hawk roosting form, structure and language

Question 1

describe the form of the poem

Answer 1

• DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE from the point of view of the hawk (FIRST PERSON)
• in a dramatic monologue an individual character addresses a silent audience — the audience could be MANKIND
• first person narrative voice gives the hawk AUTHORITY over the poem’s ideas, while the use of END-STOPPING gives several lines a DECISIVE feel, reflecting the hawk’s complete control

Question 2

describe the structure of the poem

Answer 2

• the poem begins with the hawk in an almost MEDITATIVE state
• the hawk then talks about God and nature, asserting that it has SUPERIORITY over both of them
• the MONOLOGUE ends with a CONFIDENT statement about the FUTURE — this emphasises the hawk’s sense of POWER and CONTROL

Question 3

describe the violent language used in the poem

Answer 3

• the poem contains POWERFUL IMAGES of VIOLENCE and DEATH, which emphasises how EFFICIENTLY the hawk kills its prey
• the hawk almost seems to take DELIGHT in its ability to kill
• it REJECTS subtlety and deception in favour of VIOLENT TACTICS

Question 4

describe the use of language of power in the poem

Answer 4

• FIRST PERSON PRONOUNS appear in each stanza. establishing the hawk’s DOMINANCE and CONTROL
• it uses FORMAL language such as ‘sophistry’, and POLITICAL language like ‘my right’
• the hawk is presented as an ARTICULATE SPEAKER, which emphasises how powerful it is

Question 5

describe the quatrain

Answer 5

• monosyllabic words - hard/commanding tone
• no rhyme scheme - written in free verse - juxtaposes with the hawk’s precision - ironic