Shamanic Elements in the Poetry of Ted Hughes

Book excerpt: This study on religious experience in modern poetry features innovatory and accessible close readings of some of the most beloved authors of English verse. In today’s seemingly secular age, religion still remains a highly contested subject. The selection of texts analysed here is representative of a wide spectrum of attitudes, including a sharply critical refusal to acknowledge Christianity as the basis of civilization. Some poets see national religion as a framework for cultural identity, while others worship nature as the omnipotent Force of Life, trying to create their own gods. Rather than reducing poetry to a background for philosophical analysis or theological deliberation, this book presents diverse modes of the poetic endeavor to capture and convey the divine. The chapters provide a range of perspectives on individual experience rendered into poetry as a subtle relationship between faith, perception and language. The text will be of interest to anyone looking for new ways of reading poetry as a spiritual guest.