What Are Ted Hughes Conflicting Perspectives
Conflicting Perspectives
Focus Question – How are conflicting perspectives revealed in two of Ted Hughes poems and a related text?
Individuals form perspectives over time reflecting their experiences, knowledge, attitudes, opinions and beliefs. Ted Hughes’ anthology of poems, Birthday Letters (1998), illustrates his personal perspective on his life with Sylvia Plath. The poems ‘Fulbright Scholars’ and ‘Sam’ reveal an array of conflicting perspectives effectively depicted by Hughes. The film The Triumph directed by Randa Haines in 2006 also demonstrates the conflicting perspectives between characters and settings.
‘Fulbright Scholars’ depicts Hughes first sighting of Sylvia Plath as the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in an article in the newspaper. The poem reveals a constant comparison between memory and hindsight to clearly show Hughes’ conflicting perspectives. The poem opens with a rhetorical question, ‘Where was it, in the Strand?’ demonstrating Hughes authenticity in differing his memory from hindsight to denote that The Strand is typically where he would read the newspaper. This establishes Hughes’ conflict in perspective on the situation due to his memory and hindsight.
The use of qualifiers throughout the poem further contributes to this …show more content…
conflicting perspective of memory compared to hindsight. Hughes repeats ‘maybe in ‘maybe I noticed you. Maybe I weighed you up, felling unlikely.’ This demonstrates that Hughes was qualifying his thoughts in an attempt to use his memory to realise that at the time he would have studied the article picture and ‘…scanned particularly the girls.’ This allows the reader to believe that Hughes was the type of person to examine the women and notice Plath. However, as the poem is written at a later date, Hughes knowing Plath qualifies that as a result he would have most probably notices Plath’s beauty, thus revealing conflicting perspectives.
The conflicting perspectives of appearance versus reality are also present in ‘Fulbright Scholars’ that in turn reinforces Hughes’ perspectives in memory and in hindsight. Through the use of short sentences when describing Plath’s physical attributes it enforces that what Plath appears to be physically is not emotionally the reality. Hughes describes ‘your Veronica Lake bang. Not what it hid. It would appear Blond.’ This shows tat in the eyes of Hughes in his past memory, Plath’s ‘bang’ and ‘blond’ hair would have been notices, however, in hindsight it in fact hid the reality of Plath’s suicide attempt and that she was emotionally unstable. As a result Plath hid behind her ‘bang,’ ‘blond’ hair and ‘exaggerated American grin.’ Thus the conflicting perspectives of appearance versus reality are revealed.
This also contributes to Hughes’ conflicting perspectives on the American culture of Plath against his own British culture. The description of Plath’s ‘grin. Your exaggerated American grin,’ highlights Hughes’ perspective on the American people and culture. Here Hughes attains a cynical undertone to convey to the audience his perspective on American’s as being inferior to himself as a patriotic British man.
Hughes’ poem ‘Sam’ recounts Plath’s experience of losing control of her horse. This representation as a poem reveals conflicting perspectives as it portrays the literal event of the horses rampage, however metaphorically represents the relationship of Hughes and Plath as well as Hughes as a husband in comparison to the horse. The use of imagery in the poetic representation allows Hughes to describe ‘the propeller terrors of his front legs.’ Literally, this enforces the speed and danger of Sam the horse in this situation. However, metaphorically the poem illustrates that the relationship of Hughes and Plath was moving fast and was dangerous due to Plath’s psychological state of mind.
The poem also reveals Hughes’ conflicting perspectives on Plath’s control over the physical situation of Sam the horse compared to her control over the emotional situation of their marriage. Hughes used anaphora of ‘You Lost’ in ‘You lost your reigns, you lost your sear.’ Physically this indicated that Plath has lost control over the horse in his speed leaving her ‘slewed under his neck.’ Emotionally however, this reveals that Plath had lost her ‘seat’ and her control in their marriage when Hughes betrayed her. This evidently reveals that Hughes’ perspective on the physical situation is that Plath had a determination to survive by ‘using your arms and legs for clinging steal,’ however emotionally it was ‘quite useless’ and ‘over in a flash’ as she could not remain in control of their relationship.
In comparing himself to Sam, Hughes portrays is perspective of Plath’s deliberate non-attempt to save their marriage.
He states, ‘when I jumped a fence you strangled me’ to compare that Plath did not attempt to save herself in their marriage like she saved herself on the horse. The alliteration of ‘fell’ and ‘flung’ in ‘then fell off, flung yourself off,’ emphasises Hughes perspective on the situation is that Plath may have fallen at Hughes betrayal, however, she deliberately and forcefully ‘flung’ herself from their marriage when evidently she has the ability to hold on. This reveals conflicting perspectives of Plath’s will power and determination in regards to her horse compared to her
marriage.
The film The Triumph (2008) directed by Randa Haines depicts the real life story of award winning teacher Ron Clark who taught at a prestigious school in North Carolina. However, he chooses to channel his talents into a school in New York City’s Bronx, Inner Harlem Elementary School. Through the filmic techniques used an array of conflicting perspectives are portrayed.
Inner Harlem Elementary School segregates its students into two classes; advantaged and disadvantaged. Here the conflicting perspectives of the Principal versus Ron Clark on the students are revealed through camera angles. Through the use of high-angle shots, the principal is shown to look down upon the disadvantaged class who are of ‘lesser value’ to him. However, when associating with students from the advanced class, eye-level shots are used to show he has a degree of equality with them due to their intelligence. This conflict in perspective is shown where eye-level shots are used when Ron Clark is teaching the disadvantaged class. This enforces that he sees eye to eye with his class and does not look down on them, which is in conflict with the Principal’s perspective.
Teaching in New York City’s Bronx highlights that this setting comprises of low socioeconomics amongst its population. Ron Clark, only recently transferring from North Carolina, demonstrates that there is a conflicting perspective between the two settings. The North Carolina setting within the film is portrayed as on the beachfront, clean, quiet, luscious and dense greenery and through the use of lighting, very bright. This creates an atmosphere of hope, aspiration as well as happiness for the students at this prestigious school. In contrast, Inner Harlem is depicted as graffiti-stricken, dull, dirty and dark as well as strictly urbanised. This is a conflicting perspective as the dual setting of the film highlights that the status of the children at the schools is reflected in their settings.
The socioeconomical factors enforced on the students of Inner Harlem are enhanced through the director’s choice of costume. The socioeconomics of the students however show how in turn it does not conflict the perspective of their emotional wellbeing. The financial position of the families is shown through the student’s clothes comprising of old baggy jumpers, caps, hoods and sneakers. However, the audience is also shown that the emotional wellbeing is compromised as one student, Teyshawn, is covered in bruises, scars and a cast to show that he suffers from child abuse in his foster home. Overall, this enforces that the socioeconomical factors of the students has a direct impact on their emotional wellbeing.
In conclusion, conflicting perspectives are revealed in a variety of texts and depicted via their representation. Ted Hughes’ poetry including ‘Fulbright Scholars’ and ‘Sam’ use this representation to show how an array of conflicting perspectives are portrayed. The film The Triumph represents the conflicting perspectives present through effective filmic techniques. Overall, through a variety of representations, the conflicting perspectives are shown to be influenced by experiences, knowledge, attitudes, opinions and beliefs.
Focus Question – How are conflicting perspectives revealed in two of Ted Hughes poems and a related text?
Individuals form perspectives over time reflecting their experiences, knowledge, attitudes, opinions and beliefs. Ted Hughes’ anthology of poems, Birthday Letters (1998), illustrates his personal perspective on his life with Sylvia Plath. The poems ‘Fulbright Scholars’ and ‘Sam’ reveal an array of conflicting perspectives effectively depicted by Hughes. The film The Triumph directed by Randa Haines in 2006 also demonstrates the conflicting perspectives between characters and settings.
‘Fulbright Scholars’ depicts Hughes first sighting of Sylvia Plath as the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in an article in the newspaper. The poem reveals a constant comparison between memory and hindsight to clearly show Hughes’ conflicting perspectives. The poem opens with a rhetorical question, ‘Where was it, in the Strand?’ demonstrating Hughes authenticity in differing his memory from hindsight to denote that The Strand is typically where he would read the newspaper. This establishes Hughes’ conflict in perspective on the situation due to his memory and hindsight.
The use of qualifiers throughout the poem further contributes to this …show more content…
conflicting perspective of memory compared to hindsight. Hughes repeats ‘maybe in ‘maybe I noticed you. Maybe I weighed you up, felling unlikely.’ This demonstrates that Hughes was qualifying his thoughts in an attempt to use his memory to realise that at the time he would have studied the article picture and ‘…scanned particularly the girls.’ This allows the reader to believe that Hughes was the type of person to examine the women and notice Plath. However, as the poem is written at a later date, Hughes knowing Plath qualifies that as a result he would have most probably notices Plath’s beauty, thus revealing conflicting perspectives.
The conflicting perspectives of appearance versus reality are also present in ‘Fulbright Scholars’ that in turn reinforces Hughes’ perspectives in memory and in hindsight. Through the use of short sentences when describing Plath’s physical attributes it enforces that what Plath appears to be physically is not emotionally the reality. Hughes describes ‘your Veronica Lake bang. Not what it hid. It would appear Blond.’ This shows tat in the eyes of Hughes in his past memory, Plath’s ‘bang’ and ‘blond’ hair would have been notices, however, in hindsight it in fact hid the reality of Plath’s suicide attempt and that she was emotionally unstable. As a result Plath hid behind her ‘bang,’ ‘blond’ hair and ‘exaggerated American grin.’ Thus the conflicting perspectives of appearance versus reality are revealed.
This also contributes to Hughes’ conflicting perspectives on the American culture of Plath against his own British culture. The description of Plath’s ‘grin. Your exaggerated American grin,’ highlights Hughes’ perspective on the American people and culture. Here Hughes attains a cynical undertone to convey to the audience his perspective on American’s as being inferior to himself as a patriotic British man.
Hughes’ poem ‘Sam’ recounts Plath’s experience of losing control of her horse. This representation as a poem reveals conflicting perspectives as it portrays the literal event of the horses rampage, however metaphorically represents the relationship of Hughes and Plath as well as Hughes as a husband in comparison to the horse. The use of imagery in the poetic representation allows Hughes to describe ‘the propeller terrors of his front legs.’ Literally, this enforces the speed and danger of Sam the horse in this situation. However, metaphorically the poem illustrates that the relationship of Hughes and Plath was moving fast and was dangerous due to Plath’s psychological state of mind.
The poem also reveals Hughes’ conflicting perspectives on Plath’s control over the physical situation of Sam the horse compared to her control over the emotional situation of their marriage. Hughes used anaphora of ‘You Lost’ in ‘You lost your reigns, you lost your sear.’ Physically this indicated that Plath has lost control over the horse in his speed leaving her ‘slewed under his neck.’ Emotionally however, this reveals that Plath had lost her ‘seat’ and her control in their marriage when Hughes betrayed her. This evidently reveals that Hughes’ perspective on the physical situation is that Plath had a determination to survive by ‘using your arms and legs for clinging steal,’ however emotionally it was ‘quite useless’ and ‘over in a flash’ as she could not remain in control of their relationship.
In comparing himself to Sam, Hughes portrays is perspective of Plath’s deliberate non-attempt to save their marriage.
He states, ‘when I jumped a fence you strangled me’ to compare that Plath did not attempt to save herself in their marriage like she saved herself on the horse. The alliteration of ‘fell’ and ‘flung’ in ‘then fell off, flung yourself off,’ emphasises Hughes perspective on the situation is that Plath may have fallen at Hughes betrayal, however, she deliberately and forcefully ‘flung’ herself from their marriage when evidently she has the ability to hold on. This reveals conflicting perspectives of Plath’s will power and determination in regards to her horse compared to her
marriage.
The film The Triumph (2008) directed by Randa Haines depicts the real life story of award winning teacher Ron Clark who taught at a prestigious school in North Carolina. However, he chooses to channel his talents into a school in New York City’s Bronx, Inner Harlem Elementary School. Through the filmic techniques used an array of conflicting perspectives are portrayed.
Inner Harlem Elementary School segregates its students into two classes; advantaged and disadvantaged. Here the conflicting perspectives of the Principal versus Ron Clark on the students are revealed through camera angles. Through the use of high-angle shots, the principal is shown to look down upon the disadvantaged class who are of ‘lesser value’ to him. However, when associating with students from the advanced class, eye-level shots are used to show he has a degree of equality with them due to their intelligence. This conflict in perspective is shown where eye-level shots are used when Ron Clark is teaching the disadvantaged class. This enforces that he sees eye to eye with his class and does not look down on them, which is in conflict with the Principal’s perspective.
Teaching in New York City’s Bronx highlights that this setting comprises of low socioeconomics amongst its population. Ron Clark, only recently transferring from North Carolina, demonstrates that there is a conflicting perspective between the two settings. The North Carolina setting within the film is portrayed as on the beachfront, clean, quiet, luscious and dense greenery and through the use of lighting, very bright. This creates an atmosphere of hope, aspiration as well as happiness for the students at this prestigious school. In contrast, Inner Harlem is depicted as graffiti-stricken, dull, dirty and dark as well as strictly urbanised. This is a conflicting perspective as the dual setting of the film highlights that the status of the children at the schools is reflected in their settings.
The socioeconomical factors enforced on the students of Inner Harlem are enhanced through the director’s choice of costume. The socioeconomics of the students however show how in turn it does not conflict the perspective of their emotional wellbeing. The financial position of the families is shown through the student’s clothes comprising of old baggy jumpers, caps, hoods and sneakers. However, the audience is also shown that the emotional wellbeing is compromised as one student, Teyshawn, is covered in bruises, scars and a cast to show that he suffers from child abuse in his foster home. Overall, this enforces that the socioeconomical factors of the students has a direct impact on their emotional wellbeing.
In conclusion, conflicting perspectives are revealed in a variety of texts and depicted via their representation. Ted Hughes’ poetry including ‘Fulbright Scholars’ and ‘Sam’ use this representation to show how an array of conflicting perspectives are portrayed. The film The Triumph represents the conflicting perspectives present through effective filmic techniques. Overall, through a variety of representations, the conflicting perspectives are shown to be influenced by experiences, knowledge, attitudes, opinions and beliefs.