My head is full of whispers
Which tomorrow will be silent.
Listen. The glass is breaking.
The trees are stumbling forward
into the night. Winds rush to meet them.
The moon is broken like a mirror,
its pieces flash now in the crown
of the tallest Oak.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:19 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) The figure of speech used is Personification. Trees are given the human quality of stumbling (walking unsteadily), as if they are living beings moving forward.
(ii) The simile "broken like a mirror" suggests the moonlight is scattered into fragments by the tree branches. As the trees move into the open, moonlight reflects in broken pieces on the Oak's crown, symbolising the triumph of nature reclaiming its freedom and the breaking of all artificial barriers.
(iii) (C) — to emphasize listening carefully as a change is about to take place.
(iv) The line reveals that the poet is deeply conscious of an impending change. Her mind is currently troubled with restless thoughts ("whispers"), but she knows that once the trees break free and nature is restored, this inner conflict will end.
Source: The Trees, poem
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Explanation
- (i) Personification is the key term — trees cannot literally "stumble"; this human action is transferred to them.
- (ii) For 2 marks, mention the figure of speech (simile) AND its symbolic meaning (nature's freedom/triumph).
- (iii) Option C is correct because the imperative "Listen" signals an important transformation — not just a sound, but a momentous event unfolding.
- (iv) Focus on the poet's inner conflict and awareness of change — the "whispers" are her doubts/restlessness that will cease once nature is free.