Hawk roosting Flashcards
(9 cards)
What is the
poem
about ?
The speaker of the poem is a hawk who is
looking down on the earth beneath them. They
begin the poem perched at the top of a tree,
waiting to swoop on their next prey. Their
attitude and tone are very arrogant and they
compares themselves to God. They are very
proud of their place in the food chain and the
fact they can choose who lives and who dies.
They do not want the natural order of things to be disrupted
What is the context for Ted Hughes ?
Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was born in Yorkshire,
in the North of England, and grew up in the
countryside. After serving in the RAF for two
years, he won a scholarship to Cambridge
University where he studied Archaeology and
Anthropology. The themes of the countryside,
human history and mythology therefore
already deeply influenced his imagination by
the time he started writing poetry as a student.
He made his name as a poet in the late 1950s
and 1960s and also wrote many well-known
children’s books including The Iron Man (which
was filmed as the Iron Giant). It is for his poetry
that he remains important. He was poet
laureate from 1984 until his death from cancer
in 1998
What is the structure of Hawk roosting ?
The clearly organised structure of the six stanzas reflects the hawk’s control over
his life and land.
The steady and calm pace to the poem again mirrors the hawk’s measured control
over the woodland – he will not be rushed by anyone.
What are the
possible themes and links ?
Power and control - Ozymandias
The natural world- To autumn, Afternoons and Death of a naturalist
When was it published ?
1960
What does the “roosting” mean in the title “Hawk
roosting”
It means that the hawk is still
and comfortable where he lays , showing that he the most powerful
and he chooses where he rests because he is in control of where he roosts because he is in control of everything
What quotes show the arrogance of the hawk ?
- “the earths face upwards for my inspection “ he is scrutinising the earth in an arrogant tone as he believes all aspects of nature are designed for his convenience like “the airs buoyancy” and “the convenience of the high trees “ are an “advantage” to him
How does Hughes represent how much control the hawk ?
He uses language which compares the Hawk to God.
“It took the whole of creation to make my foot” “now i hold creation in my foot” - the repetition of creation emphasises his arrogance and his delusions of being as powerful as God as he compares himself to him
“The allotment of death” is also another example of when the Hawk compares himself to God since he believes he has as much control as God has that he can decide who lives and who dies
What quotes show evidence for how the Hawk is shown to be powerful ?
“I am going to keep things like this” - shows the Hawk’s arrogant tone once again and stresses his need for power and control since he likes the way things are and he has the power to keep them like that
The hawks power is also shown in comparison to the food chain. We see the Hawk to be powerful since there is evidence he is at the top of the food chain. This is “i sit at the top of the wood, my eyes closed” the fact his eyes are closed portrays how he doesn’t feel like he needs to keep watch since he isn’t in danger to any one since he is at the top of the food chain
