Overview
Provides a in-depth reading of some of Hughes' most iconic works in relation to his literary criticism
Offers an accessible analysis of Hughes' poetry
Situates Hughes' canon within its historical moment while arguing for its future relevance
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (10 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
This book is a radical re-appraisal of the poetry of Ted Hughes, placing him in the context of continental theorists such as Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida and Slavoj Zizek to address the traumas of his work. As an undergraduate, Hughes was visited in his sleep by a burnt fox/man who left a bloody handprint on his essay, warning him of the dangers of literary criticism. Hereafter, criticism became ‘burning the foxes’. This book offers a defence of literary criticism, drawing Hughes’ poetry and prose into the network of theoretical work he dismissed as ‘the tyrant’s whisper’ by demonstrating a shared concern with trauma.
Covering a wide range of Hughes’ work, it explores the various traumas that define his writing. Whether it is comparing his idea of man as split from nature with that of Jacques Lacan, considering his challenging relationship with language in light of Roland Barthes and Jacques Derrida, seeing him in the art gallery and at the movies with Gilles Deleuze, or considering his troubled relationship with femininity in regard to Teresa Brennan and Slavoj Žižek, Burning the Foxes offers a fresh look at a familiar poet.
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Ted Hughes and Trauma
Book Subtitle: Burning the Foxes
Authors: Danny O'Connor
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55792-6
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-55791-9Published: 13 September 2016
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-71854-2Published: 21 April 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-55792-6Published: 31 August 2016
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: VIII, 204
Topics: Poetry and Poetics, Twentieth-Century Literature, Comparative Literature, Literary Theory