description Wodwo Overview
Ted Hughes’ “Wodwo,” released in 1967, presents a complex and intensely personal body of work. The collection includes poetry, prose pieces, and dramatic works exploring themes of mythology, nature, and grief. It reflects Hughes' response to the death of his wife, Sylvia Plath, and delves into primal forces and archetypal narratives. “Wodwo” is significant for its raw emotional power and experimental form, making it relevant for readers interested in modern British poetry and explorations of psychological depth.
insights Why this score
Wodwo ranks #235 of 436 in the Poetry Collection ranking, behind The Gold Cell, ahead of All My Pretty Ones.
Important Hughes hybrid volume, admired for experimentation and mythic prose-poem energy, but uneven in reception.
help Wodwo FAQ
Is Ted Hughes's Wodwo only a poetry collection?
No. The 1967 Faber and Faber volume combines poems with five short stories and one radio play, making it a hybrid collection rather than a conventional book of verse.
What does the title Wodwo mean?
A wodwo is a wild humanlike being from medieval English folklore. Hughes turns that creature into a questioning consciousness that encounters the world without settled language or identity.
Which well-known Ted Hughes poems appear in Wodwo?
The collection includes poems such as "Pike," "Thistles," "Second Glance at a Jaguar," and the title poem. Its animal imagery develops concerns already visible in Hughes's earlier collection Lupercal.
Where does Wodwo fall in Ted Hughes's career?
Published in 1967, it was Hughes's first adult book after Lupercal, which appeared in 1960. It also precedes the full emergence of Crow, the mythic figure central to his 1970 collection Crow.
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