Critically analyze Daffodils by Ted Hughes?

Answer 1

Nostalgia, memory, remorse, agony and further more - are all that takes for a man to remember a bitter past with the loss of his beloved. And the loss of his happiness and glory long with it is what the poem Daffodils symbolizes.

The daffodils held the power to sustain their togetherness but that very cause of their unity and love were made, to his remorse, a matter of commercial gratification. The corruption of this beauty, grace and holiness of the flower and their relationship is what led to the demise of their respective value - which perhaps shaped the form of death.

The cutting off of the daffodils and selling them was, as the poet now realizes, no less than a "sacrilege". Their lives were a temple where the God of love and unity prevailed. But the corruption and commercialization of this God, which is symbolized by the Daffodils led to the desecration or demolition of their temple. What else could it result in? Separation.

There are two ways in which the picking up of daffodils stopped. Firstly because of the very act of over-picking the daffodils and secondly because of the loss of their wedding- present, scissors. With the loss of their precious wedding present, the work, that symbolizes their unity, which they enjoyed and cherished so much stopped. So did their relationship as a whole.

With the last image of the poem, his memory of Sylvia becomes imminent. He imagines the scissors being buried somewhere under the sand where it has become rusted untouched. This implies that though they have lost their present of life, love and unity; the memory of the happiness and joy that they cherished once; the togetherness that they enjoyed then; is rusted and buried somewhere in his mind. And like their relationship is lost but not their memory, so is their wedding present lost but not its memory.

The daffodils that once used to be a matter of their livelihood and a symbol of their love is lost making their love too lose itself. The only purpose that daffodils hold in Hughes' life now, is the way it forms the memory that never fades - the memory of his love which he thinks he destroyed by not realizing its value.

Answer 2

"Daffodils" by Ted Hughes is a poem that reflects on the beauty and resilience of nature, particularly through the image of daffodils. Hughes portrays the daffodils as strong and enduring, despite facing hardships such as storms and harsh weather. The poem suggests that nature holds a power and vitality that can inspire and uplift individuals. Hughes' use of vivid imagery and natural symbolism conveys a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world.