Ted Hughes - 'Red'
- Created by: matilda strachan
- Created on: 21-04-14 18:12
View mindmap
- "Blood red" - the use of blood red connotes energy and vitality of blood pumping round the body, symbolic of life.
- Also a description of Plath's passion?
- Red
- "Aztec altar" - linking blood red with aztec alter connotes some kind of sacrifice, Hughes coping with Plath's death by exploring death in it's most perverted forms.
- As with all the 'birthday letters' poems, form is erratic and random, symbolising the random thoughts that seem to flow from poet when thinking of Red, shows how evocative a colour it is.
- "If not red, then white" - the two colours of Tulips. White comes subordinate to red in this, contrasts to tulips. Hughes saw a life in her that Plath did not see herself?
- "Blue was better for you" - if red represents life then blue could represent death? Suggests Hughes felt that Plath was happier having passed away.
- "Blood red" - the use of blood red connotes energy and vitality of blood pumping round the body, symbolic of life.
- Also a description of Plath's passion?
- Structurally red dominated the poem throughout so when we get to 8th stanza mention of "blue" is chilling, almost shocking.
- Ending with blue reminds us that having been caught up in this engrossing red that all of Plath's vitality is "lost".
Comments
No comments have yet been made