Edward James Ted Hughes and his Animal Kingdom

This study explores the focus on the animal world in Ted Hughes' poetry. It argues that Hughes uses animals as vivid symbols of pure instinct and strength in addition to using them as symbolic figures. In analyzing poems such as "Hawk Roosting," "Pike," and "The Thought Fox," the article shows how these animals serve as mirrors, reflecting the darkness and violence that are part of human nature. Hughes' depiction of the natural environment also emphasizes the severe ecological realities and the continuous struggle for survival. As the speaker in poems like "The Thought Fox" longs to get back in touch with nature, the poet's sorrow over humanity's estrangement from nature is highlighted in the study's last section. Ultimately, Hughes's animal kingdom offers an effective frame through which we can examine the natural world ourselves, and the complex relationships among the three.