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Ted Hughes Quotes

32 Great Ted Hughes Quotes Worth Knowing

Famous As: Poet and Children's Writer

Born On: 1930

Died On: 1998

Born In: Mytholmroyd

Died At Age: 68

Ted Hughes was an English Poet, honored as the Poet Laureate of England. He was born with the talent of writing and was determined to become a poet since his school days. Within a year of graduating from Cambridge, he co-launched the literary magazine ‘St. Botolph's Review’ which published many of his poems. His poetry book ‘The Hawk in the Rain’ won the first position at the ‘Poetry Center’s First Publication Book Contest’. This book was released both in US and England and was greatly appreciated by the masses. He further turned to writing children’s literature and published ‘Meet My Folks’ which was the first of the 18 books he wrote for children. His most notable work for children was ‘The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights’ which turned out to be a huge hit and the character has been adapted in various movies. His most acclaimed poetry book was ‘Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow’ which was inspired from mythology. He won various awards including the renowned ‘T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry’ and was appointed a member of the 'order of merit' by Queen Elizabeth. Here is a collection of most notable quotations and sayings by the great poet that you will surely enjoy. Go through these quotes by Ted Hughes which will compel you to rethink about life from a different perspective.

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Writers

Poets

Nobody wanted your dance,
Nobody wanted your strange glitter, your floundering
Drowning life and your effort to save yourself,
Treading water, dancing the dark turmoil,
Looking for something to give.

Nobody wanted your dance, Nobody wanted your strange glitter, your floundering Drowning life and your effort to save yourself, Treading water, dancing the dark turmoil, Looking for something to give.
Life
Ted Hughes

What happens in the heart, simply happens

What happens in the heart, simply happens
Heart
Ted Hughes

The dreamer in her
Had fallen in love with me and she did not know it.
That moment the dreamer in me
Fell in love with her and I knew it

The dreamer in her Had fallen in love with me and she did not know it. That moment the dreamer in me Fell in love with her and I knew it
Me Love I
Ted Hughes

You are who you choose to be.
You
Ted Hughes

What’s writing really about? It’s about trying to take fuller possession of the reality of your life.

What’s writing really about? It’s about trying to take fuller possession of the reality of your life.
Life Trying
Ted Hughes

There is no better way to know us
Than as two wolves, come separately to a wood.

There is no better way to know us Than as two wolves, come separately to a wood.
Ted Hughes

The Shell

The sea fills my ear
with sand and with fear.

You may wash out the sand,
but never the sound
of the ghost of the sea
that is haunting me.

The Shell The sea fills my ear with sand and with fear. You may wash out the sand, but never the sound of the ghost of the sea that is haunting me.
Me Never
Ted Hughes

What happened casually remains -
Ted Hughes

Applause is the beginning of abuse
Ted Hughes

Do as you like with me. I'm your parcel. I have only our address on me. Open me, or readdress me.

Do as you like with me. I'm your parcel. I have only our address on me. Open me, or readdress me.
You Me Like I
Ted Hughes

The wolf is living for the earth.
Living
Ted Hughes

I shall also take you forth and carve our names together in a yew tree, haloed with stars...

I shall also take you forth and carve our names together in a yew tree, haloed with stars...
You Together I
Ted Hughes

In the pit of red
You hid from the bone-clinic whiteness

But the jewel you lost was blue.

In the pit of red You hid from the bone-clinic whiteness But the jewel you lost was blue.
You
Ted Hughes

Show him every dawn & read to him endlessly.

Show him every dawn & read to him endlessly.
Ted Hughes

Where are the gods
the gods hate us
the gods have run away
the gods have hidden in holes
the gods are dead of the plague
they rot and stink too

there never were any gods
there’s only death

Where are the gods the gods hate us the gods have run away the gods have hidden in holes the gods are dead of the plague they rot and stink too there never were any gods there’s only death
Death Never
Ted Hughes

You could become internationally famous - you're Gemini, and according to antique authority have a literary talent, which of course your letters prove.

You could become internationally famous - you're Gemini, and according to antique authority have a literary talent, which of course your letters prove.
You
Ted Hughes

He was his own leftover, the spat-out scrag. He was what his brain could make nothing of.

He was his own leftover, the spat-out scrag. He was what his brain could make nothing of.
Ted Hughes

And you will never know what a battle
I fought to keep the meaning of my words
Solid with the world we were making.

And you will never know what a battle I fought to keep the meaning of my words Solid with the world we were making.
You Never Will
Ted Hughes

The world's decay where the wind's hands have passed,
And my head, worn out with love, at rest
In my hands, and my hands full of dust.

The world's decay where the wind's hands have passed, And my head, worn out with love, at rest In my hands, and my hands full of dust.
Love
Ted Hughes

You were overloaded. I said nothing.
I said nothing. The stone man made soup.
The burning woman drank it.

You were overloaded. I said nothing. I said nothing. The stone man made soup. The burning woman drank it.
You I
Ted Hughes

So we found the end of our journey.

So we stood, alive in the river of light,
Among the creatures of light, creatures of light.

So we found the end of our journey. So we stood, alive in the river of light, Among the creatures of light, creatures of light.
Ted Hughes

And if you don’t accept my challenge,” shouted the Iron Man, “then you’re a miserable cowardly reptile, not fit to bother with.

And if you don’t accept my challenge,” shouted the Iron Man, “then you’re a miserable cowardly reptile, not fit to bother with.
You
Ted Hughes

To hatch a crow, a black rainbow
Bent in emptiness
over emptiness
But flying

To hatch a crow, a black rainbow Bent in emptiness over emptiness But flying
Ted Hughes

Day by day his sister grew
Paler with the wound
She could not see or touch or feel, as I dressed it
Each day with her blue Breton jacket.

- from Life After Death

Day by day his sister grew Paler with the wound She could not see or touch or feel, as I dressed it Each day with her blue Breton jacket. - from Life After Death
Life Death I
Ted Hughes

But the jewel you lost was blue.
You
Ted Hughes

And as if reporting some felony to the police they let you know you were not John Donne.

And as if reporting some felony to the police they let you know you were not John Donne.
You
Ted Hughes

I invoked you, bribing Fate to produce you.
Were you conjuring me? I had no idea
How I was becoming necessary,
Or what emergency surgery Fate would make
Of my casual self-service.

I invoked you, bribing Fate to produce you. Were you conjuring me? I had no idea How I was becoming necessary, Or what emergency surgery Fate would make Of my casual self-service.
You Me I
Ted Hughes

And maybe a ghost, trying to hear your words,/ Peered from the broken mullions/ And was stilled. Or was suddenly aflame/ With the scorch of doubled envy. Only/ Gradually quenched in understanding.

And maybe a ghost, trying to hear your words,/ Peered from the broken mullions/ And was stilled. Or was suddenly aflame/ With the scorch of doubled envy. Only/ Gradually quenched in understanding.
Trying
Ted Hughes

So this was the reverse of dazzling Nauset.
The flip of the coin - the flip of an ocean fallen
Dream-face down. And here, at my feet, in the suds,
The other face, the real, staring upwards.

So this was the reverse of dazzling Nauset. The flip of the coin - the flip of an ocean fallen Dream-face down. And here, at my feet, in the suds, The other face, the real, staring upwards.
Ted Hughes