselves in the fresh air.

Answers to textual questions:

1. (i) Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.

Ans: The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest according to Adrienne Rich are – the sitting of a bird on trees, the hiding of insects, and the sun burying its feet in the shadow of the forest.

 (ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: “….. sun bury its feet in shadow…..1′? What could the poet mean by the sun’s ‘feet’?

Ans: The sun’s ‘feet’ refers to the rays of the sun that fall on the earth. When there is no shadow on the ground, because there are no trees, the rays fall directly on the ground. In a forest with trees, the shadow hides the sun's rays as if the sun is burying its feet in the shadow that falls from the trees.

 2. (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?

Ans. In the poem, the trees are trapped in the poet’s house. Their roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves try very hard to move towards the glass and put a lot of pressure on it so that it breaks, while the small twigs get stiff with strain.

(ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?

Ans. The poet compares the branches to newly discharged patients of a hospital. The large branches of the trees become cramped due to the roof above them, and when they get free they rush stumbling to the outside world. While doing so, they look half-shocked like the patients, who wait for a long time to get out of the hospital.

 3. (i) How does the poet describe the moon:

(a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and

(b) at its end? What causes this change?

Ans. (a) At the beginning of the third stanza, the poet says that the full moon is shining in the open sky in the fresh night.

(b)At the end of the stanza, she describes that the moon breaks into pieces like a broken mirror and shines on the heads of the tallest oak trees. As the trees move outside, they cover some of the shine of the moon and it can be seen only in parts. So it seems that the moon has broken into pieces.

 2. What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?

Ans. When the trees move out of the house, the glasses break and the whispers of the trees vanish, leaving the house silent.

 3. Why do you think the poet does not mention “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters? (Could it be that we are often silent about important happenings that are so unexpected that they embarrass us? Think about this again when you answer the next set of questions.)

Ans: The poet hardly mentions about “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters because it is humans, who did not care for nature in the first place. So, maybe, the poet now thinks that nobody would be interested in knowing about the efforts that the trees are making in order to set themselves free. If other men cared about the trees, they would not have destroyed them. It seems that this whole beauty of trees moving back to forests can be seen and felt only by the poet.

 4. 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?

 1. 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 ‘imprisoned1, and need to ‘break out’?

2. 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?

  Ans: Since a poem can have different meanings for different readers and the poet can mean two different things using the same imagery, both these meanings can be justified in the context of the poem:

 1. Yes, the poem presents a conflict between man and nature. Man has always caused much harm to nature, without realizing that it actually is harm to the human race. Humans cut down forests for forest goods, which has destroyed a lot of natural beauty. By keeping trees inside walls and denying them their natural home, they are denying them their freedom. So, the trees want to move out. Similarly, in the poem A Tiger in the Zoo, the poet shows that animals feel bound by cages and they want to get free and run wild in the open.

 2. If trees have been used as a metaphor for human beings, then the poem would mean that like the trees, humans too want to break free of the boundaries that life puts on them. Modern life with all kinds of physical comfort has also brought a lot of moral downfalls. Our lives have become busy and we have become selfish and greedy. Man would also want to enjoy the beauty of nature and go out in the open and be free, just like trees.

A Question of Trust

 (Page 20)

1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?

Horace Danby likes to collect rare and expensive books.

 

2. Why does he steal every year?

He stole every year so that he could buy the rare and expensive books that he loved to collect. Each year he planned carefully so as to steal enough to last twelve months.

 

(Page 22)

3. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?

A lady standing in the doorway is speaking to Horace Danby. She is  young and pretty and is dressed in red. She says that she has come just in time, or else her family would have been robbed by Horace. Thus she pretends to be one of the members of the family living at Shotover Grange.

 

4. Who is the real culprit in the story?

The real culprit in the story is the woman who pretended to be a member of the family living at Shotover Grange. She tricks Horace Danby into believing her, and cleverly takes away all the jewels that are kept in the safe.

 

Think About It

(Page 25)   

 

Did you begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be? If so, at what point did you realise this, and how?

Yes, I begin to suspect before the end of the story that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be. She was unusually calm on seeing Horace. This seemed strange. When she did not call the police, and instead asked Horace to take out all the jewels from the safe, even if it meant breaking it open, it seems suspicious. Moreover, it seemed highly unlikely that she would forget the number combination to open the safe. Therefore it was evident, before the story ended, that the lady was not the person Horace had taken her to be.

 

2. What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?

Her confident walk, her familiarity with the dog Sherry, her act of touching up her make-up, and the ease with which she picks a cigarette from the right place are the subtle ways in which the lady deceives Horace. They are enough to deceive anybody. Horace is very frightened and cannot think properly, so he doesn’t suspect anything.

 

 

3. Horace Danby was good and respectable – but not completely honest”. Why do you think this description is apt for Horace? Why can’t he be categorised as a typical thief?

Horace is not an ordinary thief. His habits are not usual for a thief. He is fond of books. He seals only once in a year and that too only as per his needs. He is a successful locksmith. He only robs the rich. However, an act of theft is still a crime, no matter how well a thief behaves, so this description is apt for Horace. He can’t be categorised as a typical thief because he is not a regular offender like other thieves.

 

 

4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Horace Danby failed to get enough information about the real occupants of the house. He seems to be too occupied with collecting information about the house map, wiring, and location of valuable items. Although he was smart enough to know the dog’s actual name, he overlooked getting information about the occupants of the house. When he landed in trouble with the appearance of the young lady, his clever mind gave way to carelessness, leading him to open the safe without wearing gloves.

 

Talk About It

 

Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

(or)

Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished? (CBSE 2013)

Horace Danby deserved what he got. A crime is a crime, no matter if it is committed for the criminal’s own benefit or for somebody else.

 

2. Do intentions justify actions? Would you, like Horace Danby, do something wrong if you thought your ends justified the means? Do you think that there are situations in which it is excusable to act less than honestly?

We cannot go on a wrong way to do a good thing. For their own benefit, we should not harm or cheat others. But the real world is different. We know of many examples of people tricking people for quick gains. These acts should be discouraged and punished.

The Thief's Story

Vocabulary: 

approach [verb] come near or nearer to (someone or something) in distance or time.

Usage: The train approached Palakollu railway station with a thundering noise.

flattery [noun] excessive and insincere praise, given especially to further one's own interests

Usage: Some people use flattery to get things done.

modestly [adverb] n an unassuming manner; without vanity or arrogance;.in a humble way:

appealing [adjective] attractive or interesting.

Usage: His appealing manners impressed the principal.

cheating [gerund or present participle] [verb – to cheat] act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage. -taking away dishonestly,

Usage: I don’t like cheating anyone for my gains.

opportunity [noun] a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something; chance

Usage: The government’s new policy has increased opportunities for export.

crawled [verb] [past tense of crawl] move forward on the hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground

Usage: The thief crawled towards the iron safe like a cat.

hesitated [verb] [past tense of hesitate] pause in indecision before saying or doing something

Usage: Once you have made a decision you should not hesitate.

deserted [adjective] (of a place) empty of people

Usage: All the streets were deserted during the Covid – 19 pandemic.

Summary:

 

The story emphasizes basic human values and relationships. It is easier for a thief to burgle a greedy man. It is difficult even for a thief to burgle a careless and honest person.

 A young boy, a fifteen year old thief, becomes friends with Anil. He finds Anil gullible.  He wants to steal from him. Anil is a freelance writer, who earns off and on. Anil trusts him totally and employs him as a cook though he doesn’t know how to cook.

 The young thief calls himself Hari. He changes his name frequently to stay ahead of the police and old employers.Anil trusts Hari completely and wants to teach him how to read and write. Anil never minds Hari pocketing some money given to buy groceries and vegetables.

 One day, Anil gets a lump sum amount of Rs.600. Hari steals the money and tries to go away on a train. Before hopping into the moving train, he hesitates and changes his mind. He goes back to Anil’s room and keeps the money under the pillow from where he has taken it. He wants to learn how to read and write. He wants to become a respectable person.

Character Sketch:

Hari Singh Or The Thief

Hari Singh was a fifteen-year-old boy, who is an experienced and successful thief. He was clever and intelligent. So he was never caught. He used to change his name as and when he committed a theft. He was a careful planner. He trapped his victims with his appealing manners. He would then ask for some work. Once employed, he used to run away after stealing money or valuables. He got a job as a cook though he could not cook well. He was a greedy boy. He was prepared to rob a simple and trusting man like Anil. He was able to steal six hundred rupees from his house. However, he decided to return to Anil to have a dignified life and receive an education from Anil. 

Anil

Anil was an epitome of goodness in a human being. He was generous and friendly. He could not afford a servant, but he employed Hari Singh as a cook out of compassion. Hari did not know how to cook but Anil did not let him feel dejected. He also taught Hari how to read and write. He never minded Hari’s pocketing a rupee or two when he went out to buy supplies. He trusted Hari and did not hide the money. He evolved goodness in Hari. Hari stole the money but felt guilty. He could have boarded a train but did not. He decided to be with Anil and become an educated and respected man.

The Feathered Friend

 Reading :1

3. Why did Sven keep the bird a secret from his colleagues?

Sven kept the bird a secret as it is not usual to have a bird in a space station. However, there is no regulation against it.

4. How was the presence of the bird discovered?

The presence of the bird was discovered by the narrator. He heard her musical whistle beside his ear. He thought that the sound was from the intercom. Later he realized that it was from the bird. 

5. Why did the crew want to hide the bird from the VIPs from the Earth? How did they deal with the issue?

The crew wanted to hide the bird from the VIPs from the Earth as the bird had become a general pet to them. They didn’t want to risk the discovery of the bird as it might be taken away from them.

They dealt with the issue by keeping it in various hiding places of the space station. They had to explain the curious peeps and whistles of the bird as she got noisy when upset.

6. What was the alarm meant for? What had caused its failure?

The alarm was meant to warn the crew of the space station when the air quality becomes poor. A rare eclipse by the earth’s shadow made the equipment freeze and it caused the failure of the alarm.

7. How is life in space different from life on Earth?

There is no gravity or air in space. The environment is controlled. We need to acquire the skill of working under these conditions. The available air is limited and it is purified and recycled. 

Reading 2

1. Did Sven do the right thing by getting a bird into the spaceship? Why do you think so?

Yes. I think that Sven did the right thing by getting a bird in the spaceship. I think so because the bird made them realize that there was something wrong with the air in the space station. That knowledge saved all the people there. The bird became a general pet to all and there was no regulation against getting birds into the spaceship.

2. Based on your reading, justify the title of the story?

The title, “The Feathered Friend” is quite appropriate. A canary bird becomes a general pet of a spaceship crew. Canary birds cannot survive in poor-quality air. One day, the bird almost died. She is revived by the crew with help of oxygen. Then the crew found out that the quality of air in the spaceship is poor. Thus, the bird saves the crew and proves that a friend in need is a friend indeed. 

3. What according to you, is a better choice - carrying a canary or an alarm system? Why do you think so?

I think carrying a canary is a better choice. I think so because there is no foolproof alarm system. 

4. Who saved the lives on board: Sven or the Canary? Why do think so?

I think both Sven and the Canary saved the loves on board. Because of Canary’s illness, the crew came to know about the poor quality of the air. It was Sven who found the Canary in a near-death position. So, both saved the lives on board. 

On a Night of Snow

2: Who is the speaker of stanza one? What does the speaker want to convey?

The owner of the cat is the speaker of stanza one. The speaker wants to convince the cat to stay indoors because the weather outside is stormy and cold.

 3: How does the speaker try to coax Cat?

Answer: Mistress tries to coax Cat by making her aware of the stormy weather outside. She describes the chilliness of the night. She tells Cat that the streets are covered with snow that would make his feet cold. She even tries to tempt Cat by offering a warm fireside and a saucer of milk.

 4: Why does Cat want to go out? What does that reflect about Cat?

Cat wants to go outside to enjoy the wild blowing winds. He wants to go out in dark night to hear the strange whisperings in the trees, play in the meadow grasses filled with snow and look for magical omens in the air.

It shows that Cat is adventurous and wants to experience the thrill. He is not afraid of stormy weather and dark night.

 5. The poem has two stanzas with two very different perspectives. Explain the two contrasting points of view presented by Mistress and Cat in this poem. Whose point of view do you agree more with?

The poem has two stanzas. The first one tells us about the perspective of Mistress and the second one tells us about the perspective of Cat.

According to Mistress, Cat should avoid going out in the cold stormy weather. The second stanza gives us an entirely different perspective. Cat wants to go out and experience the thrill. He is not afraid of stormy weather and dark night.

I agree with Cat’s point of view more.

 6. Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to something not human or representation of an abstract quality in human form. Pick this literary device in the poem and explain it.

The poet used the literary device called personification in this poem, ‘On a Night of Snow’. Cat, an animal, is given human qualities in the poem. The poet gives the power of speech and the power of reasoning to Cat. In the first stanza, Cat is addressed as a human. In the second stanza, Cat expresses his point of view.

 

Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth-Toast

2. Answer the following questions. 

a. Where does the Colonel encounter the ghost? Is he prepared for this meeting?

The Colonel encountered the ghost in the old castle which he had bought recently. He was not prepared for the meeting.

b. What was the ghost's first reaction on seeing Colonel Fazackerley?

The ghost shot out of the chimney and shouted 'beware' furiously on seeing Colonel Fazackerley. 

c. Who did the Colonel mistake him to be? Why do you think so?

The Colonel mistook the ghost as a person who was going to a Fancy Dress Ball. I think so because the ghost came out of the chimney.

d. What did the ghost do to scare the Colonel?

The ghost floated about between ceiling and floor. He walked through the wall and returned through a pane. He went up the chimney and came back. He did all these things to scare the Colonel.

e. Why was the Colonel feeling weak?

The Colonel laughed merrily at the actions of the ghost to scare him. So he felt weak.

f. Why did the ghost disappear?

The ghost disappeared as all his efforts to scare the Colonel were in vain.

g. What did the Colonel feel? Why he could not call back the ghost?

The colonel felt pity as the ghost had disappeared. He could not call back the ghost as he didn't know his name.

h. What part of the poem did you find the funniest?

Instead of being afraid, the Colonel wanted to invite the ghost to his house-warming party. Then the ghost lost his wits and rattled his chains and clattered his bones filling the whole caste with terrible sounds. The Colonel asked the ghost to it once again. I find this part of the poem the funniest.

Lob's Girl

 2. Answer the following:

a. A simile is a literary device that compares two things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

The simile ‘like a sand-colored bullet’ is used to describe Lob. In your own words, what does this simile mean?

This simile means that sand-colored Lob ran as fast as a bullet to fetch the stick to Sandy.

b. For both Sandy and Lob it was love at first sight. Give reasons to support your answer.

Lob found Sandy on the beach. He started licking Sandy affectionately and with enthusiasm. Sandy wasn’t afraid of the unknown dog licking her. She thought that he is beautiful and started playing with him. She threw a driftwood stick and he fetched it. Thus, it was love at first sight for both Sandy and Lob.

c. How does Lob show his devotion to Sandy as he continuous to return to her throughout the story?

Lob showed his devotion to Sandy by walking about 400 miles two times. Even after death, Lob appeared at the hospital to see Sandy. Such was Lob’s devotion to Sandy.

d. Describe Sandy’s condition before and after Lob’s visit. What does reveal about the strength of their bond?

Before Lob’s visit Sandy’s condition was very critical. At the sound of Lob’s whine, Sandy stirred and opened her eyes. She moved her broken left arm to pat Lob. It reveals that the strength of their bond helped in the recovery of Sandy.

e. Sandy and Lob developed an inseparable bond. This communicates the message that true loyalty and strong relationships can withstand any circumstances -  natural or supernatural. Explain.

The bond between Sandy and Lob was inseparable. When Lob was taken away by his owner, Lob took a risky four hundred mile walk two times. This separation was natural. Lob was killed as he was hit by a speeding truck. After his death, Lob visited Sandy who was in critical condition at the hospital. This is quite supernatural.

f. Justify the title of the story.

The title of the story is “Lob’s Girl”. It is very appropriate as Lob had chosen Sandy as his owner. He risked a four hundred mile walk two times to be with her. He ever appeared to help in the recovery of Sandy supernaturally after his death. It is Lob who was devoted to his owner, Sandy.