Theology

“A Man Said to the Universe” by Stephen Crane (1899)

Stephen Crane is an American author best known for his short stories and Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895). He also wrote poetry reminiscent of Hughes’s abrasive tone. As with “Theology,” Crane’s short lyric tells a gloomy story about humanity. The universe tells a nameless man that he feels no “obligation” (Line 5) to ensure that the man has a nice and pleasant life. The universe's indifference echoes God’s lack of interference in “Theology.” In both poems, the world appears mean and base.

“The Thought-Fox” by Ted Hughes (1957)

This poem appears in Hughes’s first collection, The Hawk in the Rain. Although not snappy or abrasive, the poem features the same kind of violent atmosphere as “Theology.” Instead of a devilish serpent in paradise, there’s a predatory fox in the forest. Throughout his career, Hughes focused on animals and nature and how they behaved in religious and secular contexts. As with “Theology,” “The Thought-Fox” uses alliteration with lines like “a sudden sharp hot stink of fox” (Line 24).

“Hawk Roosting” by Ted Hughes (1960)

“Hawk Roosting” routinely appears in widely-used anthologies.