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READ THIS
The poet is walking one cool evening with his daughter, the little Frieda. Suddenly and very excitedly, she
points to the full moon rising.
The poet paints a magical picture to conjure up the memories of this dramatic and memorable event,
ABOUT THE POET
Ted Hughes was born in 1930 in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire. His early years were lived in a rural
setting where he learnt the love of nature and its creatures.
He would later study at Cambridge University where he and some fellow students produced a poetry
journal. It was at the launch of this journal that he met the American poet, Sylvia Plath, whom he soon
married.
Hughes believed that poetry and magic were intertwined. Each, he said, is a healer.
Each is the means to transport the human spirit from the dark, subconscious side of human nature into
the world of light and well-being.
Poetry therefore lies in the world of creation, in the world of everyday miracles. It is the pathway into the
realm of the imagination, the journey into the inner universe and exploration of the genuine self.
The modern world, said Hughes, overvalues the rational, objective side of human nature. Such beliefs
cause fear and pain. Healing and renewal, on the other hand, are the true purpose of poetry and magic.
The poet is therefore a shaman -- a magical medicine man who makes journeys to the underworld of the
subconscious to bring back lost souls.
The poet's wife, Sylvia Plath, committed suicide in February 1963 and her death affected Hughes
profoundly. It would take four years before he published again -- and this collection contained some truly
bleak poems.
Within this anthology, however, was "Full moon and little Frieda" -- appearing like a ray of light,
a journey once more into the healing world of magic.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
At what time of day did the events in this poem take place? Don't forget to be able to explain your answer
carefully. (4)
[Need help?]
It was of course evening.
Not only does the poet use the word "evening" but the cows are on their way home to be milked.
It's also getting dark so that the road has become dark red.
It's also chilly so that the cows' breath is condensing. And of course, it's full moon! The full moon only
rises when it is early evening.
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And you listening.
- Who is meant by "you"? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet could, of course, be addressing us, the readers. But it is more likely that he is addressing little
Frieda.
Later in the poem he says, "Moon!" you cry suddenly, "Moon! Moon!" The "you" here
certainly refers to little Frieda.
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Who is "little Frieda"? (2)
[Need help?]
Little Frieda is the poet's daughter, born before his wife Sylvia committed suicide. She was probably about
five years old.
She and the poet were together when the child suddenly spotted the full moon.
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"A pail lifted, still and brimming -- mirror
To tempt a first star to a tremor."
- What, do you think, was in the pail? Explain your answer. (4)
[Need help?]
Was it milk? Had they been milking the cows?
This is hardly likely because the cows were described as being on the farm road on the other side of the
hedge, plodding home. Only once they reached home would they be milked.
It is probable therefore that the pail was full of water, that the poet had gone to the stream or to a well to
fetch water.
The water is described as being a mirror which reflects the first star. It is highly unlikely, however, that
a star would be seen reflected in milk.
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Cows are going home in the lane there, looping the hedges with their warm wreaths of breath --
A dark river of blood, many boulders,
Balancing unspilled milk.
- Why does the poet speak of "their warm wreaths of breath"? (4)
[Need help?]
The evening was cool and, as the cows plodded along the road, their breath was condensing into mist.
They were "wreaths of breath" because they were circular shaped like wreaths above the heads
of the cows.
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- What was the "dark river of blood"? (2)
[Need help?]
The "dark river of blood" refers to the track along which the cattle were plodding. The soil was red
in colour and, in the evening light, it was dark red like blood.
Remember that, as it gets darker, your eye begins to see colours differently. Reds, for instance, take on
a much deeper hue.
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- What were the "many boulders"? (2)
[Need help?]
The "many boulders" refers to the cattle which were probably light brown in colour and looking like
boulders in the river of blood.
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- Why were they "balancing unspilled milk"? (2)
[Need help?]
This is really the poet's sense of humour. The cows are going home to be milked and therefore are
managing to walk along without spilling a drop.
Indeed, cows do have the ideal canisters for transporting milk without spilling any of it!
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Why does the poet describe the moon as being "like an artist"? (4)
[Need help?]
Is the poet not practising his magic here?
It is the full moon which gives the beauty to the peaceful setting. The moon therefore becomes the creator
of this beauty, just as an artist creates beauty through his painting.
The moon, with its silver light, transforms the world magically from the very mundane into a magical,
mystical event. It is not unlike an alchemist who used magic to change base metal into something of
value, like gold or silver.
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