My Own True Family /Ted Hughes/ Class -X, English / WBBSE

 

My Own True Family

Ted Hughes

 

“My Own True Family” is a poem by Edward James ‘Ted’ Hughes, a noted English poet who was the Poet Laureate of Great Britain from 1984 till his death. His famous works include “Birthday Letters”, “The Hawk in the Rain”, and "Tales from Ovid".

The poem begins with the speaker venturing into an oakwood in search of a stag. There, he encounters an old woman who claims to hold his secret in her bag. Upon opening the bag, the speaker finds himself surrounded by a tribe and tied to a stake. The tribe identifies themselves as oak trees and the speaker’s true family. They accuse him of indifference towards their suffering and demand a promise: for every oak tree felled, he must plant two. If he fails to make this promise, they threaten him with death.

This dream beneath the boughs alters the speaker. When he emerges from the oakwood and returns to human company, he walks like a human child, but his heart is a tree.

The poem is an allegory that expresses Hughes’ deep love for nature and emphasizes the need for environmental conservation. It uses vivid imagery and personal reflection to challenge traditional notions of family and encourages readers to consider different forms of family. The poem is full of symbolism, with the boy’s search for the stag symbolizing our quest for an ideal living place.

The poem criticizes people’s hypocrisy in using Mother Nature for their own selfish benefit without trying to soothe her scars. It suggests that family is not just about blood relations, but rather it is about those who are closest to us and whom we care about the most.

 

Summary of the poem

English Summary: The poem “My Own True Family” by Ted Hughes is an allegory that emphasizes the importance of environmental conservation. The speaker ventures into an oakwood in search of a stag and encounters an old woman who reveals his true family - the oak trees. The trees accuse him of indifference towards their suffering and demand a promise of replanting for every tree felled. The experience transforms the speaker, making him realize that family extends beyond blood relations to include those we care about, like nature.

Hindi Summary (सारांश): टेड ह्यूज की कविता “माय ओन ट्रू फैमिली” पर्यावरण संरक्षण के महत्व को बल देने वाली एक अलंकारिक कविता है। कवि एक हिरन की खोज में एक ओकवुड में प्रवेश करता है और एक बुढ़िया से मिलता है जो उसे उसके सच्चे परिवार - ओक पेड़ों - का पता चलता है। पेड़ों ने उसे अपने पीड़ा के प्रति उसकी उदासीनता का आरोप में लगाया है और हर पेड़ के काटने के लिए पुनर्प्लांट करने का वादा मांगते हैं। यह अनुभव कवि को परिवर्तित करता है, उसे समझाता है कि परिवार सिर्फ रक्त संबंधों से परे होता है, हमें प्रकृति की तरह संरक्षित करने में सहायता मिलती है।

 

When did the poet come twice awake?

The poet came twice awake when the old woman opened her bag. This moment signifies a profound awakening of the poet’s consciousness. The first awakening was an inner realization about the cruelty inflicted by humans on nature. The second awakening was an external one, leading to a deeper connection and bond with nature. This dual awakening is a pivotal point in the poem, marking the transformation of the poet’s understanding of his relationship with nature and his true family - the oak trees.

 

What would happen to the poet if he failed to make the promise?

English: If the poet failed to make the promise of planting two new oaks for every oak tree that was felled, he would die.

Hindi (हिंदी): यदि कवि ने हर गिराए गए ओक पेड़ के लिए दो नए ओक पेड़ लगाने का वादा करने में विफल रहे, तो वह मर जाएंगे.

 

What was it that altered the poet?

The poet was altered by a dream he had while searching for a stag in an oakwood. In the dream, he encountered an old woman who revealed his true family - the oak trees. The trees accused him of indifference towards their suffering and demanded a promise of replanting for every tree felled. This dream transformed the speaker’s conscience, making him realize that family extends beyond blood relations to include those we care about, like nature. His heart felt for the tree, although his body remained human.

 

" I have the secret here inside my little bag" - Who said this? What is the secret referred to?

The line “I have the secret here inside my little bag” is said by the old woman in the poem “My Own True Family” by Ted Hughes. The secret referred to in this context is the revelation of the poet’s true family - the oak trees. This secret is revealed when the old woman opens her bag, leading to a profound awakening in the poet about his deep connection with nature and his responsibility towards it.

 

" We are chopped down, we are torn up, you do not blink an eye." - Who are chopped down and torn? Who do not blink and why? What promise is asked to do? if not done what will be the result?

Who are chopped down and torn up? The ones being chopped down and torn up are the oak trees.

Who does not blink an eye and why? The poet does not blink an eye. This suggests that the poet, representing humans, does not feel any pain or moral disagreement with the system of unplanned deforestation.

 

What promise is asked to do? The oak trees ask the poet to make a promise that whenever an oak tree is felled, he will plant two new ones.

If the promise is not done, what will be the result? If the poet fails to make the promise, the black oak bark will wrinkle over him and root him among the oaks where he was born but never grew. In other words, he would die12345.

Hindi (हिंदी):कौन काटे जा रहे हैं और फाड़े जा रहे हैं? जो काटे जा रहे हैं और फाड़े जा रहे हैं, वे हैं ओक पेड़.

कौन आँख नहीं मरकरता है और क्यों? कवि आँख नहीं मरकरता है. इसका सुझाव है कि कवि, मानवता का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हुए, अनियोजित वनोन्मूलन के प्रणाली से किसी भी पीड़ा या नैतिक असहमति को महसूस नहीं करता.

क्या प्रतिज्ञा करने की मांग की जाती है? ओक पेड़ कवि से प्रतिज्ञा मांगते हैं कि जब कभी कोई ओक पेड़ काटा जाता है, तो वह दो नए पेड़ लगाएगा.

प्रतिज्ञा की स्थिति में, परिणाम क्या होता है? यदि कवि प्रतिज्ञा करने में सक्षम नहीं होता है, तो काले ओक की छाल पर उसके समुपरि सिकुड़न होती है, और मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड

 

“.......swear now you will plant two." - Who has to swear and what? Why has he to swear? If he does not swear what will happen?

The poet has to swear that whenever he sees an oak tree being felled, he will plant two new ones.

He has to swear because the oak trees, who identify themselves as his true family, are suffering from being chopped down and torn up. They demand this promise as a way to ensure their survival and growth.

If he does not swear, what will happen? If the poet fails to make the promise, the black oak bark will wrinkle over him and root him among the oaks where he was born but never grew. In other words, he would die.

 

Hindi (हिंदी):कौन कसम खाना होगा और क्या? कवि को कसम खानी होगी कि जब कभी वह एक ओक पेड़ को काटते हुए देखेगा, तो वह दो नए पेड़ लगाएगा.

उसे क्यों कसम खानी होगी? उसे कसम खानी होगी क्योंकि ओक पेड़, जो स्वयं को उसके सच्चे परिवार के रूप में पहचानते हैं, काटे जा रहे हैं और फाड़े जा रहे हैं. वे इस प्रतिज्ञा की मांग करते हैं, ताकि उनका संरक्षण और विकास सुनिश्चित हो सके.

अगर वह कसम नहीं खाता, तो क्या होगा? अगर कवि प्रतिज्ञा करने में सक्षम नहीं होता है, तो काले ओक की छाल पर सिकुडन होती है, मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड़ों में समुपरि मुलायम पेड

 

.... the dream that altered me." - Who sees the dream? What was the dream? What alteration was done, explain?

The poet, Ted Hughes, saw the dream.

The dream was about the poet’s encounter with an old woman in an oakwood while he was searching for a stag. The old woman revealed to him that his true family were the oak trees. The trees accused him of indifference towards their suffering and demanded a promise that for every oak tree felled, he would plant two.

The dream altered the poet’s perception of his relationship with nature4. After the dream, when he came out of the oakwood and returned to human company, his walk was that of a human child, but his heart was a tree. This signifies a profound transformation in his consciousness, leading to a deeper connection and bond with nature.

 

My walk was the walk of a human child, but my heart was a tree." explain the line.

English Explanation: The line “My walk was the walk of a human child, but my heart was a tree” signifies the transformation in the poet’s consciousness after his dream. Although he physically remains a human, his moral self is now deeply connected with the oak trees and their pain and suffering. His actions may be human, but his heart and emotions are deeply rooted in nature, like a tree.

Hindi Explanation (हिंदी में व्याख्या): यह पंक्ति “मेरी चाल मानव बालक की चाल थी, लेकिन मेरा हृदय एक पेड़ था” कवि की चेतना में सपने के बाद हुए परिवर्तन को सूचित करती है. हालांकि वह शारीरिक रूप से मानव ही रहता है, लेकिन उसका नैतिक स्वयं को अब ओक पेड़ों और उनके पीड़ा और कष्ट से गहरी तरह से जोड़ा हुआ है13. उसके क्रियाकलाप मानव हो सकते हैं, लेकिन उसका हृदय और भावनाएं प्रकृति में, पेड़ की तरह, गहरी जड़ों से संलग्न होती हैं.

 

Who are our own true family and how?

English Explanation: In the poem “My Own True Family” by Ted Hughes, our own true family refers to the oak trees12345. The poet, representing humans, comes to realize that his true family is not just his blood relations but also includes the oak trees. This is because they are an integral part of the ecosystem and our survival is deeply connected with theirs.

Hindi Explanation (हिंदी में व्याख्या): टेड ह्यूज की कविता “माय ओन ट्रू फैमिली” में, हमारा सच्चा परिवार ओक पेड़ों को संदर्भित करता है12345. कवि, मानवता का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हुए, यह समझता है कि उसका सच्चा परिवार सिर्फ उसके रक्त संबंधी नहीं होते, बल्कि उसमें ओक पेड़ भी शामिल होते हैं12345. इसका कारण यह है कि वे पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र का महत्वपूर्ण हिस्सा हैं और हमारे जीवन की सुरक्षा उनकी सुरक्षा से गहराई से जुड़ी हुई है.