Ted Hughes

Over the readings, I really tried not to allow my feelings about Hughes' life with Plath get in the way. However, it is almost impossible not to refer to their relationship because Hughes makes references to Plath in some of his work. For instance, Hughes' "Red" gives numerous hints that it is about Plath. Hughes used red and blood imagery throughout the poem which Plath used a lot in her work. The poem also has a similar tone to that of Plath's poetry--death. Since a good deal of inspiration and emotions came out of Plath's death, regardless of their relationship prior, no one can really deny Hughes his right to express what he was feeling during that moment in time.

I feel as though the life of Hughes was just as big, if not, bigger than his poetry. It is important to separate the two but it is also important to understand the relationship between his work and his life because they truly intertwine. I have learned a lot more about Hughes' work and life in the past few weeks. By doing so I got a better understanding of Hughes and Plath's life together, as well as their work referring to each other. Before reading Hughes' work I thought of him only as Plath's moronic, womanizing ex-husband. Reading his poetry allowed me to realize that he is human, even though I still believe he is was a jerk. His poetry gave me better notification as to what his deeper feelings may have been throughout his life.