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How effectively does Hughes convey the power of the jaguar? Ted Hughes poem The Jaguar describes the animals in a zoo and their lifestyles. It also compares them to the jaguar, which is an animal that lives differently to the others in the way that it views its life. The poem depicts the jaguar as powerful, but in what way?
The first line of Ted Hughes poem the jaguar is: The apes yawn and adore their fleas in the sun. From the very first three words it is clear that the apes are tired, and the fact that they are in the sun adds to the sleepy air. I think this line was deliberately chosen to begin to convey the monotonous lull of everyday life in the zoo and set a drowsy mood. They are adoring their fleas, which is not a word commonly used in these circumstances.
Playing with fleas is normal behaviour for apes, but the use of the word adoring suggests that they are glad of the distraction in their lethargic state. From this line, the apes do not sound threatening, more bored. The second line has a rather different tone; it tells of the parrots that screech as if on fire. Parrots do indeed screech, so this is literal, but it has connotations of pain or perhaps boredom.
Obviously they are not literally on fire, so these words could have been chosen to help exhibit their brightly coloured plumage or to remain with the painful image and to display their banshee-like screaming. The end of the line includes enjambment and expresses how the parrots strut like cheap tarts to attract the stroller with the nut. Cheap tarts may also have connotations of the bright, tacky colours of parrots feathers, but the parrots also mean to attract attention with their screeches and strutting. Line three goes on to speak of the tiger and lion, who are apparently fatigued with indolence. Again the tone is of sleepiness and possibly boredom, and the idleness of the animals in question.
The animals are tired, and in the wild they would probably be more likely to be hunting rather than lazing about in the middle of the day. This particular line is also an example of enjambment, as it runs into the next verse. The last words of the first stanza are: tiger and lion and the first words of the second are: lie still as the sun. The end of the first stanza is therefore going on to a different subject, which intrigues the reader into moving to the second stanza. Again the word sun is used, so the warm, drowsy image returns, and as the sun is stationary, so are the animals. The following lines include some especially carefully chosen diction, as they describe the boa-constrictor which has a coil in its tail, which supposedly is a fossil.
This metaphorical sentence is quite powerful, as the use of the word fossil depicts the stillness of the snake and also suggests that it may have been in such a position for a long time. This is also supported by the use of a metaphor rather than a simile, which would have left some room for the possibility of the snake only being similar to a fossil at that particular moment. Also, fossils like ammonites are coiled in shape so it is therefore a justified comparison. The end of the second line of stanza two is: cage after cage seems empty which signifies the monotonous appearance of the cages, which hold very little activity as all the animals therein are barely moving, hence again the use of the word fossil in the metaphor.
Basically, the animals are dull and not a very piquant sight for visitors. The next line uses the alliteration stinks of sleepers. This is reminiscent of the snakes hissing tone, so a snake-like theme has affected this stanza. I dont think it means that the sleepers literally stink, just that there is a strong flavour of doziness in the air, as if there is no activity to interest the visitors. Some of the sleeping animals themselves are hidden under straw, so the author uses another metaphor and suggests that the straw is breathing. It is quite amusing to think of straw inhaling, but it is also not very good value for money to spend a day watching piles of straw instead of animals.
The final line of the stanza is quite an interesting one: It might be painted in a nursery wall. This is reverting back to the tone of unnatural behaviour of the animals that has already started to be explored in previous lines. The animals, which in the wild could be threatening and very dangerous, are not acting on their usual instincts and instead are choosing to lie about in a kind of stupor that makes them appear harmless and approachable and generally unnatural. The animals look so unnatural in fact that they could be painted for a frieze suitable for children. These types of pictures are simple and depict the animals as friendly and humble whereas in reality animals like tigers are extremely menacing and far more complex. The animals are not as they would be if left to their own devices in the wild, where there is more space and other animals to interact with.
The next stanza opens with the following line: But who runs like the rest past these arrives This line does not explain of whom it is in regard therefore we have yet to learn that the animal is the jaguar. Immediately it strikes me as being a far more active situation than all those described in previous verses. The use of the word but is quite efficacious in that it immediately breaks the tone and the reader knows that something different is about to be described. I believe that the reference to the rest indicates the rest of its kind rather than the rest of the zoo animals. Already it is evident that this animal is living more as it would in its natural environment, which is quite refreshing in comparison to the droning lifestyles of the other animals encountered earlier. The word arrives at the end is connected with the next line which begins with At a cage, so to clarify, the animal has arrived at a cage. (In fact, the entire verse is one long sentence, so it is therefore difficult to quote directly without sounding slightly perplexing. ) The cage at which the creature arrives is observed by a crowd, which stands, stares, mesmerized.
The people are captured by the animal and in awe of it. The monosyllabic words are used with the effect of being abrupt. The crowd appear to be standing and staring very suddenly in amazement, which is in sharp contrast to the other animals, when the crowd were not captivated at all, instead finding the animals somewhat dull and not enchanting in the least (see quotation cage after cage seems empty). The next sentence commences with the words: As a child at a dream This simile insinuates that the crowd is unabashedly staring at this spectacle, incredulous and not hiding their incredulity. The end of this line i...
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