The document analyzes Ted Hughes' poem "Theology" through a deconstructive lens. It summarizes the poem as deconstructing the biblical myth of Adam and Eve by portraying Adam eating the apple, Eve eating Adam, and the serpent eating Eve, representing a psychological reconstruction rather than a theological one. The analysis then examines the poem's deconstruction of the myth through a psychoanalytic interpretation of its imagery and symbols.

1. DECONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSES
IN/ON TED HUGHES "THEOLOGY"
Siswo Harsono

2. ABSTRACT
In this paper, the writer tries to analyze a poem,
entitled "Theology" written by Ted Hughes. The
purpose of this writing is to analyze the
deconstruction implied within the poem. This
research uses deconstruction theory and
methodology. In this chase, the poem deconstructs
a religious myth of Adam into psychoanalytical
reconstruction. It can be concluded that the poem
deconstructs theological aspect of the myth into
psychological one.
Keywords: Theology, deconstruction,
psychoanalysis

3. 1. INTRODUCTION
"Theology" written by Ted Hughes is a unique
poem. The title of the poem implies the question of
the divinity that is theology. The subject matter of
the poem deals with the myth of Adam and Eve in
paradise. Its association is not located on the
prevalence of these myths but on its
deconstruction. The problem of deconstruction is
the subject of this study.

4. THEORY AND METHODELOGY
This study uses the theories and methods of
deconstruction that are applied to the poem
"Theology" by Ted Hughes, in the triad of
construction-deconstruction-reconstruction. In the
realm of construction, the study is focused on
religious myth. In the realm of deconstruction it is
focused on the poem. And in the realm of the
reconstruction it is focused on interpretation.

5. DECONSTRUCTION
Deconstruction is a constant reminder of the
etymological link between 'crisis' and 'criticism'. It
makes manifest the fact that any radical shift of
interpretive thought must always come up against
the limits of the seeming absurdity.

6. METHOD
Methodical steps undertaken are as follows.
1. Examine carefully the text with readings (close
reading) to the poem "Theology".
2. Researching mythological construction that made
allusions in poem.
3. Examining the poetic deconstruction contained in
the poem.
4. 4. Examining the psychoanalytic reconstruction of
the poem

7. RESEARCH OBJECT
The objects of research are sorted into a material
object and formal object. Material object of this
study is "Theology" by Ted Hughes. Formal object
of this research is a form of deconstruction
contained in the poem.

8. BIOGRAPHY AND POETRY
Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was born in Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire.
He spent two years in the Royal Air Force, stationed in a
remote radio station in Yorkshire where he spent most of his
time reading. He learned English majors to archeology and
anthropology. His reading and writing were influenced by
British novelist and poet Robert Graves. In 1954, he spent
two years working in London, and then returned to Cambridge
to start a literary magazine with friends. He met with Sylvia
Plath and married later. They spent two years at the University
of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1957-1959, he taught English
and creative writing. Both of them spent time to write poetry.
They returned to England in 1959 and he had begun to
publish his work. Hughes continued to write books and poetry.
In 1981, he was named a British court poet. Book Birthday
Letters (1999) became an international best seller ("Ted
Hughes Biography“, 2010: par 1-3).

9. THEOLOGY
No, the serpent did not
Seduce Eve to the apple.
All that's simply
Corruption of the facts.

10. Adam ate the apple.
Eve ate Adam.
The serpent ate Eve.
This is the dark intestine.

11. The serpent, meanwhile,
Sleeps his meal off in Paradise -
Smiling to hear
God's querulous calling."

12. PARAPHRASE
The poem tells that it was not the
snake that attract Eve at the apple. It
was just a mere corruption of facts. As
a matter of fact, Adam ate the apple,
Eve ate Adam, and the snake ate Eve.
This is a dark digestion. Meanwhile the
snake slept in Heaven and smiled to
hear God's calling.

13. DISCUSSION
Discussion of "Theology" is focused on the
aspects of mythological construction, poetic
deconstruction and psychoanalytic
reconstruction. The mythological construction of
the poem deals with the myth of Adam and Eve.
The poetic deconstruction of the poem shows the
binary opposition between theological term used
as the title of a poem and psycho-biological
issues as the content of the poem. Then, based
on the poetic deconstruction is performed the
psychoanalytic reconstruction of the poem.

14. MYTHOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION
The mythological construction of "Theology" by Ted
Hughes refers to the myth of Adam and Eve who exist in
Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The mythology tells that Adam and Eve lived in the
Garden of Eden, the four rivers flowing into the world.
Garden of Eden is a fertile place that satisfy all the
needs of Adam and Eve. God only gives the restrictions
of life in this paradise: do not eat a fruit from the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. A sneaky snake in the
garden persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and
Adam tasted it, too. Both of them soon lose their
innocence. Ashamed of their nakedness, they covered
themselves with leaves. God saw that they did not obey
Him and expelled them from the Garden of Eden
("Adam and Eve": par 2-4).

15. POETIC DECONSTRUCTION
The mythological construction of Adam and
Eve is poetically deconstructed in
"Theology" by Ted Hughes. The poem tells
that the serpent did not seduce Eve to eat
the apple. It is just a mere fact of corruption.
The fact is that Adam ate the apple, Eve ate
Adam, and the Serpent ate Eve, which
happened in the dark digestion. Then the
snake slept in Heaven, and smiled at the
complaint calling from God.

16. PSYCHOANALYTIC RECONSTRUCTION
The poetic deconstruction of the mythological
construction of "Theology" provides an
opportunity to reconstruct a psychoanalytic
interpretation. The choice of psychoanalytic
reconstruction is based on sexual issues
implied within the poetic deconstruction of the
psycho-biological issues, especially psycho-
sexual assessment which is the realm of
psychoanalysis.

17. CONTINUED
In the theological realm, the myth of Adam and Eve
is associated with God's law about the commands
and prohibitions. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and
Eve could eat everything but the fruit of the tree of
knowledge. Because of snake as the devil
incarnation, they ate the fruit. God punished and
expelled them from the Garden of Eden, descended
to earth to live and reproduce in pain and pleasure.
Thus the myth is associated with the origin of
human life and descent on earth.

18. CONTINUED
In religion, mythology, and
literature, serpents and snakes
often stand for fertility or a
creative life force-partly because
the creatures can be seen as
symbols of the male sex organ
("Serpents and Snakes": par 2).

19. CONTINUED
“Adam ate the apple” is a metaphor of the forbidden
fruit of Eve's breasts. “Eve ate Adam” is a style of
pars pro toto, that part of Eve's body eats the body
of Adam. It refers to oral sex. “The serpent ate Eve”
refers to genital sex. The snake is a symbol of
Adam's penis, and a style of pars pro toto, that part
of Eve's body is her vagina. In the biological realm,
intercourse is a means of reproduction. In the
psychological realm, intercourse is a means of
fulfillment of love and lust.

20. CONTINUED
The serpent as a phallic symbol sleeps
soundly in Paradise. In the theological
realm, Paradise refers to a heavenly
bliss. In the realm of psychoanalysis,
heaven is a symbol of pleasure. The
line is the image of sexual satisfaction
so lust back subsides and sleeps in
pleasure.

21. CONTINUED
As the result of the sexual pleasure
that causes alignments of ego and
superego, the full system of spiritual
values of Adam and Eve fall into id that
is filled with lust. It is the falling from
the theological realm down to the
biological one. That leads to the
revelation of Adam and Eve from
paradise to the world.

22. CONTINUED
In this case, the myth of Adam
and Eve is a hierophanic view of
the events of human creation that
is theological. The poem is a
propane perspective on human
reproduction referring to the
psycho-biological process.

23. CONCLUSION
"Theology" a poem written by Ted Hughes is a
poetic deconstruction of the mythological
construction in Abrahamic religions. The poem
deconstructs theological issues in the myth of
Adam and Eve into psychoanalytic problems.
By using the analytical deconstruction it seems
that the myth of Adam and Eve is a view of
theological events of human creation. The
poem is a propane perspective on human
reproduction that refers to the psycho-biological
process.

24. CONTINUED
In theology, heaven referring to hereafter life is
psychoanalytically deconstructed into desire. In
theology, the serpent referring to devilish symbol is
psychoanalytically deconstructed into phallic
symbol. The forbidden fruit from the tree of
knowledge in the myth is biologically deconstructed
into the apples, which psychoanalytically refer to
breasts as a means of reproduction and erotic zone
of oral phase. The serpent refers to erotic zone of
genital phase. Digestion in the darkness refers to
sexual intercourse. It can be concluded that the
poem deconstructs the myth of human creation into
psycho-biological reproduction of human birth.

25. REFERENCES
“Adam and Eve” in Myths Encyclopedia. < http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/A-Am/Adam-and-
Eve.html> (18 Desember 2014).
“Deconstruction” in Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction> (18 Desember 2014).
“Serpents and Snakes” in Myths Encyclopedia. 2014 < http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Sa
Sp/Serpents-and-Snakes.html> (20 Desember 2014).
“Ted Hughes Biography” in Famous Poets and Poems. 2006-2010.
<http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/ted_hughes/biography> (18 Desember 2014).
Freud, S. (1900/1953). The interpretation of dreams. In The standard edition of the complete
psychological works of Sigmund Freud, Vols 4, 5 (ed. J. Strachey et al.). Hogarth Press,
London.
Greenberg, Gary. 101 Myths of the Bible. Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2000.
Hughes, Ted. “Theology” in Famous Poets and Poems. 2006-2010.
<http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/ted_hughes/poems/13808> (18 Desember 2014).
Norris, Christopher. Deconstruction: Theory and Practice. 3rd Ed. New York: Routletge, 2002.
Sengoopta, Chandak. “Phallic Symbol” in Encyclopedia.com. 2001.
<http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-phallicsymbol.html> (20 Desember 2014).