Allegorical, Mythical and Symbolical Significations in the Poetry of Ted Hughes

Abstract

Ted Hughes is the versatile and prolific poet in the whole gamut of the second half of the Twentieth century. The unique procurement of the poet is the employment of animal imagery which has profundity and variety of connotations. These images incorporate a galaxy of Natural beings- seen as well as unseen viz terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic. To interpret them at their surface level is a misconception on the part of a reader because they are poetized figuratively and mythically. They serve for the poet as a medium and a way of communicating his innermost feelings, and also his perceptions regarding this visible world. The present study tries to elucidate the same, and thereby offer a novel dimension for Hughes's readership. The textual illustrations, cross references, and juxtapositions between the present and the past are the salient peculiarities of the paper.