Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow

As an English major in 1973, one of my professors recommended this book of poetry. None of our textbooks contained any of Ted Hughes' work but I jotted his name and this title in the margin of one of my books. After graduating, I spent very little time reading or thinking about poetry. But I recently revived my interest in poetry, specifically after reading several biographies of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. I pulled out my old poetry textbooks, found this note and immediately ordered Crow to read it for myself. What an experience. The work is fantastic - the images, the rhythm, the concept. Amazing, entertaining, and relevant. I highly recommend this book.

"Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow" is a collection of poems by Ted Hughes. The copyright page notes that the book was first published in 1972. This is a remarkable book that often reads like some apocryphal sacred text. The book is dominated by its title character, who is the focus of a significant number of the poems. Crow is a multifaceted character with mythic heft: he is a warrior, theologian, trickster, and partner with God in creation. He is both heroic and ridiculous, foolish and wise. He's a compelling and delightful character who ultimately transcends all cultures and historical eras.The collection as a whole is whimsical, witty, apocalyptic, bold, revelatory, irreverent, visceral, horrific, and playful. At times, Hughes' poetic marriage of the earthy and the mystical reminded me of Walt Whitman. The book also calls to mind traditional Native American animal stories.Many of the poems in "Crow" touch on the magic and power of words. The natural world is another key recurring motif. Hughes delivers some striking images and some interesting arrangements of words on the page--many poems really engage the eye. Many poems read like religious litanies. Overall, an impressive and enjoyable poetic achievement.

I first read this in the late 70's. The harshness, the brutality of it all was a punch in the stomach. An overturning of how i imagined poetry to be. Poetry because of this could belong to me too. It was a similar sensation to the crashing, nihilistic verve of early punk records. It will always remind me that poetry can be as powerful as a 3 minute, 3 chord record, and just as accessible. It did not have any of the cultural baggage of TS Eliot's Wasteland,for example, Which to a provincial boy stuck in a Comprehensive School, belonged to a diferent, musty world .

It is amazing how poetry can be so nihilistic and so beautiful at the same time. I think that - together with "Lupercal" - this is Hughes's masterpiece. "Crow" goes for the bone marrow of the reader's perception of aesthetics and violence. This won't cheer you up when you're down, but it is guaranteed to leave a permanent impression.

Ted Hughes outdoes himself with his collection of Songs from the Life of the Crow. Lyrical, descriptive, intensely metaphorical and truly fluid as his verse is, this collection is perhaps one of the best examples of his skill as a major poet of our generation. Anyone who loves brilliant poetry will surely be enthralled by this selection of verse. This is where Ted Hughes the poet appears, erasing the myth of Ted Hughes the husband.