Ted Hughes- Perspective Essay

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‘Red’ and ‘Fulbright Scholars’ are two poems by “Ted Hughes” constructed to represent his perspective on his capricious life with his unofficially ‘bipolar’ wife Sylvia Plath. Through the use of textual form Hughes helps shape an understanding of the many conflicting perspectives he represents. At the start of significantly the first poem in his birthday letters anthology, “Fulbright Scholars”, Hughes introduces a new perspective on his and Plath’s first meeting, as well as initiating discussion on the unstable nature of memory. According to Plath and popular belief, their first meeting was one of passion and fate at a college soiree. Hughes directly challenges Plaths and the publics perspective stating he had known of her before this night. Hughes cleverly formulates his perspective through the process of reconstructing his initial memory of Plath. E.g. “I remember that thought not your face/ maybe i noticed you/...weighed you up feeling unlikely.” This quote represents Hughes fragmented memory and ‘self-conflict’ of perspective, shown in the poem. ‘Red’ is the final poem in ‘Birthday Letters’. Hughes constructs ‘Red’ to summarise their life and experiences, and give these experiences meaning. He does this through exploring a range of perspectives and techniques in the poem which help shape our understanding of his conflicting perspective to Sylvia. ‘Red’ particularly differs in perspective when compared to ‘Fulbright’. For example in ‘Red’ he addresses the presence of his wife directly making the link between them seem more vivid and tangible in comparison to “Fulbright”. In this poem the colour ‘Red’ symbolises Plaths different personas. ‘Red’ was representative of her life blood and public image, to her it was ‘passion and desire’, e.g. “you painted white/..then splashed it with roses, defeated it”. However Hughes perspective on the colour ‘Red’ is the

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