NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Kaliedoscope Poetry Chapter 5

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Kaliedoscope Poetry Chapter 5
Last Updated At: 31 Mar 2026
5 min read

NCERT solutions for Class 12 English Poetry Chapter 5 Trees – complete answers & explanations

The NCERT Chapter “Trees” from Class 12 English Kaleidoscope is a beautiful poem written by Emily Dickinson. The poem presents a lively picture of nature on a summer day through vivid imagery and detailed observation. The poet describes trees swaying in the wind, the music of tiny creatures, the changing appearance of the sun, and the colourful movement of flowers and birds. Through these images, the poem celebrates the beauty, music, and liveliness of nature. This blog provides complete NCERT solutions for Class 12 English Poetry Chapter Trees strictly based on the worksheet shared, helping students clearly understand the poem and prepare for examinations.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

1. The poem presents a vivid description of a summer day in nature.  
2. It highlights the poet’s close observation of natural elements like trees, flowers, birds, insects, and sunlight.  
3. The chapter helps students understand poetic devices such as imagery and personification.  
4. It introduces musical references in poetry, such as “psalteries” and “dulcimer.”  
5. The poem encourages appreciation of nature’s beauty through careful observation and poetic expression.

How to use these NCERT solutions?

1. Students should first read the poem carefully and try to understand the images and ideas presented.  
2. Attempt the questions from the worksheet independently before checking the answers.  
3. Use these solutions to verify your responses and improve your understanding of the poem.  
4. Teachers and parents can guide students in discussing the imagery and poetic techniques used.  
5. The answers follow the exact order of the worksheet questions for easy reference.

Important tips & tricks for students

1. Pay attention to the natural images described by the poet.  
2. Understand how the poet compares nature to music and movement.  
3. Identify examples of personification and imagery in the poem.  
4. Notice how capitalisation and unusual expressions are used in Emily Dickinson’s poetry.  
5. Try to connect the poet’s observations with real experiences of nature.

NCERT solutions – complete answer key

Responding to the poem

1. The poet uses vivid natural imagery to describe a summer day. She compares trees to tassels swinging in the wind, describes the music of tiny creatures, the sun appearing and disappearing behind clouds, a bird sitting carelessly on a fence, a snake winding around a stone, and bright flowers like “hundred flags” waving on stems. These images create a lively and colourful picture of nature.

2. “Psalteries of Summer” refers to the musical sounds of nature during summer. The poet compares the sounds made by insects and birds to the music of a psaltery (a stringed musical instrument). It suggests that nature itself is producing sweet music.

3. Creatures are given human qualities in lines such as:  
“One gossiped in the Lane” – the bird is described as if it is gossiping like a person.  
“Enamoring the Ear” – the sounds of summer seem to charm the listener.  
This personification makes nature appear lively and friendly, adding charm and beauty to the description of a summer day.

4. The phrase “Hindered Flags” refers to flowers swaying on their stems in the wind. The flowers look like flags waving in the air, but they are “hindered” because they are attached to the stems. This image highlights the movement and beauty of flowers in nature.

5. The pronouns referring to the Sun are capitalised because the poet treats the Sun as a powerful and important presence, almost like a divine or royal figure. Capitalisation shows respect and gives the Sun a special status in nature.

6. The poem shows careful observation of nature through details such as:  
Trees swinging like tassels in the wind  
The music of tiny insects and birds  
The sun appearing and disappearing behind clouds  
A bird sitting on a fence and a snake winding around a stone  
Flowers waving like flags on their stems  

These observations demonstrate how the poet carefully watches nature and turns these observations into beautiful poetry.

Language study

Difference between Dulcimer and Psaltery

The dulcimer and psaltery are both stringed musical instruments, but they differ in the way they are played and their structure.

Dulcimer:  
A dulcimer is a string instrument that is usually placed on a table or the player’s lap and played by striking the strings with small hammers (in the hammered dulcimer) or sometimes plucking them. It produces a bright, ringing sound.

Psaltery:  
A psaltery is also a stringed instrument, but its strings are usually plucked with fingers or a plectrum rather than struck with hammers. It is often triangular or trapezoid in shape and produces a soft, harp-like sound.

Main difference:  
The main difference is how the strings are played.

Dulcimer – strings are mostly struck with hammers.  
Psaltery – strings are plucked with fingers or a plectrum.

Suggested reading

Explanation:  
This suggestion encourages readers to explore more poems written by Emily Dickinson. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson is a collection that includes many of her poems about nature, life, emotions, and human experiences. Reading this book helps readers understand Emily Dickinson’s poetic style, her beautiful imagery, and her deep observation of nature, which can also be seen in the poem “Trees.”

Why NCERT solutions help students?

NCERT solutions help students understand poems and prose chapters more clearly. By studying these answers, students learn how to interpret poetic imagery, explain literary devices, and write well-structured responses in exams. These solutions also help build confidence and improve comprehension skills for literature-based questions.

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