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Famous Poet Lyrics by Ted Hughes

Selected Poems of Ted Hughes

1957

Stare at the monster: remark
How difficult it is to define just what
Amounts to monstrosity in that
Very ordinary appearance. Neither thin nor fat,
Hair between light and dark,
And the general air
Of an apprentice--- say, an apprentice house-
Painter amid an assembly of famous
Architects: the demeanour is of mouse,
Yet is he monster.
First scrutinize those eyes
For the spark, the effulgence, nothing. Nothing there
But the haggard stony exhaustion of a near-
Finished variety artist. He slumps in his chair
Like a badly hurt man, half life-size.
It is his dreg-boozed inner demon
Still tankarding from tissue and follicle
The vital fire, the spirit electrical
That puts the gloss on the normal hearty male?
Or is it women?
The truth---bring it on
With black drapery, drums and funeral thread
Like a great man's coffin --- no, no, he is not dead
But in this truth surely half-buried:
Once, the humiliation
Of youth and obscurity,
The autoclave of heady ambition trapped,
The fermenting of the yeasty heart stopped-
Burst with such pyrotechnics the dull world gaped
And “Repeat that!” still they cry.
But all his efforts to concoct
The old heroic bang from their money and praise
From the parent’s pointing finger and the child’s amaze,
Even from the burning of his wreathed bays,
Have left him wrecked: wrecked,
And monstrous, so,
As a Stegosaurus, a lumbering obsolete
Arsenal of gigantic horn and plate
From a time when half the world still burned, set
To blink behind bars at the zoo.
Credits
Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes

About “Famous Poet” by Ted Hughes

Read the complete lyrics to "Famous Poet" by Ted Hughes from the album "Selected Poems of Ted Hughes" in 1957. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"Famous Poet" is performed by Ted Hughes. from the album "Selected Poems of Ted Hughes" in 1957 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Famous Poet", explore more songs by Ted Hughes using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Famous Poet" is credited to Ted Hughes. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Famous Poet" appears on "Selected Poems of Ted Hughes" in 1957.

Visit the Ted Hughes artist page at /artist/ted-hughes for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.