Ted Hughes' Presentation of Animals Minha K 12th Grade

Hughes is well-known for his nature poetry and use of animal symbolism. In both “The Jaguar” and “Hawk Roosting”, the animals symbolize different human characteristics while remaining, on the surface, an in-depth, fantastic poem about the animal itself.

“The Jaguar” is written on a literal level about a trip to the zoo. The point of view is third person, seemingly from the eyes of a visitor at the zoo. However, on a deeper level, the poem is a statement on man’s modern state of existence, where the cages at the zoo are like our compartmentalized lives and the trapped animals are representing humankind. “The apes yawn and adore their fleas”: the animals have left their instinctive wild nature and become not only docile, but rather lethargic as well. The immense boredom of the animals is emphasized by the use of assonance. The repeat of the “a” sound is rather like a yawn, which helps portray the sluggishness of the animals. “The boa-constrictor is a fossil”: it is as if a living creature has become embedded and stone. The power and majesty of the animal has been taken away. This could also be pointing towards the fact that the animals are caged, trapped and cannot escape. The animals look fit to “be painted on a nursery wall.”...