My Own True Family By Ted Hughes: A Line By Line Explanation, Summary And Analysis

 

My Own True Family By Ted Hughes:

A Line By Line Explanation, Summary And Analysis

 

 

Line 1: The speaker describes how he once entered an oakwood (a forest of oak trees) with the intention of finding a stag i.e. a male deer, suggesting he may have been on a hunting expedition.

 

Line 2: In the forest, he encounters an old woman who is characterized by her age and tattered clothing. She carries a small bag with something of importance.

 

Line 3: The old woman tells the speaker that she possesses a secret that is contained within her little bag.

 

Line 4: The speaker, feeling uneasy, begins to tremble while the old woman starts cackling.

 

Line 5: The old woman opens her bag, and at this point, the speaker undergoes a transformative experience (symbolized by the phrase "I came twice awake").

 

Line 6: He finds himself surrounded by a group of people who are staring at him, and he is tied to a stake, signifying a perilous situation.

 

Line 7: These people, who have tied the poet to a stake and represent the oak trees themselves, claim to be the speaker's true family.

 

Line 8: They point out that oak trees are being cut down and destroyed, yet the speaker doesn't seem to show any concern or emotion about it.

 

Line 9: The family threatens the speaker with death unless he makes a solemn promise.

 

Line 10: The promise they demand is for the speaker to plant two oak trees for every one that is felled. If he fails to make this pledge, the black oak bark will "wrinkle over" him, implying that he will be doomed or consumed by the trees.

 

Line 11: The speaker describes this experience as a transformative dream that significantly impacted him.

 

Line 12: When he leaves the oakwood and returns to human society, he appears to be physically human ("My walk was the walk of a human child"), but his inner self or essence ("my heart") is forever linked with the trees.

 

Summary:

 

The poem "My Own True Family" narrates a dreamlike encounter in an oakwood. The speaker's intention to hunt a stag leads him to meet an old woman who possesses a mysterious secret. The old woman and the tribe of people bound the poet to a stake reveal themselves as the speaker's true family. They accuse him of being indifferent to the destruction of oak trees and demand that he promise to plant two oaks for every one that is felled, or face a dire consequence. This dream profoundly impacts the speaker, altering his perspective. Although he appears to be a regular human when he returns to society, his heart is forever connected to the trees.

 

Analysis:

 

The poem explores themes of environmental conservation and the interconnectedness of humans with nature. The oak trees represent a family of sentient beings, and the speaker's indifference to their destruction reflects human apathy toward environmental issues. The demand to plant two trees for every one cut down is a call for environmental responsibility and sustainable practices. The poem also suggests that humans are an integral part of the natural world and should not disregard their responsibilities to the environment. The transformation of the speaker, with his "heart" becoming a tree, symbolizes a deep and lasting connection to nature and a realization of the importance of preserving it. Ted Hughes uses vivid imagery and a dreamlike atmosphere to convey these themes, emphasizing the need for environmental consciousness and stewardship.