But in spite of the deep associations which Davis divines, Crow is still simply a crow - a curious, voracious, clever, amoral bird. Bishop looks at the role of language in Hughes's work, and the way that the poetry changed over the years as Hughes's poetic journey took him deeper into his own inner world. As Moulin says in his introduction, it is no longer possible to read Hughes's work without also considering Sylvia Plath. She makes important points about Sylvia's struggle for rebirth and about the two poets' joint endeavour. It offers a good basis on which to begin a study of Hughes's poetry, but it is also an interesting, stimulating and challenging book for those already familiar with the issues, poetry and ideas discussed.
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