The elegiac aspect of Ted Hughes' poetry has been frequently overlooked, an oversight which this book sets out to rectify. Encompassing a broad range of themes, from the decline of nature and local industry to the national grief caused by the First World War, this book is a comprehensive addition to the study of Hughes' poetry.
"Hadley's primary focus, then, is the development of Ted Hughes's work. ... His intended audience clearly consists of students and scholars interested in a new angle on Hughes's poetic development. ... it offers a telling indicator of the wider development of Hughes's artistic sensibility." (Patrick Gill, Symbolism, October, 2016)
'...Hadley is strongest when he follows the established elegiac trope of the river in Hughes' River...in so doing, he not only examines the qualities that might make Hughes' poetry elegiac but also places him in a lineage of established elegists who recuperate the deard to provide both solace and regeneration.' M. Willhardt, Choice
'The Elegies of Ted Hughes is a welcome addition to the field of Hughes studies.' - Sally Connolly, TLS
'...Hadley is strongest when he follows the established elegiac trope of the river in Hughes' River...in so doing, he not only examines the qualities that might make Hughes' poetry elegiac but also places him in a lineage of established elegists who recuperate the deard to provide both solace and regeneration.' M. Willhardt, Choice
'The Elegies of Ted Hughes is a welcome addition to the field of Hughes studies.' - Sally Connolly, TLS