Ted Hughes is one of a very few contemporary British poets to have gained a significant reputation outside Britain. Of poets near him in age only Thom Gunn and, in more recent years, Geoffrey Hill have quickened as much critical interest in the English-speaking world at large. In England Hughes's stature is reckoned not only with regard to his unique poetic achievement but to the effect of his style and ideas on his younger contemporaries. In the 1950s Hughes's poetry signalled a dramatic departure from the prevailing modes of the period. The stereotypical poem of the time was determined not to risk much: politely domestic in its subject matter, understated and mildly ironic in style. By contrast, Hughes marshalled a language of nearly Shakespearean resonance to explore themes which were mythic and elemental. Many poets have followed his lead into less-comfortable concerns, less-ingratiating styles, while Hughes himself continues...