Julietta MelkonyanAP LanguageAuthor’s PurposeIn “To Paint a Water Lily, Ted Hughes conveys the complex aspects of nature by revealing the challenges an artist faces in capturing its true meaning. He discusses that when he looks at the scene, he sees a beautiful world of movement that is concealed by the peacefulness of the water lilies on the pond. The author’s purpose in composing such a poem is to explain that to paint a water lily requires capturing its environment and the life that surrounds it, not only a description of the plant.
The speaker’s plan is to paint a water lily but while doing so, he recognizes the surrounding sounds and views that help create nature. The author senses the chaotic environment in the air, even though it is “inaudible.” Ted Hughes is delighted with what he sees as an artist when he is painting the water lily. The water lily floating in the pond covers the difficulty that surrounds him. In order to paint a water lily, the artist must put themselves “deep in both worlds”
