Full Moon and Little Frieda Ted Hughes Biographical

Full Moon and Little Frieda Ted Hughes

Biographical Information • Born 17 August 1930. Died 28 October 1998 • Married to Slyvia Plath-committed suicide in 1963 • Lover Assia Wevill-died same way • Frieda was first child of 2 from Plath born in 1 April 1960 • FM&LF was a group of poems from the collection “Wodwo”

Full Moon and Little Frieda A cool small evening shrunk to a dog bark and the clank of a bucket And you listening. A spider's web, tense for the dew's touch. A pail lifted, still and brimming - mirror To tempt a first star to a tremor. Cows are going home in the lane there, looping the hedges with their warm wreaths of breath – A dark river of blood, many boulders, Balancing unspilled milk. 'Moon!' you cry suddenly, 'Moon!' The moon has stepped back like an artist gazing amazed at a work That points at him amazed.

The Title • Full and Little-Contrasting images • Relating the two objects together • Moon-Symbol

First Stanza • The evening can be said to be seen through Frieda’s eyes-links to the ‘and you listening’ • Tone of tranquillity and calmness present -suggested by the words ‘cool small’ • ‘dog bark’ and ‘clank’ • ‘Shrunk

Second Stanza • Repetition carries on with description of scene • ‘You’ can refer to both reader and Frieda • Sense of anticipation is created in the next 3 lines ‘tense’ ‘brimming’ ‘tempt’

Third Stanza • Slight change in the poem (follows on from anticipation stanza 2) • ‘Looping’ links to the wreaths • ‘Warm Wreaths’ alliteration • Cannot escape his past • Darker tone is present- ‘river of blood’ • Cows represent bloodshed • ‘Unspilled’

Fourth Stanza • Sudden change of tone, brings Hughes and reader back • Repetition of ‘moon’ shows how it is now point of interest. • ‘you’ implies again that Frieda is unaware she is still innocent • If Hughes is taken to be the moon • Relationship between father and daughter

Fifth Stanza • ‘Him’ refers to Hughes • Repetition of ‘amazed’

Themes • Relationships • Memories • Descriptions of nature • Moon

Techniques used • Imagery • Repetition • Free verse

Possible Exam Questions • Explore the ways in which relationships are portrayed in Full Moon and Little Frieda • How does Ted Hughes create an atmosphere throughout the poem, Full Moon and Little Frieda?