William Shakespeare

Description

The response of one poet to the work of another can be doubly illuminating. In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past whom they have particularly admired. By their selection of verses and by the personal and critical reactions they express in their own work, as well as providing an introduction to some of the most influential poets of our time.

Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was born in Yorkshire. His first book, The Hawk in the Rain, was published in 1957 by Faber & Faber and was followed by many volumes of poetry and prose for adults and children. He received the Whitbread Book of the Year for two consecutive years for his last published collections of poetry, Tales from Ovid and Birthday Letters. He was Poet Laureate from 1984, and in 1998 he was appointed to the Order of Merit.