'but there's all this what is it roots' - When he thinks he's centre of attention, immediately

loses himself in the maze of roots.. Emphasising desperation and tension in sense of place.

Came back to water, futility of the journey as not Mimics the fractured ways in
able to reach somewhere/set destination., showing Free verse creates effect of emergent, free which a person actually thinks,
cyclical pattern of journey examining identity. 'roots roots roots and here's the water' Repetition of roots show overwhelming language, the stream of consciousness. or mirrors how a child thinks
desire to belong to something. Although free externally, he's trapped Dramatic monologue explore subconscious when discovering parts of the
internally by his need to find an identity. Cyclical setting by water shows Lines 25-27 Structure: 28 line, free verse
Roots and water in single verse opposed to beginning world for the very first time.
suggest interconnectedness of life surrounding him.
growth and development as speaker moves away from looking at himself. dramatic or internal monologue in
Alienation as he can wander. Supported by 'queer', block form (1 stanza) Little Aimless, stream of consciousness arrangement encapsulates
disconnected from reality, thoughts mixed up, anxiety? punctuation with no specific movement of the titular Wodwo through the woods and speaker's
thought process while walking, wood metaphor for speaker's mind.
'again very queer but I'll go on looking' Optimistic note on search for meaning. No full stop, emphasises lack of
rhyme scheme, though some half-
resolution and conclusion as he still forming or finding his identity. Coming to terms not having immediate answer, may rhymes. Poet writing in first person Lack of punctuation with poem relying on enjambment and lack
show that answer isn't in fact one answer but rather process of finding an answer to own life. Could be a boucle (loop) but in persona of the Wodwo of end-stopped line at end lacks closure, emphasising last line.

'to the end on this way past these trees and past these trees' Repetition of past these trees, repetitive and relentless journey, possibly His evocation of natural habitat with
passage of time. Sort of a monomanial obsession in Wodwo to find its own identity, urgency to define itself, can't think of anything else. sensory imagery is a key aspect of the poem.
Context: Title of Hughes' third volume, published in
'till I get tired that's touching one wall of me' - If Wodwo moves until he reaches a stopping point, it'll be one 'wall' of his being, as if his 1967. Hughes published very little between Plath's death The belief that nature itself has a soul. Hughes
shape can be measured not by physical size but the degree to which he can move/shape natural world. Sign to help understand it exists. in 1963 and 1967. Hughes' evident interest in nature and has been called an 'animal poet' or poem could
be inspired by his and Plath's relationship
'for the moment if I sit still how everything' Brings sense of monotomy in entire poem. Sitting contrasts to relentless and never ending Lines 22-24 the animal kingdom. Also concept of identity/division
movement of beginning of poem (moment of reflection and self-awareness) As if his growing consciousness of himself has become an with man's relationship to the natural universe. Hughes' lack of punctuation and
organising principle for all existence. Becomes center of attention shows shift in perspective, not observing surroundings but now himself. syntax reminiscent of William Carlos
William's work. Hughes' work amalgam
'stops to watch me I suppose I am the exact centre' Pauses to recollect and realise the meaning of one's life is themselves. They're the of elements of Romanticism with
centre of their world. Not fully convinced so he keeps looking. 'Exact' urgency and desperation to pinpoint centre he can locate himself. mysticism and innovative approaches.

Name is prime indicator of identity. Urgency to define himself. 'what shall I be called am I the first' Questions Can be compared to Sheep in Fog, Blackberrying
Puncuation is completely gone to indicate anxiety. Multiple come one after another, speaker becomes Theme: Identity, Nature, Freedom, and The Arrival of the Bee Box for Nature. Mirror
rhetorical questions show its uncertainty of self-image/identity. confusing and nonsensical in these final lines. Individuality, Perseverance for Identity. Ariel for Freedom/Identity/Nature.

'have I an owner what shape am I' Endeavors to judge himself based on certain attributes like name, precedence,
tenure and size. 'owner', searches for higher power but doesn't find God/religion, may show Hughes being atheist. Lines 19-21
Unending quest for meaning of life. Wodwo's early
consciousness as he searches for his identity. Reminds The archetype of wild man/half-human creature
'shape am I am I huge if i go'. Meaning changes depending on when sentences are cut, support readers of the unending quest for meaning and appears throughout the entire canon of literature.
questions about humanity's purpose. Humanity's The neologism Wodwo is a contradiction of 'wod'
uncertainty of self Impossible to identify the route of doubt and what exact question being asked. quest for freedom, meaning of life, and one's
investigation of their identity, origin, and purpose. and 'wesan' (to strive/contend. Captures poem's
theme of searching for meaning. Imagery of
lycanthropy - transformation of man to a wolf.
'bits of bark off' Plosive 'b' alliteration. 'rotten stump' - negative metaphor for his base, decay, being
disconnected from ground. Shows plainness of everyday life, meaning of working and societal standards. Title: Mythological, wild folkloric Wodwo may be a representation of primal masculinity,
creature of half-man and half- 'maleness' in state before civilisation. It's curious and
intellectual, Exploration and introspection teach the wild man
'no pleasure' 'it's no use so why do I do it' Doing useless things can possibly give Wodwo the feeling that
he is existent. By doing something useless and questioning actions, may show his existential frustration. Lines 16-18 Wodwo animal in forest. Stands between 2 he is simultaneously part of nature and an individual separate
worlds as a connection to human's consciousness. The Wodwo is caught between instinct and
'doing that have coincided very queerly' Queerly, unusual, detaches him from primal, savage force. myth and reality, portraying identity crisis everyone feels,
Mobility of Wodwo is possibly only constancy,
society and deeper questioning of his identity. Acknowledges the strangeness
rest is fluid and constantly changing. But this
of his actions and links weird connection between him and his environment. Wodwo's supposition that he's the focus of
action stabilises identity of Wodwo, though a Idea of Wodwo counteracting feminine energy, nature
This shows the fine line between individual and society, society shapes them attention while also helpless before his
queer coincidence, he has no target or reason. represented as feminine image in Robert Graves 'The White
and vice versa ironic as society shapes individual through things they dislike. instinctive need to explore the natural world
Goddess' his 'chief holy book'. Or opposite of Goddess as
sums up a particular view of masculinity:
humanity's natural and spiritual half, both ying and yang
supremely self conscious and ego-drive, but
masculine and feminine sides of human consciousness. May be
also spurred on by unconscious desires. Then
response to Ariel, focused on feminine energy as Wodwo is
'fastening me to anything I can go anywhere -' Freedom lends him disorientation, he can't explore his roots or know where he belongs to. poem is less of declaration of what it is to be
centerpiece of Hughes's first collection after Plath's death.
male but a description of poet's internal state.
'I seem to have been given the freedom' Free will, notices his individualisation that other
elements of nature don't seem to have. They seem to be tightly knit to the ecosystem. Lines 13-15

'what am I then?' No clear starting point for existence. He just appeared. His detachment from He uses what instead of Who, pointing to animal and
the world, questioning place as everything else is linked. Questions of identity and purpose vegetative qualities. Objectifying and dehumanising
'What am I?' Opens w/ rhetorical question. Riddle/enigma, but he continuously vacilitates between what, and
monosyllabic statement about Wodwo that's self-conscious. 'Nosing who as he can't decipher what he is.
here,' Potent sensory imagery shows speaker's curious nature to
'do I fit in their world?' Directed to nature. Paradox of existence, he's a conscious being that understands himself different from nature. investigate world. Caesura and enjambment reflects movement. Continuous repetition of interrogatives to
capture the poem's sense of questioning and
Suddenness of Wodwo's existence being 'separate from the ground and not rooted' No tether or threads searching. Nosing, as if meddling in affairs not his.
'dropped' from nothing shows the casual to link him. The basic paradox of existence shows he understands Lines 10-12
ordinariness and insignificance of his existence. his difference but can't account for how difference happened. Lines 1-3 'faint stain' Metaphor for subtle perhaps instinctual scent and mystery with journey to self
Turning leaves over is pursuit in
discovery. Wodwo following something intangible/not real so stain. 'to the river's edge' -
search of himself. Hope of
Concept of roots or threads tethering Wodwo like family, friends, 'I've no threads' Too much freedom shows water imagery presents speaker with image of self-reflection, seeing outer self but not
locating something meaningful.
etc in societal terms, referencing shared humanity. Wodwo uncertainty of one's decisions, Lack of identity. Evokes the religious idea of a baptism and rebirth. Assonance of 'a' and 'i'
becoming aware these anchors exist in spiritual form. While we as punctuation and freedom to stop sentences
humans or wood- people, not physically tied to earth as plants are, whenever but has no sense or meaning, 'Who am I to split' With caesura, insignificance towards Poem centers around 'I', subjective self of Wodwo.
we're still important part of many unique ecosystems restrained by excess of freedom. greatness of nature. Confused with no feeling of belonging. Subjectivity is unrealised, undeciphered.

Frog belongs to animal 'frog so interesting' Naivety, curiosity, sense of exploration. 'glassy grain' Alliteration 'g' to emphasise greatness of nature, glassy is pristine. What gives him the right?
kingdom and Wodwo can Symbolic of potential, prosperity and transformation,
metamorphose to a form of it. perhaps reflecting internal identification with nature. 'river above me upside down' Different perspective of the world above him is
Lines 4-6 shown - wodwo submerged in water, don't tend to see a lot. He's unrelated
'make it my own?' Fascination, frog is a foreign object, trying to understand its thoughts and feelings may to the water. Rhetorical question shows he's disconnected from reality.
represent relationship between the individual and society. 'weeds' - metaphor for stream of consciousness. Lines 7-9
'What am I doing here in mid-air?' Divorced from the air too. Completely disconnected
Animal kingdom of frog shifted to plant kingdom of weeds, 'know me and name me' Inversion of roles from observer to the from surroundings, showing dreamlike experience as he searches for his meaning in
find he is misfit for both of them. His sense of unbelonging observed questions the authority and limited knowledge of disorientated world. Rootlessness is the basic feature of Wodwo's existence.
disturbs him, torments him and conforms him completely. humans, indirectly society's righteousness of values and beliefs.