hawk roosting

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

Hawk roosting is written from the perspective of a hawk that’s roosting. He sits at the top of a tree which could show how he is looking down on everything beneath him. Ted Hughes was interested in nature, but when the poem was published in 1960, not long after WW2, it was controversial as people saw it as a metaphor for the Nazi’s. Therefore, the poem can be read as a poem about nature or the hawk could be a metaphor for fascist leaders. The fact that the hawk is speaking his own words could give the impression that he is assertive and dominant.

Question 2

beginning

Answer 2

• The poem starts with the hawk saying ‘I sit at the top of the wood, my eyes closed.’ This could suggest how the hawk is literally sitting at the top of the wood but metaphorically, it could also suggest a sense of superiority as he could be sat at the top of the food chain. The fact that he has his eyes closed also suggests his assertiveness as he is not being threatened by any other animals which emphasises how powerful he is.
• The hawk then describes the ‘earth’s face upward for my inspection.’ The hawk is looking down at the Earth but the hawk thinks it’s looking up at him, for him. This suggests how the hawk is vain as he thinks that he is more important than the Earth because it’s facing him. It also suggests that the Earth is scared of the hawk as it is personified to seem submissive and looks up to the hawk like he’s the King. This emphasises the power that the hawk has as he sees himself as a ruler.

Question 3

middle

Answer 3

• Next, the hawk describes how it came to be and says that ‘it took the whole of creation to produce my foot.’ This suggests how self-absorbed the hawk is as he believes it took the whole of evolution to make only his foot which is such a small part of him. This suggests how he believes he is more special and powerful than any other creature as he has survived for so long. It could also suggest how he believes that God spent all his time and effort into creating just his foot which could give the impression that the hawk is a superior being and similar to a God.
• He then says that ‘my manners are tearing off heads.’ The sentence is short and simple which suggests how he doesn’t feel the need to argue as he can just do what he wants which is to kill. The words ‘tearing’ and ‘manners’ create an oxymoron as the two words contrast each other. This suggests how the hawk can decide what good manners are because ‘tearing heads’ aren’t actually good manners but it is cruel.

Question 4

end

Answer 4

• Finally, the hawk says ‘I am going to keep things like this.’ This suggests how the hawk doesn’t want anything to change and he likes being in control of all of nature. This suggests how the hawk is like a dictator.

Question 5

form & structure

Answer 5

• Each stanza has the same number of lines which means that the poem is consistent as there is no change. This could reflect the idea how the hawk doesn’t want any change.
• The last stanza uses lots of full stops and short, snappy sentences which suggests how assertive the hawk is as there is no room for argument. This emphasises how the hawk can do whatever he wants without being disciplined or attacked as he is superior.
• Throughout the last stanza, the same point is repeated over and over and that is that the hawk doesn’t want any change. This suggests how he is asserting himself and making sure no one can argue with him.
• The words ‘me’, ‘I’, and ‘my’ are repeated throughout which emphasises just how self-absorbed he is because the whole poem is about him and what he wants.