Poetry: Hawk Roosting

Question 1

Whys: 1

Answer 1

Hughes encourages his readers to draw parallels between the callous and vicious nature of the
hawk and twentieth century dictators.

Question 2

Whys: 2

Answer 2

Hughes condemns the exploitation of power, where rulers commit acts of depravity and
despotism for personal gain.

Question 3

Whys: 3

Answer 3

Hughes exposes how absolute power often results in narcissism and delusions of grandeur,
with leaders developing a misguided sense of invincibility.

Question 4

Whys: 4

Answer 4

Hughes criticises how power often strips people of their moral compass and sense of
conscience, resulting in them behaving in an animalistic, barbaric manner.

Question 5

Which themes are present in this poem?

Answer 5

Faith and worship
Death and loss
Negative emotions
Nature

Question 6

Which poems can be linked with this poem?

Answer 6

Ozymandias
To autumn
Afternoons
Death of a naturalist

Question 7

Poem summary

Answer 7

“Hawk Roosting” is a dramatic monologue where a hawk speaks directly to the reader, proudly explaining how powerful, deadly, and in control it is. The hawk sees itself as the ruler of nature, almost god-like, and doesn’t feel bad about killing. The poem explores themes of power, control, nature, and violence.

Question 8

Context 1

Answer 8

Ted Hughes was fascinated by nature, especially animals. He often showed the wild, brutal side of the natural world—not the cute or peaceful side.

Question 9

Context 2

Answer 9

Some readers thought the hawk’s voice could also represent a dictator, showing how dangerous absolute power can be (e.g., like Hitler or Stalin)

Question 10

What is the form like in the poem?

Answer 10

Dramatic monologue – one speaker (the hawk) talks the whole time.

Question 11

How does the form relate to the content of the poem?

Answer 11

Only hearing the hawk’s voice shows how self-obsessed and powerful it thinks it is.
We never hear another view—just the hawk’s control and confidence. It’s like we’re inside its head.

Question 12

What is the structure of the poem like?

Answer 12

6 stanzas, all 4 lines long (quatrains) – this neat shape suggests control, just like the hawk likes things.
No obvious turning point – the hawk is confident from start to finish, always focused on its power.
The tight structure matches the hawk’s tight grip on the world—it wants everything its way.

Question 13

What is the rhyming of the poem like?

Answer 13

There’s no set rhyme scheme – the poem uses free verse.
This makes the hawk sound natural and direct, like it’s just thinking out loud.
But the rhythm is steady, showing the hawk’s calm control.

Question 14

I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed

Answer 14

Power, Control
First-person voice, Stillness

Right from the start, the hawk is calm, relaxed, and knows it’s in charge—even with eyes shut!

Question 15

I kill where I please because it is all mine

Answer 15

Violence, Ownership
Blunt language, Arrogance

The hawk has no guilt, just total control. It sees everything around it as belonging to it.

Question 16

The allotment of death

Answer 16

Death, Power
Metaphor

Sounds like the hawk hands out death like a king—cold, calculated, and emotionless.

Question 17

My manners are tearing off heads

Answer 17

Brutality, Nature
Dark humour, Irony

Twists the idea of “manners” – the hawk’s version of being polite is ripping things apart

Question 18

The sun is behind me

Answer 18

Confidence, Nature
Metaphor, Symbolism

Could mean the hawk feels supported by nature, like even the sun backs it up.

Question 19

Nothing has changed since I began

Answer 19

Time, Power
Finality, Self-importance

The hawk believes it’s been in control forever, and nothing can stop it—not even time or nature itself.