Trees (Emily Dickinson) — NCERT Solutions

Given / Context: The poem 'Trees' by Emily Dickinson describes a Summer's day through a series of vivid natural images.

Answer:
The poet employs a rich tapestry of sensory imagery to paint a Summer's day that surpasses any painted representation:

1. Auditory imagery – The trees are compared to 'Psalteries of Summer', suggesting the musical, harp-like rustling of leaves in the summer breeze.
2. Visual and kinetic imagery – The Sun is personified as a majestic figure who 'shouts' and moves with authority, capitalised pronouns ('He', 'His') elevating Him to an almost divine status.
3. Animal imagery – A bird sits 'careless on the fence', another 'gossiped in the Lane', and a snake is 'charmed' on a stone — all lending a lively, animated quality to the scene.
4. Floral imagery – 'Bright Flowers slit a Calyx / And soared upon a Stem / Like Hindered Flags' — the blossoming of flowers is compared to flags being hoisted, with 'Spices in the Hem' adding an olfactory dimension.

Through these layered images — sound, movement, colour, fragrance, and life — the poet creates a multidimensional portrait of Summer that a painter's static canvas (referred to as 'Vandyke's Delineation') cannot fully capture. The final stanza explicitly states that what the poet has witnessed is far more than any visual art can represent.

Given / Context: The phrase 'Psalteries of Summer' appears in the poem as a metaphor for trees.

Concept: A psaltery is an ancient stringed musical instrument, similar to a dulcimer or zither, played by plucking strings stretched over a flat soundboard.

Explanation:
When the poet calls the trees 'Psalteries of Summer', she is drawing a musical metaphor. Just as a psaltery produces sweet, resonant music when its strings are plucked, the trees produce melodious, rustling sounds when the summer breeze passes through their leaves. The leaves of the trees act like the strings of the psaltery — vibrating, trembling, and creating a natural music that is the very soundtrack of summer.

The metaphor also suggests richness and beauty: the psaltery was considered a noble, even sacred instrument in ancient times, so comparing trees to psalteries elevates them to something majestic and spiritually uplifting.

Conclusion: 'Psalteries of Summer' is a beautiful auditory metaphor that portrays trees as nature's own musical instruments, filling the summer air with harmonious sound.

Given / Context: The poem personifies various creatures and natural elements.

Concept: Attributing human qualities to non-human beings is called personification or anthropomorphism.

Lines where creatures are given human qualities:

1. 'A Bird sat careless on the fence' — The bird is described as 'careless', a human emotional state suggesting ease, leisure, and contentment.
2. 'One gossiped in the Lane' — Another bird is said to 'gossip', a distinctly human social activity, implying cheerful, idle chatter.
3. 'On silver matters charmed a Snake / Just winding round a Stone' — The snake is said to be 'charmed' by 'silver matters' (possibly the glint of sunlight or the sound of music), attributing to it a human capacity for being enchanted or fascinated.

How this adds to the beauty of the Summer's day:
By giving creatures human qualities, the poet makes the natural world feel warm, sociable, and joyful. The Summer's day is no longer merely a backdrop but a living, breathing community where birds gossip, snakes are charmed, and all of nature participates in the pleasure of the season. This creates a sense of harmony and intimacy between the human world and the natural world, making the Summer's day feel inviting, vibrant, and full of personality.

Given / Context: The image appears in the lines — 'Bright Flowers slit a Calyx / And soared upon a Stem / Like Hindered Flags – Sweet hoisted – / With Spices – in the Hem –'

Explanation:
The image of 'Hindered Flags' is a striking and original simile for flowers in bloom. Let us unpack it step by step:

• 'Flags' — Flowers are compared to flags or banners because of their bright colours and the way they unfurl and display themselves proudly on their stems, much as flags are raised on poles.
• 'Hindered' — The flags are described as 'hindered', meaning held back or restrained. This captures the moment just before full bloom — when the petals are still partially enclosed within the calyx, straining to open, like a flag that is being slowly, ceremonially hoisted rather than snapping open all at once.
• 'Sweet hoisted' — The word 'hoisted' reinforces the flag metaphor: the flower is being raised up the 'pole' of its stem, unfurling gradually and sweetly.
• 'With Spices in the Hem' — Just as the hem of a garment might be embroidered or scented, the edges of the petals carry fragrance ('spices'), adding an olfactory richness to the visual image.

Conclusion: The image beautifully captures the slow, triumphant unfolding of a flower in bloom — colourful, fragrant, and full of restrained energy — comparing it to a ceremonial flag being raised with dignity and sweetness.