How does the poem “Pike” suggest the picture of violence latent in human beings? In what sense is Ted Hughes’ Pike a poem about human violence?
Introduction: Ted Hughes’s poem “Pike” explores the theme of human violence through the image of the pike. Pike is a predatory fish that is born with the instinct to kill and destruct. Hughes has allegorically used it to imply that every human has got such a nature, which is revealed when he wants to achieve something over the other.
Killing Nature of the Pike: The poem begins with a description of the pike in its natural habitat, lurking in the shadows of the pond and waiting to strike. The language used to describe the fish is terrifying, with images of its “lurking”, mud-hungry jaws, and “jeweled” eyes.
As the poem progresses, Hughes shifts the focus to the human observers who are drawn to the pike’s savage beauty. He describes the “fierce” spirit that drives the pike and suggests that this same spirit is present in human beings as well. Humans are drawn to violence, because it’s our primal nature, just like the killer pikes.
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Human Violence:
The theme of human violence becomes clear when the poet describes his experience with the three pike fishes. The poet recalls his childhood when he and his friends grew three pike fishes at home in a glass jar. The fishes were three-inch, four-inch, and four-and-half-inch in size. The fishes seemed friendly to each other. But, gradually, they started eating each other. Within a few days, there was only the stronger one left.
“Three we kept behind glass,
Jungled in weed: three inches, four,
And four and a half: fed fry to them –
Suddenly there were two. Finally One.”
The story is a striking allegory. It indicates human violence. It tells us that in this world full of violence, only the stronger one remains. Humans are killers, aggressive, and savage by their primal instinct. We want to achieve our goal by harming the inferior. The rich want to acquire more wealth by exploiting the poor.
Metaphorical Use of England: Hughes uses England as a metaphor to describe the pond where pike hunts.
“Stilled legendary depth:
It was as deep as England..”
The poet indirectly implies that, like the Pond, England also has its own depth which is not known to many. It’s a satire on English people who are pursuing wealth and power by exploiting others.
In a broader sense, “England” is a universal metaphor. It points to every nation’s ruling bodies who are savage like the pikes.
Conclusion: Overall, “Pike” is a powerful exploration of the theme of human violence, using the image of the predatory fish to reflect on our primal nature of violence.
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