The Trees and Fog — AP Board Class 10 English (First Flight)
About These Poems
This chapter combines TWO SHORT POEMS about NATURE:
- 'The Trees' by Adrienne Rich — A poem about trees ESCAPING from a house to return to the forest
- 'Fog' by Carl Sandburg — A tiny poem comparing fog to a CAT
Though very different, both poems show nature as an ACTIVE, LIVING FORCE — not just a backdrop. Both poems are part of the AP Board (BSEAP) Class 10 English First Flight textbook under the new 2025-26 NCERT-aligned syllabus.
About the Poets
Adrienne Rich (1929-2012)
- American poet, essayist, and feminist
- One of the most INFLUENTIAL poets of the 20th century
- Her poetry addresses: FEMINISM, SOCIAL JUSTICE, the BODY, NATURE
- 'The Trees' is from her early work — deceptively simple
- Style: FREE VERSE, IMAGISTIC, POLITICAL, PERSONAL
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)
- American poet, biographer, and journalist
- Won THREE Pulitzer Prizes
- Known for poems about CHICAGO, INDUSTRY, and NATURE
- 'Fog' is one of his most FAMOUS poems — only 6 lines
- Style: FREE VERSE, CONCRETE IMAGERY, MUSICAL
Part I: The Trees by Adrienne Rich
1. The Full Poem
The trees inside are moving out into the forest, the forest that was empty since the sun no longer its companion. The forest that was empty — all night long the trees are moving into the forest.
The sun will be soon breaking through the branches in the morning light. The trees are moving out into the forest the night that was their time for growing, the night that is leaving behind its own voices — the smell of the leaves and lichen still reaches us like a voice into the newly empty rooms of the house.
I write in the morning sun. The trees have moved into the forest. The forest has grown. The trees have moved.
2. Summary
This poem imagines TREES that have been kept INSIDE a house — perhaps as houseplants or cut branches — BREAKING FREE and returning to the forest.
The trees are MOVING at night:
- They leave the HOUSE
- They return to the FOREST
- The forest, long 'empty', is being FILLED again
- By morning, the trees are GONE from the house
The speaker sits in the house in the morning, writing. The rooms are 'newly empty'. The trees have RETURNED to where they belong.
3. Deeper Meaning
The Trees as a Metaphor The trees represent:
- NATURE reclaiming its own
- FREEDOM from confinement
- WOMEN breaking free from domestic roles (Rich was a feminist poet)
- IMPRISONMENT and ESCAPE
- Things that belong in the WILD returning to the wild
The 'Empty' House The house represents:
- CONFINEMENT, domesticity, human structures
- The things that keep nature OUT
- Convention, expectation, restriction
Night vs Day
- Night: Time of GROWTH, movement, transformation — the trees move at night
- Day: Time of stillness, writing, observation — the speaker sees the RESULT
4. Stanza-by-Stanza Breakdown
Stanza 1 — The Movement Begins
- The trees are 'moving out into the forest'
- The forest was 'empty' — missing its trees
- The trees are RETURNING home
Stanza 2 — The Process
- Morning is coming
- The trees are leaving 'the night that was their time for growing'
- The night has 'voices' — smells and sounds of nature
- The house is becoming 'newly empty'
- The smell of leaves and lichen LINGERS
Stanza 3 — The Aftermath
- Morning: the speaker writes
- The trees have MOVED
- The forest has GROWN
- The transformation is COMPLETE
5. Key Themes
Freedom and Confinement The trees BECOMING FREE. They were confined inside the house but they ESCAPED. This can be read as a political poem about BREAKING FREE from oppression.
Nature's Agency Trees are not passive. They ACT. They MOVE. They CHOOSE. Nature has its OWN WILL.
The Conflict Between Nature and Human Structures The house (human) and the forest (nature) are in tension. The trees choose the FOREST over the house.
Transformation Things change. The empty forest is now FULL. The full house is now EMPTY. Change is CONSTANT.
Feminist Reading Adrienne Rich was a feminist poet. The trees can be read as WOMEN leaving the domestic sphere (the house) to reclaim their natural place in the world.
6. Literary Devices
Personification The trees are given HUMAN qualities — they 'move', 'choose', 'leave'. They are ACTIVE beings.
Metaphor The trees SYMBOLISE something beyond trees — freedom, nature, women, the wild.
Imagery
- 'The smell of the leaves and lichen still reaches us like a voice'
- 'Newly empty rooms'
- 'The forest that was empty'
Contrast
- Inside (house) vs Outside (forest)
- Night (movement) vs Morning (stillness)
- Empty (before) vs Full (after)
Repetition
- 'The trees are moving' — repeated to emphasise the ACTION
- 'The forest that was empty' — repeated to create a sense of LOSS and RESTORATION
Free Verse No fixed rhyme or metre — the poem MOVES like the trees, freely.
Part II: Fog by Carl Sandburg
1. The Full Poem
The fog comes on little cat feet.
It sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
2. Summary
This is one of the SHORTEST famous poems in English — only 6 lines.
Sandburg compares FOG to a CAT:
- Fog ARRIVES silently ('on little cat feet')
- Fog SITS and OBSERVES ('looking over harbour and city')
- Fog DEPARTS ('moves on')
That's ALL. But the comparison is so PERFECT that the poem is unforgettable.
3. Why This Works
Fog and Cats Share Qualities:
- Silence: Both fog and cats move without sound
- Mystery: Both are enigmatic, hard to grasp
- Sudden arrival: Fog rolls in; a cat appears silently
- Observation: Cats sit and watch; fog covers the city and 'looks'
- Independence: Both come and go as they please
- Fleeting presence: Neither stays forever
The Extended Metaphor Sandburg takes ONE comparison (fog = cat) and EXTENDS it throughout the poem. This is called an EXTENDED METAPHOR or CONCEIT.
4. Line-by-Line Breakdown
'The fog comes on little cat feet'
- The ARRIVAL: silent, soft, barely noticeable
- 'Little cat feet' — the PAWS of a cat, which make no sound
- Fog does not ANNOUNCE itself — it just APPEARS
'It sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches'
- The PRESENCE: fog SETTLES over the city
- Like a cat SETTLING on its haunches
- 'Silent' — still no sound
- 'Watching' — the fog COVERS everything, like a gaze
'And then moves on'
- The DEPARTURE: as quietly as it came
- Fog doesn't stay — it LIFTS and disappears
- Cats also come and go on their own schedule
5. Key Themes
The Subtlety of Nature Nature's power is not always DRAMATIC. Sometimes it is quiet, soft, and barely noticeable — but still TRANSFORMATIVE.
Impermanence Fog comes and goes. Nothing lasts. The poem captures a MOMENT, not a permanent state.
The Mystery of Natural Phenomena Fog is mysterious. We cannot control it. We can only OBSERVE and ADMIRE it.
Observation The poem is about NOTICING — paying attention to small, quiet moments in nature.
6. Literary Devices
Extended Metaphor The ENTIRE poem is ONE metaphor: fog = cat. Every detail reinforces this comparison.
Imagery
- 'Little cat feet' — visual and tactile
- 'Silent haunches' — visual
- 'Harbour and city' — visual scale
Personification The fog 'sits looking' — given human/animal qualities.
Simplicity The poem's POWER is in its SIMPLICITY. Six lines. One image. Perfect.
Free Verse No rhyme, no fixed metre — matches the freedom of fog.
7. Comparative Analysis
| Aspect | The Trees | Fog |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 17 lines | 6 lines |
| Subject | Trees escaping a house | Fog over a city |
| Nature's Role | Active, intentional | Quiet, mysterious |
| Time | Night to morning | A moment |
| Tone | Liberating, hopeful | Calm, observant |
| Key Device | Personification | Extended metaphor |
| Message | Nature reclaims its own | Nature is subtle |
8. Important Quotes
'The trees inside are moving out into the forest.' The OPENING — action, movement, the central idea.
'The forest has grown. The trees have moved.' The ENDING — completion, transformation, restoration.
'The fog comes on little cat feet.' One of the most FAMOUS lines in American poetry. Six words, perfect image.
'It sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches.' The fog WATCHES. It is PRESENT but PASSIVE. An observer.
'And then moves on.' The DEPARTURE — as quietly as the arrival. Impermanence.
9. AP Board Exam-Specific Tips
Common Exam Questions
- Where are the trees moving and why? (2 marks) — From the house to the forest; to reclaim their natural home
- What happens to the house when the trees leave? (2 marks) — It becomes 'newly empty'
- Explain the metaphor of fog as a cat (4 marks) — Silent arrival, sitting, watching, moving on
- Why does Sandburg compare fog to a cat? (4 marks) — Shared qualities: silence, mystery, independence
- Theme of freedom in 'The Trees' (6 marks) — Trees breaking free from confinement, feminist reading
Important Points for AP Board Exams
- 'The Trees' can be read LITERALLY (trees leaving a house) or METAPHORICALLY (freedom, feminism)
- 'Fog' is an EXTENDED METAPHOR — every line develops the cat comparison
- Both poems use FREE VERSE — no regular rhyme
- Both are about NATURE, but in very different ways
10. Lessons and Values
From 'The Trees':
- Things belong where they belong — the trees belong in the forest
- Freedom is natural — confinement goes against nature
- Change is constant — what is full becomes empty, what is empty becomes full
From 'Fog':
- Notice small things — beauty is in ordinary moments
- Silence is powerful — not everything needs to be loud
- Impermanence is natural — things come and go
- One image can capture a world — six lines, one perfect comparison
11. Worked Examples (AP Board Pattern)
Example 1: Short Answer (2 marks)
Q: How does Sandburg describe the arrival of fog? A: Sandburg describes fog arriving 'on little cat feet' — silently, softly, mysteriously, just like a cat appears without being noticed. The image suggests gentleness and stealth.
Example 2: Theme Analysis (4 marks)
Q: What does the movement of the trees symbolise in Adrienne Rich's poem? A: The trees moving from the house to the forest symbolises FREEDOM and the RECLAIMING of one's natural place. On one level, it shows nature breaking free from human confinement. On a deeper level, especially given Rich's feminist identity, it can represent WOMEN leaving domestic spaces (the house) to reclaim their place in the world. The empty rooms are 'newly empty' — a loss for the house but a GAIN for the forest.
Example 3: Comparative Question (6 marks)
Q: Compare how 'The Trees' and 'Fog' portray nature. A: Both poems portray nature as an ACTIVE FORCE with its OWN WILL. In 'The Trees', nature is PURPOSEFUL and TRANSFORMATIVE — trees deliberately move, reclaiming their space. In 'Fog', nature is QUIET and MYSTERIOUS — it arrives silently, observes, and leaves. In 'The Trees', nature CONFRONTS human structures (the house). In 'Fog', nature COEXISTS with human structures (the harbour and city) without conflict. Both poems, however, respect nature's INDEPENDENCE and POWER — whether through dramatic movement or silent presence.
12. Conclusion
Two poems, two visions of nature:
- 'The Trees': Nature ACTIVE, BREAKING FREE, TRANSFORMATIVE
- 'Fog': Nature QUIET, MYSTERIOUS, OBSERVATIONAL
For AP Board Class 10 students:
- 'The Trees' has MULTIPLE interpretations — literal, metaphorical, feminist
- 'Fog' is a MASTERPIECE of economy — six lines, one perfect image
- Both poems use FREE VERSE to match their themes
- In exams, focus on the METAPHORS and what they represent
'The Trees' and 'Fog' — one reclaims the forest, one watches the city. Both remind us that nature is alive.
