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Lesson 4
My Own True family
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| Ted Hughes |
The auhtor and the text
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.
The poem describes the magical experience of a young child in an oakwood and indicates that human beings and trees should thrive as a single family. It focuses strongly on the need to protect our natural environment for the welfare of mankind.
Read the following:
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. '
Then 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 tied me 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 - felled tree, 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 a human child, but my heart was a tree.
Explanation of Stanza 1-2:
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. '
Then 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 tied me to a stake.
The poem has a dreamlike tone to it. A kid wanders into an oak grove while scouting for a stag. He comes across an elderly woman there. Her clothing was worn out and she seemed frail and fragile. She revealed to the kid that she has his secret in her little purse. As soon as she says this, the woman begins to laugh (cack) wildly, making the youngster shake in terror (quake). She takes out her little bag and casts a spell on the kid. Suddenly, the poet finds himself surrounded by a tribe and chained to a stake.
Hindi Translation:
कविता का स्वर स्वप्न जैसा है। एक बच्चा हिरन की तलाश करते हुए ओक के जंगल में भटक गया। वहां उसकी मुलाकात एक बुजुर्ग महिला से होती है। उसके कपड़े पुराने हो चुके थे और वह कमजोर और नाजुक लग रही थी। उसने बच्चे को बताया कि उसका रहस्य उसके छोटे से पर्स में है। जैसे ही वह यह कहती है, महिला बेतहाशा हंसने लगती है, जिससे बच्चा डरकर कांपने लगता है। वह अपना छोटा सा बैग निकालती है और बच्चे पर जादू कर देती है। अचानक, कवि खुद को एक जनजाति से घिरा हुआ और काठ से बंधा हुआ पाता है।
Sea Also:
➡➡➡ Father's Help➡➡➡ Fable➡➡➡ Our Runaway Kite➡➡➡ Sea Fever➡➡➡ The Cat➡➡➡ The Snail
Explanation of Stanza 3-4:
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 - felled tree, swear now you will plant two.Unless you swear the black oak bark will wrinkle over youAnd root you among the oaks where you were born but never grew!
It was a watershed(historic) point in the child’s moral and ethical development. The child finds himself encircled by an ancient tribe who speaks to him in a mystical dream. The tribe speaking to him consist of none other than oak trees. They identify themselves as his real family. They claim that they are ruthlessly plucked and damaged, yet no one pays attention to them or cares to save them.
They demand that he take an oath right now to safeguard trees, or else they will be eliminated in the coming decades. The oak trees ordered that anytime he found a tree that had been chopped, he must plant two trees in its place. Otherwise, the black oak bark will engulf him and etch him into the roots.
Hindi Translation:
यह बच्चे के नैतिक और नैतिक विकास में एक ऐतिहासिक बिंदु था। बच्चा खुद को एक प्राचीन जनजाति से घिरा हुआ पाता है जो एक रहस्यमय सपने में उससे बात करता है। उनसे बात करने वाली जनजाति में कोई और नहीं बल्कि ओक के पेड़ शामिल हैं। वे खुद को उसका असली परिवार बताते हैं। उनका दावा है कि उन्हें बेरहमी से तोड़ा और क्षतिग्रस्त किया गया है, फिर भी कोई उन पर ध्यान नहीं देता या उन्हें बचाने की परवाह नहीं करता।
उनकी मांग है कि वह अभी से पेड़ों की सुरक्षा की शपथ लें, नहीं तो आने वाले दशकों में उनका सफाया हो जाएगा। ओक के पेड़ों ने आदेश दिया कि जब भी उसे कोई कटा हुआ पेड़ मिले, तो उसे उसके स्थान पर दो पेड़ लगाने होंगे। अन्यथा, काली ओक की छाल उसे निगल लेगी और जड़ों में खोद देगी।
Explanation of Stanza 5:
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 a human child, but my heart was a tree.
The poet explains in the final stanza that the story is not based on a real occurrence. Rather, it occurs in the poet’s dreams, a dream that changes his inner conscience. When he wakes up, he sees his mistakes and recognizes the devastation they are inflicting to the environment. He feels terrible for the trees and has sympathy for them in his heart. As a result, when he returned to the normal world, he was a human kid in appearance but a tree at heart.
Hindi Translation :
कवि अंतिम छंद में बताते हैं कि कहानी वास्तविक घटना पर आधारित नहीं है। बल्कि, यह कवि के सपनों में घटित होता है, एक ऐसा सपना जो उसके आंतरिक विवेक को बदल देता है। जब वह जागता है, तो वह अपनी गलतियाँ देखता है और पहचानता है कि वे पर्यावरण को कितना नुकसान पहुँचा रही हैं। वह पेड़ों के लिए बहुत बुरा महसूस करता है और उसके दिल में उनके लिए सहानुभूति है। परिणामस्वरूप, जब वह सामान्य दुनिया में लौटा, तो वह दिखने में एक इंसानी बच्चा था, लेकिन दिल से एक पेड़ था।
Comprehension exercises
1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences
(a) Creeping in an oakwood, the poet was looking for a
(i) goat
(ii) rhinoceros
(iii) stag ✔
(iv) buffalo
(b) Whenever an oak tree is felled, the number of trees the poet must plant is
(i) two ✔
(ii) three
(iii) four
(iv) five
(c) When the poet came out of the oakwood, his heart was that of a
(i) stag
(ii) tree ✔
(iii) human child
(iv) old woman
2. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/ phrases/words in support of your answer:
(a) The old woman held the poet’s secrets in her little bag. True.
Supporting statement: “She said: ‘I have your secret here inside my little bag.”
(b) The tree tribe said that the poet is bothered to see the chopping down of oak trees. False.
Supporting statement: “We are chopped down, we are torn up, you do not blink an eye.” The tree tribe accused the poet of not caring about the felling of oak trees.
(c) The poet never came out of the oakwood. False.
Supporting statement: “When I came out of the oakwood, back to human company…” The poet did come out of the oakwood.
3. Answer the following questions
(a) When did the poet come twice awake?
Ans:- The poet came “twice awake” when the old woman opened her little bag in front of him.
(b) What would happen to the poet if he failed to make the promise?
Ans:- The oak tribe threatened the poet that unless he made the promise to plant two oak trees for every oak tree felled, the black oak bark would wrinkle over him and root him among the oaks where he was born but never grew. In other words, he would be cursed to become a part of the oak forest.
(c) What was it that altered the poet?
Ans:- The dream that he had in the oakwood altered the poet. The dream was about the oak-trees accusing him of not caring about their felling and making him promise to plant two oak trees for every oak tree felled, which made the poet’s heart become that of a tree.
Grammar in use
4. Change the following into indirect speech
(a) Rahul asked Dipa, ” Will you go to school today?”
Ans:- Rahul asked Dipa if she would go to school that day.
(b) Rita said to Ayesha, “Please give me a glass of water.”
Ans:- Rita requested Ayesha to give her a glass of water.
(c) The old man told the little girl, “May you be happy!”
Ans:- The old man blessed the little girl, wishing her happiness.
Do as directed
(a) Ranjan said, “Who does not know the name of Rabindranath?” (Change into affirmative sentence)
Ans:- Ranjan stated, “Everyone knows the name of Rabindranath.”
(b) Sangeeta runs faster than any other girl in her class. (Rewrite using the positive degree of ‘faster’)
Ans:- Sangeeta runs the fastest among all the girls in her class.
(c) Kaushiki blamed her friend for the trouble. (Rewrite using the noun form of ‘blamed’)
Ans:- Kaushiki put the blame on her friend for the trouble. (The noun form of ‘blamed’ is ‘blame’, so the sentence would be: )
6. Your school is going to host the Inter-school District Sports Competition. Suppose you are the Secretary of the Sports Club of your school. Write a notice (within 100 words) calling students to participate in the competition. Mention the time, date and venue of the competition. Your notice should be countersigned by the Headmistress/Headmaster of your school.
Ans:-
[School/Institution Name]
NOTICE
Date: [Insert Date Here]
Inter-school District Sports Competition
This is to inform all the students of our school that we are going to host the Inter-school District Sports Competition on [Insert Date Here] at our school ground. All students who are interested in participating in the competition are requested to register their names with the undersigned by [Insert Deadline Here]. The competition will start at [Insert Time Here] and will continue till [Insert End Time Here].
The following events will be held in the competition:
- Running race (100m, 200m, 400m)
- Long jump
- High jump
- Shot put
- Discus throw
All participants must come in proper sports attire and bring their own sports equipment. The winners of each event will be awarded prizes and certificates.
We hope that all students will participate in this competition and make it a success. For further information, please contact the undersigned.
[Your Name]
(Secretary, Sports Club)
Countersigned by:
[Headmistress/Headmaster Name]
(Headmistress/Headmaster)
Extra Questions Answers:
1.When did the poet come twice awake?
Ans:- When the old woman opened up her little bag,the poet came twice awake.
2.What would happen to the poet if he failed to make the promise?
Ans:- If the poet failed to make the promise, he would die.
3.What was it that altered the poet?
Ans:- It was the dream about deforestation and afforestation that altered the poet.
4. Where did the poet once creep in?
Ans:- Once the poet crept in an oakwood.
5. What was the poet looking for?
Ans:- The poet was looking for a stag.
6. Whom did the poet meet in the oakwood?
Ans:- The poet met an old woman.
7.What did the old woman have?
Ans:- The old woman has a stick, a rag, and a little bag.
8. What was the old woman wearing?
Ans:- The old woman was wearing a rag.
9.What did the old woman have inside her little bag?
Ans:- The old woman had the secret of the poet in her little bag.
10.What was the first activity of the old woman?
Ans:- The old woman began to cackle.
11. By whom was the poet surrounded?
Ans:- The poet was surrounded by a staring tribe.
12. To what did the poet find himself tied ?
Ans:- The poet found himself tied to a stake.
13. Who are the own true family of the poet?
Ans:- The oak trees are the own true family of the poet.
14. Who are chopped down?
Ans:- The oak trees are chopped down.
15. Who are torn up?
Ans:- The oak trees are torn up.
16. Who does not blink an eye?
Ans:- The poet does not blink an eye.
17.What will the poet have to swear ?
Ans.> The poet will have to swear that whenever he will see an oak tree felled, he will plant two saplings.
18. Where did the poet have his dream?
Ans:- The poet had his dream beneath the boughs.
19.Where from did the poet come out?
Ans:- The poet came out of the oakwood.
20.Where did the poet come back ?
Ans:- The poet came back to human company.
21.How was the walk of the poet ?
Ans:- The walk of the poet was the walk of a human child.
22.How was the heart of the poet?
Ans:- The heart of the poet was the heart of a tree.
23. Who wrote the poem ‘My Own True Family’?
Ans:- Ted Hughes, a famous English poet, wrote the poem.
24. When did the poet come twice awake?
Ans:- When the old woman opened her little bag, the poet came twice awake.
25. What did the old woman begin to do ?
Ans:- The old woman began to cackle.
26. What did the child begin to do at the woman’s cackle?
Ans:- The child began to quake.
27. What would happen to the poet if he failed to make the promise?
Ans:– If the poet failed to make the promise, he would die.
28. What was it that altered the poet?
Ans:- The dream which the poet saw about the ill fate of oak trees has altered the poet completely.
29. What happened when the old woman open her bag?
Ans.> When the old woman opened her bag, the child found himself tied to a stake and surrounded by a tribe.
30. What did the old woman say?
Ans:- The old woman said that she had the poet’s secret inside her little bag.
31. Who introduced themselves as the poet's own true family?
Ans:- The oak-tree introduced themselves as the poet’s own true family.
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