The resurgence of myth in the 1970s in the poetry of Ted Hughes and R.S. Thomas : a Jungian perspective.

摘要

This thesis attempts to introduce Jungian concepts to theudstudy of poetry through a critical examination of theudpoetry written in the 1970s by Ted Hughes and R.S.Thomas.udMy Introduction examines two contrasting approaches toudliterature, the mythical and the historical, definesudmyth, and introduces aspects of a Jungian approach toudliterature, including the many-angled approach andudanalogy.udChapter One explains the Jungian concepts of theudArchetype and the Collective Unconscious in a discussionudof Crow, and also explores the mythological materialudrelevant to the poems of Crow.udChapter Two deals with the Jungian idea of Compensation,udand brings this, as well as the idea of the archetype andudthe collective unconscious, to bear on the mythologicaludmaterial relevant to Gaudete. udChapter Three introduces Jung's Individuation process anduddiscusses the mythological sources of Cave Birds, inudparticular Ancient Egyptian myth and Alchemy. At the endudof the chapter there is a brief discussion of Jung andudHughes, acting as a sort of conclusion to my discussionsudof Hughes.udChapter Four uses the philosophy of Kierkegaard toudexplore the 1970s poetry of R.S.Thomas within a Jungianudframework which includes ideas of the archetype, theudcollective unconscious, compensation and individuation.udJung's idea of Psychological Types is also brieflyudexplored in this chapter.udChapter Five finds in Gnostic literature clear parallelsudwith R.S.Thomas' poetry, and, using the Jungian conceptsudalready mentioned, goes on to suggest that R.S.Thomasudattempts to modify Christianity in accordance with theudbeliefs of the Gnostics.udMy Conclusion finds that many of the authorities quotedudin this thesis call for a reorientation of society alongudthe lines of the mythologies discussed in earlierudchapters, and goes on to suggest that there is anudunexplored unconscious history of the West.