Pike by Ted Hughes

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Dave Lang Folio assignment

Choose a poem you studied recently which challenges the reader to view something familiar in a new and thought provoking way.

Pike

Ted Hughes

Stanzas one to four of the poem are there to describe the Pike, its nature, what it looks like and it’s destiny in nature as a predator.

The poet, Ted Hughes, in writing this poem challenges the reader to view nature in a totally new perspective by exploring the power and violence in it by using one animal in river life, the Pike, since the Pike is the supreme species of fish in river life he uses it to full extend to show the power and violence of nature.  Hughes starts the poem with “Pike, three inches long, perfect” using this as a start to describing the Pike, he begins to build up the Pike’s image as a predator, always being a predator with no change required through evolution therefore using “perfect” as another way of saying that the pike was designed perfectly as a predator and will never need to change as it will always remain supreme in its habitat.  “Pike in all parts, green tigering the gold” the use of the word “tigering” giving a comparison of the Pike to the Tiger, completely different creatures but in their own worlds they are just as deadly as each other, the Tiger being supreme in the jungle just as the Pike is supreme in the river.  “Killers from the egg” using this Hughes re-enforces his point of the Pike being born to killer, always meant to be a predator.  “The malevolent aged grin” the poet strongly uses “malevolent” to catch the reader and fully describe the evil that the Pike is designed for, even since the moment of birth the Pike’s features have already been aged with the evil, menacing look, to show its potential for havoc and to kill.  “Sunned by their own grandeur” this meaning that the Pike lives and moves completely unaware of its greatness and its superiority to the other beings in the river world.  “Silhouette of submarine delicacy and horror” Hughes uses juxtaposition in this line to show how terrifying it is to the river world but so delicate in our world.  “A hundred feet long in their world” describing the Pike as its seen in the river world, even though so small in ours, in the river, it’s horrific, huge and deadly.  “In ponds, under the heat-struck lily pads – Gloom of their stillness” the poet uses this to imagine what it is like in the river for the Pike lying in wait, using “gloom”  Hughes sets the mood and the eeriness of the river the world.  “Logged on last year’s black leaves, watching upwards, Or hung in an amber cavern of weeds” again the poet sets the scene of the Pike lying in wait, ready to strike upon it’s pray.  “The jaws’ hooked clamp and fangs not to be changed to this date” using this to describe the pike’s power, reflecting potential for violence and that the pike is a killer and perfectly designed for killing.  “A life subdued to it’s instrument” This meaning that its life is over-run by it’s instinct to kill, it’s role as a predator.  

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As the poem appears to be separated into 3 sections, we move to the second section which seems to be about the poet’s personal anecdotes.  Starting with describing where he came across them and the habitat they were kept in.  “Three we kept behind glass, jungled in weed: three inches, four and four and a half: we fed fry to them-” talking about how they were fed and then continuing to point out their violence and their evil “suddenly there were two.  Finally one” suggesting that they are so evil that they will kill and consume each other like ...

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