HUGHES, Ted. Collected Animal Poems: Volume 1-4.
Volume One: The Iron Wolf.
8vo. Red card wrappers with illustration of a grey iron wolf to front wrapper and white title lettering to spine; pp. 11-125, [7]; slight toning to spine; otherwise fine.
First edition of this revised version with an intimate inscription to Nick Grant, 'Therapy for the Internal Infant/With love from Ted/Christmas 1996'.
The Iron Wolf is the exemplary introduction to a younger readership of Ted Hughes's poetry with his examination of the underworld of land, sea and air creatures.
Volume 2: What is the Truth?
8vo. Blue card wrappers with colourful illustration of bird to front cover; pp. [viii], 119; minimal toning to spine; otherwise fine.
1995 edition with inscription to Nick Grant as follows; 'For Nick/ Bedtime Story/With Love From Ted/Christmas 1996'.
First published in 1984, What is the Truth? winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Signal Poetry Award, is a series of prose-intwined poems regarding a community's relationship with animals, complemented by affectionate illustration from Lisa Flather. God and his son summon the inhabitants of a small village in their sleep and each character must explain an animal that they know well. Hughes is notorious for his ability to use animals as a method of portraying the inner lives of humans and the human psyche.
Volume 3: A March Calf.
8vo. Green card wrappers with an illustration of a calf on the front cover; pp. 125, [7]; off-setting of inscription ink to front wrapper, otherwise fine.
First edition of this revised version with an inscription to Nick Grant, 'Creatures in-/Creatures Out/ With love from Ted/Christmas 1996'.
'To get into life/ Mosquito died many deaths', (Mosquito). A March Calf is Volume 3 of Ted Hughes' Collected Animal Poems series, a collection appropriate for an adult readership. 'Right from the start- he is dressed in his best- his blacks/ and his whites'. begins the title poem of Hughes' assortment of animal life. Just as Hughes' imaginatively examines the lives of animals, he is from the very beginning drawing illuminating parallels with the human condition. To be free on the surface of such wideness,/To find himself. To stand. To moo.'. The title poem concludes with the notion that we shoud find similar vitality in simple existence as our 'beastly' counterparts, creatures which he transforms into all too familiar characters.
Volume 4: The Thought-Fox.
8vo. Grey card wrappers with illustration of paw prints to front cover and white title lettering to spine; pp. 72; fine.
First edition of this revised version including an inscription by the author to Nick Grant reading, 'More Beasts-/With love from Ted/Christmas 1996'~b~.
'Something else is alive/besides the clock's loneliness/And this blank page where my fingers move…'(The Thought-Fox). Poetry for a young adult audience, The Thought-Fox includes poetry from acclaimed collections such as Woodwo, Wolfwatching and River.
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