Ted Hughes Lines of argument

The Thought Fox

Nature’s power on creativity,subconscious or reason

Harvest Moon

The Moon's appearance, power over people, power over nature

Hawk Roosting

Hubristic and Violent, nature’s brutality

The Jaguar

perpetual vitality (mental and physical), captivity vs freedom

Wind

Nature's Power, fragility of life, wind’s omnipotence

The Horses

The intensity of his evocative setting, powerful characterisation of the horses, the profound impact the nature that the natural world has on mankind

Roe Deer

The ethereal and transient portrayal of the deer, the transition between worlds and through nature’s critique of modernity

football at slack

the characterisation of the men

omnipotence of the storm

insignificance of mankind

Telegraph wires

the depersonalised feeling of wires

the beauty of the human voice

the motif of insignificance

Relic

harshness and brutality of nature

preadator vs prey

motif of the jawbone

snowdrop

harness and brutality of nature

fragility of life mirrored in snowdrop

cat and mouse

nature’s power is universal

illusion of free will

The other

inevitable regret

theme of jealousy

concept of perception vs reality

A memory

theme of resilience

Jack Orchard’s special relationship with nature

theme of humility

Anniversary

relationship of grief and emotion mirrored in the environment

the complex and dynamic relationship Hughes has with his mother

Reoccurring theme of guilt