Ted Hughes Flashcards
(15 cards)
“We sit late watching the darkness unfold”
September
-Narrative Voice
Narrative voice comes from the view of a person who is part of the relationship. (H + P?)
Suggests watching a relationship come to and ends aware of it occurring yet both just watch and make no attempt to fix it.
“Quietly tress casting their crowns into pools.”
September
-Language
Crowns- something of high value and importance cast away in the same manner that trees get rid of dead leaves. The relationship held a lot of value, but is still being thrown away.
“She had too much, so with a Smile you took some.”
The Other
- Narrative Voice
Stealing something from Plaith, whether that be happiness or talent or purpose. Line repeats at the end of the poem with the opposite message, that Plaith was taking from Hughes, mutual harm.
“Still she had so much, she made you feel your vacuum.”
The Other
-Language
Plaith made Hughes fell empty, releating to possibly poetic talent and overall purpose in life. A justification for the harm they caused eachother and Hughes’ affair.
“Their brief goes straight up to heaven and nothing more is heard of it.”
Her Husband
-Language
“Breif”- legal, comparing the arguement to a court case. Mocking tone and a dismissal, no resolution will ever be met, no compromise is ever found, the argument will be had again and again with no solution in sight.
“He had earned his thirst and the right to quench it.”
Her Husband
-Narrative Voice
The narrative voice is an observer in the relationship. The idea that the man had earned the right to going out to the pub, coming home to a cooked meal, sex, due to the physical labour he preforms.
“My manners are testing off heads- the allotment of death.”
Hawk Roosting
“Language
Use of enjambment, pride in the violence he causes, believing himself worthy of ruling over life and death, he has earned the right. As Hughes believes he holds the rights to know what poetry is the best.
“Now I hold creation in my foot.”
Hawk Roosting
-Narrative Voice
Poem is spoken from the hawk directly, a self confident and prideful animal who Bo makes consistent comparison between himself and God, believing he is better or equal in strength, as Hughes believed he is the best poet.
“The world rolls under the long thrust of his heel, over the cage floor the horizons come.”
The Jaguar
-Language
The jaguar is not restrained by the cage, above such things and free from expectations, the centre of attention.
As Hughes believes he is within the world of poetry, above all others and worthy of being so.
“Strut like cheap tarts to attract the stroller with the Nut.”
The Jaguar
-Narrative Voice
Hughes sees himself in the jaguar and other poets in the other animals. The idea that he thinks other poets are trapped by set restrictions on poetry, and only publish their work to get attention, in contrast to himself.
Describe September
A poem centred around an ending relationship, relating the passing of time to the end of relationships. Able to make a link between that relationship and how we understand Hughes himself handles relationships. Pre- Wevill and Alive Plaith.
Describe The Other
Poem written by Hughes from the viewpoint of Wevill about Plaith- untrustworthy!!
Discussing the mutual harm they caused, rather than placing all the blame on Hughes as many tend to do.
Describe Her Husband
Discussing the relationship between a married couple in a coal miner town, the kind of relationship Hughes would have grown up with. Centred around a fight between the couple and the lack of proper communication.
Describe Hawk Roosting
From the eyes of the Hawk, a prideful creature who views himself on par with god, in complete control over the world around him. As Hughes believed he exercised that same control of poetry. Believed to be a nazi poem by many.
Describe The Jaguar
Centred around a jaguar at the zoo, as well as other animals. Describing other animals around it as lesser and trapped in comparison to the freedom and prowess of the Jaguar, many see Hughes in the Jaguar and how he saw himself compared to other poets.
