"Crow's Fall" by Ted Hughes

Crow's Fall


When Crow was white he decided the sun was too white.
He decided it glared much too whitely.
He decided to attack it and defeat it.

He got his strength flush and in full glitter.
He clawed and fluffed his rage up.
He aimed his beak direct at the sun's centre.

He laughed himself to the centre of himself

And attacked.

At his battle cry trees grew suddenly old,
Shadows flattened.

But the sun brightened—
It brightened, and Crow returned charred black.

He opened his mouth but what came out was charred black.

"Up there," he managed,
"Where white is black and black is white, I won."



Source of the text - Ted Hughes, Crow: from the life and songs of the crow.  New York: Harper & Row, 1971, p.25.

TJB: Declarative parable. From hypotactic-intransitive to paratactic-transitive & back, the emphasis is on repetition & sharp verb-adverb sounds.