Ted Hughes

'The Warm and the cold' and 'Work and Play' are both two poems that use contrasts to show differences. Just by looking at the titles you can see contrasts. 'Work and Play' is interesting as the people are suppose to be playing and the swallow workings but the way the poem is set out it shows the swallow as having all the fun and the people having a disaster of a day. The people have visited the beach and 'are laid out like wounded' backing in the sun, the way in which this is thought of is people being dead instead of having fun sunbathing on the beach.

On the other hand the swallow is seen to be enjoying her self but this is incorrect as in the poem Ted hughes uses the word 'toils' which connotations are hard working, this shows that see is at work but some lines shows her being at one with her self. The line 'a fish of the air' shows that she is gliding through the air life a fish in water as the people are 'roasting and basting' on the beach.

'The Warm and the Cold' is based on the same principle of contrasts.' Warm and Cold' is all about the farmers being warm in bed and sweating as the animals are all snug and at the right temperature in there nests. The quote 'the badger in it's bedding like a loaf in the oven' shows that the badger is at the right temperature and is all snug and warm as the farmers are 'sweating' and 'turning in their sleep' as they are unconfutable in the beds.

Both the 'warm and the cold' and 'work and play' have the same setting out which is in stanzas. They also show that nature is at one with its self as mankind if fighting against its self. The language used show differences but not in the light you expect them to be in as you read the title.

It could be thought that Ted Hughes is a naturist as he always makes nature out that it is better than humans.