Chapter 7: The Trees

Important questions — the ones the board asked most (4)

1. Q1Short answer5 marksAsked: 2026

   Read the given extracts and answer the questions for any ONE of the two given. (a) 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. (Trees) (i) Comment on the portrayal of the narrator in the given extract. (ii) Complete the following suitably : The trees' movement from the house to the forest, reflect the broader theme of ________. (iii) What has the poet hardly mentioned in her letter ? (iv) What kind of atmosphere is created through the given extract ? Select the correct option(s) : 1. nostalgia 2. serenity 3. detachment 4. loss 5. joy (A) 1 and 4 (B) Only 2 (C) 1, 2 and 3 (D) 2 and 5 OR (b) A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now He senses first responsibility In a world of possessions. People will take Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy. And no one buys a ball back. Money is external He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes, The epistemology of loss, how to stand up Knowing what every man must one day know And most know many days, how to stand up. (The Ball Poem) (i) Comment on the portrayal of the character of the boy in the given extract. (ii) Complete the following suitably : "Money is external" implies that the boy ________ (A) values material possessions. (B) learns the money cannot restore what is lost. (C) believes money is the solution to all problems. (D) is indifferent to material wealth. (iii) What does the poet mean by the phrase, 'epistemology of loss' ? (iv) What kind of atmosphere is created through these lines ? Select the correct option. 1. reflection 2. intrigue 3. acceptance 4. anger 5. fear (A) 1, 4 and 5 (B) Only 2 (C) 1 and 3 (D) 4 and 5

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer · The Trees, extract-based questions

   1. 1.(a) (i) In this extract the narrator is shown as introspective and hopeful. She sits inside with the doors open to the veranda, quietly writing long letters, which shows she is calm, reflective and observant. She is connected with her surroundings through her senses: the smell of leaves and lichen still reaches her "like a voice into the rooms". She is immersed in peaceful contemplation of the fresh night and the whole moon, and she has a heightened awareness of the trees' movement out of the house.2 marks
   2. 2.(ii) The trees' movement from the house to the forest reflects the broader theme of liberation from patriarchy and regressiveness, that is, a desire for independence, self-discovery and exploration. It can also be read as a conflict between man and nature, where trees kept inside the house break out into the open forest.1 mark
   3. 3.(iii) In her letters the poet has hardly mentioned the departure of the forest from the house.1 mark
   4. 4.(iv) (D) 2 and 5: serenity and joy. The fresh night, the whole moon shining in an open sky and the smell of leaves and lichen create a calm, peaceful and joyful atmosphere.1 mark

   • In (i), write two qualities of the narrator, "introspective and hopeful", and support them with a line from the extract.
   • In (ii), name the theme clearly: "liberation from patriarchy", "desire for independence" or "conflict between man and nature".
   • In (iv), write both the option letter and the words: "(D) 2 and 5: serenity and joy".

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

2. Q2Short answer5 marksAsked: 2025

   Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire. (Fire and Ice) (i) The speaker offers evidence to support his preference for one theory over the other. Mention the evidence. (ii) What is the prediction of the poet about how the world will come to an end ? Answer in about 40 words. (iii) "Fire" and "Ice" are used in the poem as ______. (A) similes (B) metaphors (C) repetition (D) oxymorons (iv) Comment on the overall mood of the extract.

   

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   Model answer

   1. 1.The evidence is his own experience: 'From what I've tasted of desire' — he has seen how destructive desire is, so he agrees with those who favour fire.1 mark
   2. 2.The poet predicts that the world will end in fire. Fire stands for desire, greed and passion; when these grow out of control they lead to conflict and war and can destroy the world. He adds that ice, or hatred, would also be enough.2 marks
   3. 3.(B) metaphors1 mark
   4. 4.The mood is serious, reflective and rather pessimistic, as the speaker calmly thinks about how the world will end.1 mark

   Marks split from a structure derived from past papers (checked twice); not CBSE’s official scheme

3. Q3Short answer5 marksAsked: 2025

   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 Trees) (i) How does the comparison between the boughs and newly discharged patients contribute to the theme or message of the poem ? Answer in about 40 words. (ii) Complete the sentence with the appropriate option. The imagery and descriptions in the poem create a mood of ____________. (A) satisfaction and elation (B) transition and uncertainty (C) confusion and chaos (D) pessimism and certainty (iii) Fill in the blank with one word. The stiff movement of the twigs in the above extract suggests the ____________. (iv) Why does the poet describe the bough as 'shuffling' ?

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer

   1. 1.Like patients just discharged from hospital, the boughs, long cramped inside the house, move out weak, stiff and half-dazed. The comparison shows the trees' painful struggle to escape confinement and supports the poem's theme of nature breaking free to reclaim its place in the forest.2 marks
   2. 2.(B) transition and uncertainty1 mark
   3. 3.struggle1 mark
   4. 4.The boughs have been cramped under the roof for a long time, so they are stiff and weak. They move slowly and awkwardly, dragging themselves out like half-dazed patients.1 mark

   Marks split from a structure derived from past papers (checked twice); not CBSE’s official scheme

4. Q4Short answer3 marksAsked: 2024

   “The Trees” is a symbolic poem and Adrienne Rich has used trees as a metaphor for human beings. What do they symbolize ? Explain.

   How the model answer begins

   1. In "The Trees", the trees are a metaphor for human beings, especially women, who are trapped by society. The trees are kept inside a house, with their roots stuck in the cracks in the veranda floor and their…

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Questions parents and students ask

How many marks does "The Trees" carry in CBSE Class 10 English?

In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 0 marks and about 0 questions a year; by marks it ranks 32 in English.

Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "The Trees"?

The 4 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 4 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the Ask Medha app.

Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?

Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.