Vedic and Oriental Influences in Ted Hughes’ Poems

The present article aims to explore Ted Hughes‘ interest in Orient and Vedic literature, and how he incorporates their visions in his poetry. The traces of these visions show his concern for culturally deprived science- driven modern western man .His poetic imagination acquires transformational potential with the help of Oriental and Vedic flashes. Without sermonizing, his poetry targets man who has started colonizing nature through his so called intellectual powers.

Throughout Ted Hughes‘ poetry a deep contrast is depicted between modern world and primitive age. Man‘s journey from unknown to known adds many feathers to his cap. Modern man boasts of his achievements, his knowledge, his energy, his power, his control of everything that is ‗other‘ to him. Taking pride in his achievements, modern man became egotistic, selfish, self-centred, and materialistic. Ironically, he started losing all the precious things which nature had blessed on him abundantly. His too much indulgence in science and technology in the name of advancement made him over-possessive and self-centred.

Kajla & Sandhya Sharma