Abstract
This paper describes the symbolic use of animals in Ted Hughes' poetry and how the poet made use of animal images and metaphor. The paper also explains that Hughes saw animals not merely as representative of human feelings and human states, but as creatures in and of themselves, who are difficult to understand yet who have much to teach, by example, to their human counterparts.

From the Paper
"The fox's progress in the poem "The Thought Fox," s paralleled to the act of writing, for the fox leaves tracks upon the snow, like the poet leaves letters and words upon a typed page, but the fox is only "coming about its own business," not the business of the authors. (21) Finally, "The window is starless still; the clock ticks, /The page is printed," but the fox itself of reality, escapes, only the poem becomes fixed upon the page. The printed page finally reads only "The Thought Fox," the actual fox elusively steals away and cannot be captured by the author's pen or even the author's complete imagination. And even, like an elusive fox, to extrapolate Hughes' earlier quote-the poet has no control over the foxy interpretations of his or her readers. "

Tags:crow, embodied, spirit, nature, poetic, verse, fox, thought, woods, imagination, forest

Abstract
This paper analyzes the works of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath in the context of the larger point they seek to convey through their works. The paper discusses how Hughes' "crow" and "the thought fox" are meant to portray man's interaction with his surroundings, although "crow" discusses a revisionist version of the ancient biblical story of creation and discusses man's shortcomings as a result of universal humanistic behavior. The paper examines Plath's works to discover her attitudes towards social constructs regarding the role of women in society, specifically marriage, and how self-introspection can lead to a rejection of passive autonomy.

From the Paper
"Almost inevitably, good poetry challenges us to think on a deeper more meaningful level. Good poetry almost always seeks to challenge us; it seeks to convey a more profound message rather than just to tell a story. All to often poets are influenced by outside forces; current events, emotions or a whole host of outside factors that persuade them to use allegory and analogy to make their points known to the populace. Two great examples of poets expressing their opinions through the use of allegory, analogy and symbolism are Ted Hughes and his wife Sylvia Plath. These esteemed writers have become famous for their use of the symbolism,..."

Tags:hughes, plath, human existence

Abstract
This paper takes a look at Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" and Ted Hughes' "Crow". According to the paper, after World War II, authors were faced with the difficulty of creating written works of meaning in a world that seemed so cruel that any attempt at making meaning or moral sense of human behavior seemed futile. This paper discusses Beckett's and Hughes' attempts at making, and failing to make, a new mythology in a world vacant of belief.

From the Paper
"No one could describe Beckett's characters as attractive, and this deliberate impulse towards ugliness is also seen in Ted Hughes creation of the mythological, ugly character in the form of "Crow." A crow, the traditional trickster character of mythology, is a harsh-voiced bird, and Hughes himself said he selected this solitary feeder upon the bones of the dead as his protagonist quite deliberately--just as Beckett's characters feed upon the bones of a cultural system of meaning and a personal past that now has no shape or structure--"it's like the funny story we have heard too often, we still find it funny, but we don't laugh any more," says Nell of the "Endgame" dialogue--the animal Crow feeds upon what is left behind, feeding upon the dead in a world that is based upon death. The crow is a "nightmare" creation, a defiant voice in the wilderness against God. (Sagar, 1975) "

Tags:characters, meaning, purpose, irish, dialogue

Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of Wilfred Owens' poem "Anthem For Doomed Youth" and Ted Hughes' poem "Dust As We Are" in order to show how the authors use form and poetics to reinforce the anti-war theme that is evident in each of the works.

From the Paper
"Both Wilfred Owens' poem "Anthem For Doomed Youth" and Ted Hughes' "Dust As We Are" are highly reflective of the era in which they were written, one during which the impact of WWI was being felt across Europe. Up to that time the most violent war in human history, WWI, was characterized by massive shelling and trench warfare. Both Hughes' narrative poem and Owens' dramatic poem share an anti-war theme, with Hughes' account of the impact of the war on..."

Tags:consonance, metaphor, combat, veterans, death, killing, warfare, sacrifice, casualties

Abstract
This paper explains that poets and prophets have traditionally used animal figures to convey criticism of the existing culture, endowing the natural with metaphoric importance. The author points out that Hughes slowly shapes the crow into a sort of prototype for evolved humanity, representing both our worst and best traits. This paper discusses that Hughes's poems use the crow as a metaphor for humanity. The paper relates that Hughes's work appears to be that of a human being experiencing the life of a raven-bird; a fallen creature, a trickster, and a graveyard for the bodies of those he eats.

From the Paper
"It is in this poem in particular that one understands how the Crow might be seen as the shadow-self of human kind. He destroys everything around him in an attempt to destroy the "Black Beast" that the reader at least is becoming aware is the Crow himself. It is quite possible that humanity is the only species, which is its own worst enemy and predator. The greatest threats to humankind come from our own people, as the World Wars would have blatantly shown to Hughes. Repeatedly in the Crow poems, the bird looks at itself and its works in horror and sorrow. One can take examples from "The Black Beast" in which Crow hunts himself unknowingly in hunting the enemy, or from "Crow's Nerve Fails" in which he fully realizes the weight of murders that hang about his shoulders. Yet these are not the only examples."

Tags:predator, animals, metaphor, prototype, traits

Abstract
This paper explains that Langston Hughes was one of the chief artists responsible for the development of African-American literature, known as the Harlem Renaissance, which saw the increase of self-identity issues of the black or Negro culture in the United States. The author points out that one of Langston Hughes's most anthologized poems, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," published in 1921, which brought Hughes to public attention, was an attempt to describe the search for identity and the depth of American Negro heritage. The paper relates that the art of Langston Hughes is never far from social issues and politics; some have criticized him, stating that he sacrificed art for politics, but others state that he had an innovative effect in that he made us rethink the historical relationships between poetics and politics.

From the Paper
"In this sense, the Harlem Renaissance was an extension of the movement towards freedom of expression in Negro art, thinking and writing. This renaissance or search for new meaning in the face of old restrictions was also reflected in other artistic and cultural events throughout the world. The sense of rebellion against restrictions and prejudice was expressed though the free and unencumbered patterns of jazz. "The Negro fad of the twenties encompassed a new EuroAmerican interest in jazz, African art, and sculpture and a return to the values of a preindustrial society." Hughes was to use this aspect to great advantage in his work."

Tags:harlem, renaissance, self-identity, rivers, heritage

Abstract
This paper examines the work of poet, Langston Hughes. The author emphasizes this poet's contribution to the world of poetry and literature and looks at how his writings impacted black society and helped voice the concerns of the American black community.

From the Paper
"Langston Hughes has been called the Poet Laureate of the African American people. He was a prolific writer rising to a fame achieved by few other poets. He wrote expressive essays, poetry, short stories, and novels. Through his writing Langston voiced the needs and concerns of the black people that otherwise would have gone unheard. Langston was also involved in the Harlem renaissance through his inspirational writing inspired itself by the people of Harlem. Langston served as an inspiration for writers, composers, playwrights and all others in Harlem. With his rich poetic voice, nurturing generosity, warm humor, and abiding love of black people, Langston Hughes was one of the dominant voices in American literature of this century and perhaps the single most influential black poet. (Heath, 1-2)

Tags:beats, blues, harlem, hughes, jazz, langston, meter, new, poetry, poets, renaissance, rhythm, soul, spiritual, york

Abstract
This paper explains that poems by American Poet Laureate Ted Kooser not only often focus on everyday situations but also on motifs, such as dust, death, loneliness, darkness and light. Next, the author explains that, in his poem "A Happy Birthday, light represents being alive. In "Flying at Night", the yard light represents the farmer's lonesomeness, while the city lights represent his aspirations; however, in "A Blind Woman" light cannot be seen but rather functions as a separate object, which evokes in the woman a sexual pleasure. The paper explains that ambiguity is what makes poetry fascinating and this is the goal of poet Ted Kooser.

From the Paper
"The light is also described as making her feel "exuberant". This is perplexing however, considering the character is blind. How can she be pleasured light if she cant see it? The character, consequently is not seeing the light. It is being objectified, and therefore comes to serve a difference purpose The character is said to have "walked fast behind it", "it" being the light. This is abnormal considering light is not usually referred to as a thing, which "it" implies. Also, the light "trickled down her forehead" and "her brown shoes splashed into the light". Because Light is described as trickling and splashing, which is could not truly do, its objectification becomes unmistakable."

Tags:description, narrator, loneliness, ambiguity, innuendo

Abstract
This paper examines the works of Langston Hughes, a major poet of the Negro Renaissance. It looks at how he copes with the reality of race in his works and with the social tensions that beset the black community. It shows how his poetry addresses issues of racial inequality and the personal need for confession, using his own life as an example. It discusses how his poetry derives from a different tradition from most American poetry, a tradition of black culture, of jazz and of protest.

From the Paper
"Hughes came from what was called the Harlem Renaissance, the term used to refer to the development of artistic expression in the black community beginning in Harlem in New York. Hughes created poetry that represented the spirit of black America at the time. He used his own experience and that of other blacks to accomplish this. He did not concentrate entirely on blacks in America but looked to their African roots for inspiration as well. Jemie writes that Hughes had an image of Africa that was related to his image of America. In his early poems, Africa was a "distant ideal," while America is "a cold, joyless wilderness" (Jemie 98). "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," says Jemie, is one of Hughes' poems about heritage and strength."

Tags:social, tensions, harlem, racial, inequality

Abstract
This paper explains that the poetry of Marvin Bell questions existential aspects of life, which are often taken for granted such as relationships, nature and the concepts of who and what a person is. The author points out that a central characteristic of Bell's work is the use of comparatively simple and colloquial forms of speech and word usage including nature imagery, which refers to everyday sights and sounds. The paper relates that, in his work, Bell stresses his need to "express the inexpressible" as the process he uses in his writings.

From the Paper
"What the poem does is it make us realize the mystery of self in that self cannot be defined or capture in a concrete sense but rather is "beyond words", and is essentially inexpressible. An analysis of the poem reveals that the identity of nature cannot be categorized or captured; just as much as human identity is continually moving and changing. It is this sense of mystery and the sense of the depth of complexity of the self and nature which lies at the heart of much of Bell's poetry."

Tags:autobiographical, confessional, existentially, simple, nature