The leaves strain toward the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors.
Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b):
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:19 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) The simile compares the boughs to newly discharged patients — weak, stiff, and half-dazed — to show that the trees have been unnaturally confined indoors. It reinforces the poem's theme that nature, though suppressed, slowly reclaims its freedom.
(ii) (B) transition and uncertainty
(iii) The stiff movement of the twigs suggests the struggle (or strain/effort) of the trees to free themselves after long confinement.
(iv) The poet uses 'shuffling' to show that the boughs are moving slowly and weakly, like beings who have been cramped for too long and have not yet regained full strength or ease of movement.
Source: The Trees, Extract — stanza describing leaves, twigs, and boughs
---
Explanation
- (i) Focus on TWO things: what the simile literally means AND how it connects to the poem's theme (nature's suppression and longing for freedom). Examiners want theme linkage, not just paraphrase.
- (ii) The words "half-dazed," "shuffling," and "strain" all point to a mood of transition and uncertainty — nothing is settled yet. Avoid (C); there is no chaos, just slow, uncertain movement.
- (iii) One word is enough — "struggle," "strain," or "effort" all work. The key idea is that movement is not easy; it costs the trees something.
- (iv) 'Shuffling' specifically implies slow, dragging, effortful movement — link it to the physical reason (long confinement) to score full marks. One sentence is sufficient for 1 mark.