Discuss 'Ted ughes' Pike symbolises the violent and trait in human being. Elucidate. (N.U. 2011, 'I5] Or, Comment on the symbolic significance of the poem 'Pike'. Or, Consider 'Pike' to be an allegorical poem.

Ans: Ted Hughes has deep inclingtion towards animal imagery. He has been obsęssed with animals: He uses animals as a means to express his own philosophy about human' being. Many of his poems are based on animals. In these poems he deals with violent instinct'in animals He actually deals with wild instinct in human beings. His main focus of attention is not on an anima! but on
human beings.
The violent and predatory shape in human nature has been described in his poem Pike' quite allegorically. The poem deals with root of primitiye energy in human being with its violent irrational and deadly nature. The writer endeavors to point out the act that pational consciousness in human being is subordinated and spoiled on special circumstances. Ted Hughes takes keen
interest in human afairs ,has been
represented in the poem 'Pike'. This poem represents the poet's preoccupation with animals. Man has primordial natural forces in him. This plundering tendency is exposed when he gets opportunity and favourable circumstances.
This world is violence-ridden. Terrorism or violence is a factor both for animals and human world. These are animality horror, terror, violence and irrational activities in the animal world. These
destructive forces in the animal world exceed their normal boundaries and accommodate themselves in the human world also. These has been shown by the poet in the poem 'Pike'. Pike stands for violence, destruction and cannibalism: In the first stanza of the poem the poet' describes pike as killers.The pikes are ferocious even when they move smoothly under the lily pades in the pond. They have their own grandeur, but they form the habit of killing at their early age. They are submarine delicacy and horror. Cruelty is inborn in pikes. The strongest of pikes eats up the weaker ones. A four inches' pike eats up a three inches pike"Again a four and half inches' pike devours four inch's pike. In this way, the bigger pikes also destroy and kill each other.
To conclude 'Pike' is not a poem only to give portrayal to the. violent nature of the Pike'. Rather it is a symbolic poem revealing animality and irrationality in human beings. There are so many pikes in human form in our human community. These human pikes are violent and dangerous who destroy, and devastate
innocent human beings. Thus, the poet has shown the fact that cruelties and atrocities of an mal world may often extend their limit up to human world.