An analysis of Ted Hughes’ use of Tarot and Cabbala in Birthday Letters.
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Introduction ‘Fulbright Scholars’, ‘Caryatids (1)’, ‘Caryatids (2)’. Includes The Path of the Hanged Man MEM - ‘Fidelity’, ‘Astringency’, ‘The Rag Rug’, ‘The Ventriloquist’. 2. The Path of The Fool ALEPH - ‘Fulbright Scholars’, ‘Chaucer’, ‘Isis’, ‘Dreamers’. 3. The Path of The Magician BETH - ‘Caryatids (2)’, ‘Ouija’, ‘Ephiphany’, ‘Fairy Tale’. 4. The Path of The High Priestess GIMEL - ‘Caryatids (1)’, ‘The Earthenware Head’, ‘The Gypsy’, ‘The Blackbird’. 5. The Path of The Empress DALETH - ‘Visit’, ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘A Dream’, ‘Totem’. 6. The Path of The Emperor HE - ‘Sam’, ‘The Chipmunk’, ‘The Minotaur’, ‘Robbing Myself’. 7. The Path of The Hierophant VAU - ‘The Tender Place’, ‘Horoscope’, ‘The Pan’, ‘Blood and Innocence’. 8. The Path of The Lovers ZAIN - ‘St. Botolph’s’, ‘Flounders’, ‘The Error’, ‘Costly Speech’. 9. The Path of The Chariot CHETH - ‘The Shot’, ‘The Blue Flannel Suit’, ‘The Lodger’, ‘The Inscription’. 10. The Path of Justice TETH - ‘Trophies’, ‘Child’s Park’, ‘Daffodils’, ‘Night Ride on Ariel’. 11. The Path of The Hermit YOD - ‘18 Rugby Street’, ‘9 Willow Street’, ‘The Afterbirth’, ‘Telos’. |
12. The Path of
The Wheel of Fortune KAPH - ‘The Machine’, ‘The Literary Life’, ‘Setebos’, ‘Brasilia’. 13. The Path of Strength LAMED - ‘God Help the Wolf after Whom the Dogs Do Not Bark’, ‘The Bird’, ‘A Short Film’, ‘The Cast’. 14. The Path of the Hanged Man MEM - ‘Fidelity’, ‘Astringency’, ‘The Rag Rug’, ‘The Ventriloquist’. This Path was dealt with as part of the Introduction. 15. The Path of Death NUN - ‘Fate Playing’, ‘The Badlands’, ‘The Table’, ‘Life after Death’. 16. The Path of Temperance SAMEKH - ‘The Owl’, ‘Fishing Bridge’, ‘Apprehensions’, ‘The Hands’. 17. The Path of The Devil A’AIN - ‘A Pink Wool Knitted Dress’, ‘The 59th Bear’, ‘Dream Life’, ‘The Prism’. 18. The Path of The Tower PE - ‘Your Paris’, ‘Grand Canyon’, ‘Perfect Light’, ‘The God’. 19. The Path of The Star TZADDI - ‘You Hated Spain’, ‘Karlsbad Caverns’, ‘The Rabbit Catcher’, ‘Freedom of Speech’. 20. The Path of The Moon QOPH - ‘Moonwalk’, ‘Black Coat’, ‘Suttee’, ‘A Picture of Otto’. 21. The Path of The Sun RESH - ‘Drawing’, ‘Portraits’, ‘The Bee God’, ‘Fingers’. 22. The Path of Judgment SHIN - ‘Fever’, ‘Stubbing Wharfe’, ‘Being Christlike’, ‘The Dogs Are Eating Your Mother’. 23. The Path of The World TAU - ‘55 Eltisley’, ‘Remission’, ‘The Beach’, ‘Red’. |
Poetry and Magic text and illustrations. © Ann Skea 2015. For permission to quote any part of any of the documents linked to this page contact Dr Ann Skea at ann@skea.com