Transcript Full Moon and Little Frieda

Full Moon and Little
Frieda
Ted Hughes
Background Information
• Background
• Frieda, the daughter of poets Ted Hughes
and Sylvia Plath, was about two when the
poem was written and the family were living
in the countryside of Devon in England,
near Dartmoor. At that age, the little girl
would have been taking delight in trying out
new words.
Full Moon and Little Frieda
A cool small evening shrunk to a dog bark and the clank
of a bucket And you listening.
A spider's web, tense for the dew's touch.
A pail lifted, still and brimming - mirror
To tempt a first star to a tremor.
Cows are going home in the lane there, looping the
hedges with their warm wreaths of breath –
A dark river of blood, many boulders,
Balancing unspilled milk.
'Moon!' you cry suddenly, 'Moon! Moon!'
The moon has stepped back like an artist gazing amazed at a work
That points at him amazed.
The Title
• Full and Little-Contrasting images
• Relating the two objects together
• Moon-Symbol of purity, similarity
between the two.
First Stanza
• The evening can be said to be seen
through Frieda’s eyes-links to the ‘and
you listening’
• Tone of tranquillity and calmness
present-suggested by the words
‘cool’, ”small evening”.
• ‘shrunk to a dog bark’ and ‘clank’
• Suggests that it is a very quiet evening
First Stanza
• Repetition carries on with description of
scene
• “dew’s touch”-every single movement
contributes/ can affect the peacefulness
of the night.
• “pail lifted” shows freida’s reflection in
the water which causes a star to tremor.
• Sense of anticipation is created in the
next 3 lines ‘tense’ ‘brimming’ ‘tempt’
Second Stanza
• Slight change in the poem (follows on from anticipation
stanza 2)
• ‘Warm Wreaths’ alliteration
• Darker tone is present- ‘river of blood’ perhaps to show
how the night is so silent it seems scary and unpleasant
to some as if some crime has been committed.
• “river of blood” could signify the heart of the countryside
with life running through it because blood signifies life.
• ‘Unspilled milk’, careful not to break the silence, tense
atmosphere.
Second Stanza
• Sudden change of tone, brings Hughes a
nd reader back
• Little Frieda breaks the night scene with
her voice.
• Repetition of ‘moon’ shows her exciteme
nt
• she is still innocent as the moon is som
ething new and interesting to her.
Third Stanza
• Repetition of ‘amazed’ suggests at the
• beauty and unique creation of little freid
a.
• The moon can represent God who is
amazed at his own creation and is pleased
with what he sees.
• Also show how Ted hughs himself is
amazed at his daughter’s performance.
Themes
• Relationship between father and daughte
r
• Memories
• Descriptions of nature
• Moon
Possible Exam Questions
• Explore the ways in which Nature is
portrayed in Full Moon and Little Frieda
and Amends.