Crow

From the Life and Songs of the Crow

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Crow

By: Ted Hughes

Narrated by: Ted Hughes

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About this listen

From his remarkable debut The Hawk in the Rain (1957) to his death in 1998, Ted Hughes was a colossal presence in the English literary landscape. He was also admired as a performer of his own work.

Crow is one of his most significant collections, focusing on the central figure of the crow - predatory, mocking and indestructible. Crow is read here by the author in its entirety and with narrative links not included in the published text.

Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was born in Yorkshire. The Hawk in the Rain was published by Faber and Faber and was followed by many volumes of poetry and prose for adults and children, including Moortown Diary (1979). He received the Whitbread Book of the Year for both Tales from Ovid (1997) and Birthday Letters (1998). He was Poet Laureate from 1984, and in 1998 he was appointed to the Order of Merit.

Ted HughesTed HughesFaber & Faber

Poetry

Critic reviews

"Each fresh encounter with despair becomes the occasion for a separate, almost funny, story in which natural forces and creatures, mythic figures, even parts of the body, act out their special roles, each endowed with its own irrepressible life. With Crow, Hughes joins the select band of survivor-poets whose work is adequate to the destructive reality we inhabit." (A. Alvarez, Observer)

"Nobody will be able to read or write verse now without the black shape of Crow falling across the page." (Peter Porter, The Guardian)

Most relevant

This is serious, solemn stuff, read in Hughes’ mesmerisingly deep and portentous tones. Listening to him recite his own poetry gives it an extra dimension. In between readings he gives some preamble and explanation. Some of the content is abstract, and indeed slightly surreal. There are points when you’ll question the meaning, and may want to rewind. I listened for the musicality - and some phrases - like the one in the subject heading - stuck in my memory. You’ll probably want to go back and read some of these poems, or re-listen. But they work on different levels. There’s a certain joy just in hearing Hughes deliver them, even if meaning is sometimes elusive. Broadly, these are poems about the crow, envisaging him in many different contexts, from his birth to the battlefield. It’s hypnotic, and sometimes unsettling; and at times funny. I find Hughes a fascinating figure, and enjoy some of his work - though I find his life story of arguably more interest than the poetry. I’ll explore more after listening to Crow.