Hawk Roosting Flashcards
Hawk roosting overview
Hughes uses hawk roosting as a vehicle to highlight the reality of power to those with delusions of grandeur and place themselves ahead of others. He worked in the Royal Air Force during war, so he experienced dictatorships, which he used to successfully convey his point
Hawk roosting para 1 quote 1
“Hawk roosting”
- named after the hawk which is arrogant and shows his delusions of grandeur
- “roosting” suggests complacency as he is resting and is still at the top of the page”
Hawk roosting para 1 quote 2
“I sit in the top of the wood eyes closed”
- the immediate use of the pronoun “I” suggests he thinks he is of utmost importance.
- this is reinforced by how “I” is at the top of the page which is symbolic of the power the hawk thinks he has
- the use of “top” and “eyes closed” suggest he is above everyone else and he places himself on a pedestal. Also that he has no competition and he has no need to worry as he is clear
Hawk roosting para 1 quote 3
“Between my hooked head and hooked feet”
- the use of the alliteration “hooked head” demonstrates how he believes he has a tight grasp on everything and has pure control over everything
- however the repetition of “hooked” connotes him being tied and connected to the ground which suggests he doesn’t possess the power but instead natur does over him
Hawk roosting para 2 quote 1
“And the earth’s face upwards for inspection”
- demonstrates how he feels he has all the power in the worlds that the earth and everyone on it should work in his presence
- the use of “inspection” suggests he requires everything to be perfect for him as he possesses delusions of grandeur.
Hawk roosting para 2 quote 2
“It took all of creation to produce my foot ,my each feather”
- the use of “all” is symbolic of hid delusions of grandeur because he believes he has bucket loads of power when in reality he has none
- the use of “each feather” suggests he feels creation which is the most powerful thing has been used to produce him in finite detail to make him perfect
- he is therefore saying he is perfect
Hawk roosting para 3 quote 1
“The sun is behind me”
- suggest he is too powerful for the sun
- reinforced through the use of. “Behind” suggesting the sun isn’t good enough for him
Hawk roosting para 3 quote 2
“I am going to keep things like this”
- arrogance as he wants to keep his power
- the use of the phrase “I am going to” suggests his delusions of grandeur give him overconfidence and he will end badly
Hawk roosting structure
His name is at the top of t(e page
Free verse as he can do what he wants
