🌳 The Trees — A Journey from Confinement to Freedom | Adrienne Rich
Central idea The poem presents 'trees as symbols of freedom'. They are trapped inside a house, while the forest outside is empty. During the night, the trees struggle to free themselves from the house and return to their natural habitat. Their movement represents the powerful human desire for freedom, independence and liberation from confinement. Where are the trees? The trees are 'inside the house', particularly in and around the veranda. The speaker describes their roots pushing against the veranda floor, their leaves pressing towards the glass, and their branches struggling beneath the roof. Where do they go? They are 'moving out of the house into the empty forest'. By morning, the forest will once again be filled with trees, birds, insects, sunlight and shadows. Important symbolic meanings Image in the poem --> Symbolic meaning Trees inside the house - Nature confined or freedom restricted Empty forest - A world deprived of its natural life Roots dise...
