“My Own True Family” is a short but profound poem by Ted Hughes, blending elements of dream, mysticism, and ecological consciousness. The speaker recounts a surreal and transformative encounter in an oak wood, where he comes face-to-face with his “own true family” — not humans, but oak trees. Below, you’ll find a line-by-line analysis of the poem, which can be very useful for developing a complete and flawless understanding of it.
Line-by-Line Analysis
1. Once I crept in an oakwood—
- The speaker enters an oak forest quietly, suggesting secrecy or reverence.
- “Crept” implies something hidden or mysterious is about to unfold.
2. I was looking for a stag.
- He is searching for a male deer — often a symbol of wild beauty or freedom.
- Could suggest a hunting motive or simply an exploration of nature.
3. I met an old woman there—
- Introduces a mythical or fairy-tale element, reminiscent of folklore.
- The old woman often symbolizes wisdom, prophecy, or transformation.
4. All knobbly stick and rag.
- Describes her appearance — gnarled, rough, and primitive, like the trees.
- “Knobbly stick” could hint that she’s part of the woods herself.
5. She said: ‘I have your secret here
—Inside my little bag.’
- The woman claims she holds the speaker’s “secret”, adding a mystical tension.
- The “bag” could symbolize destiny, knowledge, or truth hidden from him.
6. Then she began to cackle and I began to quake.
- The “cackle” is eerie, witch-like, increasing the sense of dread.
- “Quake” (tremble) shows fear — the speaker is vulnerable and unsure.
7. She opened up her little bag
And I came twice awake—
- The bag opens, and something awakens the speaker on a deeper level.
- “Twice awake” implies a spiritual or mental awakening, beyond normal consciousness.
8. First I was in the oakwood,
—And the oak tree was my kin…
- The speaker now sees the oak tree as family — indicating a connection with nature.
- “Kin” reflects a rediscovered ancestral or spiritual bond.
9. And I was looking for a stag
And I could not turn again.
- He repeats the earlier line, but with new awareness.
- “Could not turn again” implies a point of no return — he’s forever changed.
10. I came to where the old woman sat,
And she was gone.
- When he returns, the woman has vanished — like a vision or spirit.
- Her disappearance cements the dreamlike and magical tone.
11. But in her place was a little bag
And it held the forest’s groan.
- The bag remains — symbolic of nature’s pain or suffering.
- “Forest’s groan” suggests the silent agony of trees being destroyed.
12. I had to do what I was told.
- The speaker accepts his duty or burden.
- It implies he’s been given a mission to protect nature.
13. I had to change my ways.
- Marks a clear point of moral transformation.
- He recognizes the need to change his attitude toward nature.
14. I had to walk through trees and feel
Their bark against my face.
- A symbolic act of becoming one with the trees.
- The imagery of bark against skin suggests intimacy and physical connection with nature.
15. I am the tree’s protector,
My own true family.
- He embraces his new role: protector of the trees.
- The phrase “my own true family” now has a deep emotional and spiritual weight — nature is not separate from him, but his identity and duty.
Overall Techniques and Effects:
- Repetition: “I was looking for a stag” appears twice — first as innocent, later as symbolic of lost purpose.
- Personification: Trees speak, groan, and have kinship.
- Symbolism: The old woman (spirit of nature), bag (secrets of the forest), bark (natural connection).
- Tone shift: From curiosity → fear → transformation → responsibility.
