THL3703
Portfolio Exam
Unique No: 754261
Due 15 October 2025
, THL3703
Portfolio Exam
Unique Number: 754261
Due on 15 October 2025
Advanced Theory of Poetry (Theory of Literature)
The Interplay of Syntactic and Metaphorical Foregrounding in Shaping Poetic
Meaning: A Stylistic Analysis of Ted Hughes’ Sketching a Thatcher
Introduction
Ted Hughes’ Sketching a Thatcher constructs a compelling portrait of an aged
craftsman whose physical resilience, eccentricity, and elemental vitality transcend
ordinary human frailty. The poem’s meaning is not communicated solely through
descriptive detail, but through the dynamic interaction of syntactic foregrounding and
metaphorical language. Hughes manipulates sentence structures through
fragmentation, deviation, and patterned repetition, while simultaneously saturating the
text with metaphors drawn from the natural world, animals, and myth. Together, these
stylistic strategies shape how the reader perceives the thatcher—not merely as an old
man, but as a symbolic figure embodying endurance and archetypal energy.
The central argument of this paper is that syntactic foregrounding and metaphorical
constructions coalesce to generate poetic meaning. Syntactic deviation disrupts
ordinary reading, forcing heightened attention to metaphors that extend the thatcher’s
identity into symbolic registers. By applying stylistic concepts from the study guide—
foregrounding, argument-focus relations, and tenor-vehicle dynamics—this analysis
demonstrates how syntax and metaphor together guide interpretation and reinforce the
poem’s thematic concerns.
Portfolio Exam
Unique No: 754261
Due 15 October 2025
, THL3703
Portfolio Exam
Unique Number: 754261
Due on 15 October 2025
Advanced Theory of Poetry (Theory of Literature)
The Interplay of Syntactic and Metaphorical Foregrounding in Shaping Poetic
Meaning: A Stylistic Analysis of Ted Hughes’ Sketching a Thatcher
Introduction
Ted Hughes’ Sketching a Thatcher constructs a compelling portrait of an aged
craftsman whose physical resilience, eccentricity, and elemental vitality transcend
ordinary human frailty. The poem’s meaning is not communicated solely through
descriptive detail, but through the dynamic interaction of syntactic foregrounding and
metaphorical language. Hughes manipulates sentence structures through
fragmentation, deviation, and patterned repetition, while simultaneously saturating the
text with metaphors drawn from the natural world, animals, and myth. Together, these
stylistic strategies shape how the reader perceives the thatcher—not merely as an old
man, but as a symbolic figure embodying endurance and archetypal energy.
The central argument of this paper is that syntactic foregrounding and metaphorical
constructions coalesce to generate poetic meaning. Syntactic deviation disrupts
ordinary reading, forcing heightened attention to metaphors that extend the thatcher’s
identity into symbolic registers. By applying stylistic concepts from the study guide—
foregrounding, argument-focus relations, and tenor-vehicle dynamics—this analysis
demonstrates how syntax and metaphor together guide interpretation and reinforce the
poem’s thematic concerns.
