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WBBSEClass 10
English

My Own True Family

Ted Hughes

About Ted Hughes

Edward James 'Ted' Hughes (1930 - 1998) was a noted English poet, and had been 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.

Once I crept in an oakwood--I was looking for a stag.
I met an old woman there−all knobbly stick and rag.
She said; 'I have your secret here inside my little bag.'

Them she began to cackle and I began to quake.
She opened up her little bag and I came twice awake--
Surrounded by a staring tribe and me tied to a stake.

They said: 'We are the oak-trees and your own true family.
We are chopped down, we are torn up, you do not blink an eye.
Unless you make a promise now−now you are going to die.'

'Whenever you see an oak-tree felled, swear now you will plant two.
Unless you swear the black oak bark will wrinkle over you
And root you among the oaks where you were born but never grew.'

This was my dream beneath the boughs, the dream that altered me.
When I came out of the oakwood, back to human company,
My walk was the walk of human child, but my heart was a tree.

Available Answers

  1. 1.

    "Once I crept in an oakwood -"

    Why did the poet venture in an oakwood? Who did he encounter  there?

    S A M P L E
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    Answer:
    S A M P L E

    The quoted line is from Ted Hughes poem, "My Own True Family...

  2. 2.

    "She opened up her little bag and I came twice awake - "

    1. Who does "she" refer to?
    2. Why did the poet become twice awake?
    S A M P L E
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    Answer:
    S A M P L E

    The quoted line has been extracted from Ted Hughes poem, "My...

  3. 3.

    "Surrounded by a staring tribe and me tied to a stake."

    1. Why was the poet tied to a stake?
    2. Who do you think tied him?
    S A M P L E
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    Answer:
    S A M P L E

    The quoted line is a part of Ted Hughes poem, "My Own True F...

  4. 4.

    "Unless you make a promise now - now you are going to die."

    1. What promise is being referred to here?
    2. Why was the poet threatened with dire consequences?
  5. 5.

    "And root you among the oaks where you were born but never grew."

    Bring out the essence of this line and the message the poet tried to convey.

  6. 6.

    "...the dream that altered me."

    1. What dream is being referred to here?
    2. Why did it alter the poet?
    3. Explains what happened next.
8 more answer(s) available.

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