Supporting Statement : Answer the questions (each question carrying How did the tribe introduce themselves ? What condition did the tribe place before the poet ? What kind of promise was the poet asked to make ? How did the tribe threaten the poet ?
Answers
Explanation:
The oak-tree introduced themselves as the poet's own true family. ... The tribes were nothing but the oak trees and they said to the poet that they are his own true family. They expressed their unhappiness saying that human beings chop them down, they torn them up.
It is important to realize that "My Own True Family" is the final poem in Hughes' collection which is a testament to its importance. On the surface level, the poem seems to be a work against deforestation because the child in the poem dreams that he is tied to a stake and must promise to plant trees in order to be set free. In fact, he is told the following: "Whenever you see an oak-tree felled, swear now you will plant two." This dream transforms the boy's heart.
The "summary" of this poem seems fairly simple. A "human child" has a dream in which he meets an old lady who captures him and ties him to "a stake." While tied to the stake, the surrounding oak trees and their "spirits" make the child (the speaker) promise to plant trees. This dream and this subsequent promise connect the speaker to nature and give him the "heart [of] a tree."
Beneath the surface, the poem is much more than an effort against deforestation. It is a confirmation that humanity must connect with the natural world in order to achieve its full potential. This idea is at the core of much of Hughes' literature.