9. Analysis

The poem 'The Trees' by Adrienne Rich talks about a group of trees trapped in a small glass house. These trees have had enough of growing in a cramped space that they now want to break free and go back to the forest where they belong. Humans have become dominating that they uproot trees from their original space and make them grow forcefully in a compressed space. Rich is using the trees to subtly talk about the existence of women. Women feel trapped most of the time inside a house. Some people always decide what is good for them. Like the trees, they get exploited to the extent that they lose their individuality. Rich is calling out for women to break their shackles like the trees. Initially, it might be difficult to do so, but they will finally emerge as successful people if they have determination. She finally says that women have to break the glass ceiling, which stops them from reaching what they truly deserve.