Flowers and Insects: Some Birds and A Pair of Spiders

by Ted Hughes, Leonard Baskin (Illustrator)

Poems contemplate narcissi, a violet, brambles, daffodils, butterflies, cyclamens, terns, honey bees, foxglove, grass-hoppers, and poppies

Genres: Poetry

61 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 1986

About the author

Edward James Hughes was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1984 and held the office until his death. In 2008, The Times ranked Hughes fourth on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
He married fellow poet Sylvia Plath in 1956, and they lived together in the United States and then in England, in a tumultuous relationship. They had two children before separating in 1962 and Plath ended her own life in 1963.

Reviews

[loïs · Rating 2 out of 5]

not for me ✨

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough little poetry collection with some nice illustrations. His sexy talk about flowers got a little tiresome but I liked the one about the blind, will to life as mayflies chaotically emerge, mate and perish.

[Fabio Fraccaroli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sono andato in un libro (forse la prima volta che leggevo completamente una raccolta di poesie)
è vi ho trovato un bel sacco di:
*piante e fiori
(Narcisi rammemoranti, una violetta solitaria, un rovo assorto, delle giunchiglie aurei arcangeli, una pratolina e un dente di leone che fanno da comparse per una storia non loro, ciclamini di vari colori in un bel vaso, il profumo di un fiore di biancospino (d'anice) e una bocciolo di melo, una nobilissima iris, una digitale (foxglove) spoglia, una grossa seducente papavera, a Mafia Queen)
**alcuni uccelli
(prima toccole e poi storni ma sempre in rumorosi gruppi, uno sterna guizzante,
un nightJar (succiacapre) o un cat-bird -non si è ben capito- consolano la luna)
***ovviamente molti insetti
(una copia di Aglaie (tortoiseshell butterfly), effimere (mayflies) nascenti e una assente Efemera verde (green drake), due api, una gioiosa e un altra brillante (come una idea di Einstein), un bruco esca e una cavalletta (grass-hopper) stridulante, un compiacente calabrone)
****e per finire (ma non da ultimo) 2 ragni copia inpudica
Forse i versi non erano sempre necessariamente memorabili (ne la difficile traduzione impeccabile) ma quale ottima abecedario per nutrire una improcrastinabile -primo vere- passeggiata campestri.

[wulvz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh how nature and wildlife poetry will never be for me. I appreciated the intentional tie-in’s to humanity in every poem but it was over-zealous in it Hughes idea of affinity between nature and sex/sensuality.

Not much to say, wasn’t very thought provoking but had beautiful language. I feel like books like these are for people who can’t see beauty in things without an explanation or forced empathy.

Not for me 💔

[Day Ravenstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this in my poetry subscription and its not one I would choose, im very much an urban poetry person, but I really enjoyed this. It was the perfect read for a sunny spring day.

The illustrations were beautiful, I'm so glad they kept the originals.

[Katy Picken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully observed poetry with wonderful paintings alongside. Hughes' view of the world is sharp-edged and slightly savage, but no less beautiful for that.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Not necessarily bad just not for me. Hughes inserted himself in a way that seemed gratuitous. The new 2026 Faber edition is aesthetically lovely though.

[Jaimie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hughes' poetry usually has undertones of sexuality, but this collection makes these same themes overt. Maybe Hughes is taking "the birds and the bees" a touch literally, but his focus on metaphors of flowers and insects representing and exploring human sexulity is hard to miss. I didn't really connect with most of the poems, though there were some beautiful turns of phrase.

[Oliver Hodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ripping book! The spider one is the best, and i like the way he gives verbs and motivations to plants. He does it in a way that encapsulates what plants can actually do, it feels accurate and keenly observed.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to the library with the intention of getting his wife's book Ariel. This looked more accessible. I liked it. But I'll like reading anything about honeybees....

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried as a teenager and I tried again now, as an adult, and I just don't find anything in his words.