"The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my.

             Nature has played a prominent role in the.

             lives of every human being on earth. It has inspired, it has depressed, it.

             has brought forth life, and it has taken it away. Just by looking at its.

             surface one can see without difficulty the numerous emotions that nature.

             can elicit. In the life of Edward James Hughes, more famously known as Ted.

             Hughes, nature was also a source of great inspiration. Through his poetry,.

             Hughes used nature as a symbol to reach out to the world. He saw humanity.

             as the earth's wildlife and once he discovered that poetry was an.

             exhilarating battle between hunter and prey, nothing could stop him from.

             writing about the animals that resided in earth's forests. He was skilled.

             in portraying human nature by way of these creatures as well as his own.

             emotions and thoughts. Through his symbolic use of nature and wildlife,.

             Hughes could effectively depict human ideas, instincts, and emotions in.

             works such as "Thought-Fox," "Hawk Roosting," and "Crow Alights.".

             .

             Growing up in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, England, Ted Hughes.

             developed a deep interest for animals and the nature that surrounded them.

             He enjoyed hunting them as well as drawing them on paper. In fact, his.

             favorite pastimes included catching mice and collecting an abundance of toy.

             animals. When reminiscing about going hunting with his older brother,.

             Hughes stated, "He took me along as a retriever and I had to scramble into.

             all kinds of places collecting magpies and owls and rabbits and weasels and.

             rats and curlews that he shot. He could not shoot enough for me" ("Ted.

             Hughes"). One might take from this statement that Hughes wasn't treated too.

             well as an adolescent due to the fact that his brother was making him.

             retrieve hunted animals, a deed that dogs usually did. .

             If Hughes had volunteered for this act, though, one could say that it was.

             moments like this where Hughes showed his fondness towards nature.