Here is the line-by-line analysis of Adrienne Rich's poem "The Trees", covering the poetic
devices specified:
Lines 1-2
"The trees inside are moving out into the forest, / the forest that was empty all these days"
1. Personification: Trees are "moving out," imbuing them with human qualities to symbolize liberation. 2. Contrast: The "inside" of the house versus the "forest" emphasizes the unnatural confinement of the trees. 3. Repetition: "Forest" is repeated to stress its transformation from emptiness to vibrancy.
Lines 3-5
"where no bird could sit / no insect hide / no sun bury its feet in shadow"
1. Personification: The "sun burying its feet" gives the sun human-like attributes, deepening the imagery. 2. Alliteration: Repetition of the "s" sound in "sit" and "shadow." 3. Imagery: Evokes desolation with specific mentions of birds, insects, and sunlight.
Lines 6-7
"the forest that was empty all these nights / will be full of trees by morning."
1. Contrast: "Empty" versus "full" underscores the revitalization of the forest.
2. Enjambment: The sentence flows into the next line, maintaining the narrative momentum. 3. Imagery: Suggests a transition from barrenness to abundance.
Lines 8-10
"All night the roots work / to disengage themselves from the cracks / in the veranda floor."
1. Personification: Roots "work" and "disengage," highlighting their struggle for
freedom. 2. Imagery: The description of roots breaking free evokes a sense of determined action.
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3. Enjambment: The sentence spills across lines, reflecting the ongoing struggle.
Lines 11-12
"The leaves strain toward the glass / small twigs stiff with exertion"
1. Personification: Leaves "strain" and twigs are "stiff with exertion," depicting their yearning for escape. 2. Alliteration: Repetition of "s" in "strain" and "stiff." 3. Imagery: Creates a vivid picture of physical effort by the trees.
Lines 13-15
"long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof / like newly discharged patients / half- dazed, moving to the clinic doors."
1. Simile: Compares the boughs to "newly discharged patients," emphasizing their
weakness and hesitation. 2. Personification: Boughs "shuffling" suggests human-like movement. 3. Irony: Highlights the unnatural confinement of trees, akin to humans in recovery.
Lines 16-18
"I sit inside, doors open to the veranda / writing long letters / in which I scarcely mention the departure"
1. Irony: The speaker observes but downplays the profound moment of the trees' liberation. 2. Contrast: The speaker’s stillness contrasts with the active escape of the trees. 3. Enjambment: Reflects the speaker’s flow of thoughts.
Lines 19-21
"of the forest from the house. / The night is fresh, the whole moon shines / in a sky still open"
1. Imagery: Evokes a serene and expansive night scene.
2. Personification: "Sky still open" suggests an inviting and unrestricted atmosphere. 3. Symbolism: The "moon" symbolizes change and renewal.
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Lines 22-24
"the smell of leaves and lichen / still reaches like a voice into the rooms. / My head is full of whispers"
1. Simile: The smell "like a voice" creates an auditory connection to nature.
2. Personification: The smell "reaches" and whispers "fill" the speaker’s head, linking the physical and emotional realms. 3. Imagery: Combines olfactory and auditory senses for a vivid effect.
Lines 25-26
"which tomorrow will be silent. / Listen. The glass is breaking."
1. Foreshadowing: The "silence" hints at the trees’ complete departure.
2. Onomatopoeia: "Glass is breaking" conveys the sound of physical action. 3. Symbolism: Broken glass represents breaking barriers or constraints.
Lines 27-28
"The trees are stumbling forward / into the night."
1. Personification: Trees "stumbling" gives them human-like movement, emphasizing
their struggle. 2. Imagery: Highlights the trees’ clumsy yet determined escape.
Lines 29-30
"Winds rush to meet them. / The moon is broken like a mirror,"
1. Personification: "Winds rush to meet" the trees, showing nature’s dynamic
interaction. 2. Simile: The "moon broken like a mirror" suggests fragmentation and change. 3. Symbolism: The shattered moon reflects the transformative moment.
Lines 31-32
"its pieces flash now in the crown / of the tallest oak."
1. Metaphor: "Crown" of the oak likens it to royalty, symbolizing strength and majesty. 2. Imagery: Creates a vivid picture of moonlight reflecting on the oak.
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Key Poetic Devices in the Poem
Personification: Trees, roots, and natural elements are humanized throughout.
Imagery: Rich descriptions evoke visual, auditory, and olfactory senses. Simile: Used to draw comparisons (e.g., boughs to patients, moon to a mirror). Symbolism: Trees symbolize freedom; the moon represents change and renewal. Contrast: Between the confinement indoors and liberation outdoors. Onomatopoeia: "Glass is breaking" adds a sensory dimension to the scene. Enjambment: Lines flow into one another, maintaining the poem’s rhythm and continuity.
This detailed analysis captures the richness of Adrienne Rich's poetic devices in "The Trees", enhancing its thematic depth and aesthetic appeal.
1. Allegory
The poem is an allegory for freedom and liberation. The trees breaking free from confinement symbolize nature reclaiming its rightful place, mirroring the human struggle for freedom from oppression.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of "no" in the lines:
o "no bird could sit, no insect hide, no sun bury its feet..." o This repetition emphasizes the barrenness and lifelessness of the forest.
3. Alliteration
Examples include: o "small twigs stiff" (repetition of "s"). o "smell of leaves and lichen" (repetition of "l").
4. Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds, such as:
o "The trees inside are moving out into the forest" (repetition of the "i" sound).
5. Consonance
Repetition of consonant sounds, such as:
o "The leaves strain toward the glass" (repetition of "s").
6. Enjambment Agrasen Vidya Mandir | -By Sumeet Patil | 4 The poem uses enjambment extensively, with lines flowing into the next without punctuation, creating a natural and fluid rhythm. o For example: "All night the roots work / to disengage themselves from the cracks / in the veranda floor."
7. Onomatopoeia
o "The glass is breaking" is an example of onomatopoeia, as the word
"breaking" evokes the sound of shattering glass.
8. Antithesis
o Contrast between "inside" and "outside," and between the "empty forest" and its eventual fullness by morning.
9. Contrast
o The contrast between the trees' confinement inside the house and their liberation into the forest. o The emptiness of the forest ("no bird, no insect, no sun") contrasts with its fullness by morning.
10. Hyperbole
o "The moon is broken like a mirror" exaggerates the effect of the trees’ movement on the moon’s reflection.
11. Irony
o The speaker is writing long letters but scarcely mentions the momentous event of the trees’ liberation, highlighting a detachment or ironic tone.
12. Metaphor
o "Cages" for the trees represent their confinement.
o "The moon is broken like a mirror" symbolizes transformation and fragmentation.
13. Personification
o The trees are personified throughout, as they "strain," "shuffle," and "move." o The "roots work to disengage themselves." o The "leaves strain toward the glass."
14. Simile
o "Like newly discharged patients" compares the trees’ boughs to humans
recovering from confinement.
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o "The moon is broken like a mirror" compares the fragmented moonlight to shattered glass.
