Hawk Roosting by Ted Hughes

Question 1

What is the poem about?

Answer 1

Hawk Roosting’ was written by the British poet Ted Hughes and published in his 1960 collection Lupercal. The poem is written as a dramatic monologue from the viewpoint of a hawk. The poem explores the hawk’s ruthless nature and its indifference to the passing of time. Through the hawk’s perspective, the poem explores both its primal instincts and the natural order.

Question 2

What is the structure of the poem?

Answer 2

Each stanza focuses on a different aspect of the hawk’s existence and perception of its power.
End-stopped lines and enjambment create a balance between assertive statements and flowing thoughts, which echoes the bird’s flight.
The poem begins and ends with references to inaction, creating a circular structure which reinforces the hawk’s desire for control.

Question 3

What is the language like?

Answer 3

The language is blunt and monosyllabic reflecting the hawk’s brutal nature.

Question 4

“I hold Creation in my foot”

Answer 4

The phrase suggests the hawk sees itself as god-like, controlling all of nature.

Question 5

“hooked head and hooked feet”

Answer 5

Alliteration emphasises the hawk’s predatory attributes