Hawk Roosting - Ted Hughes

Question 1

Structure

Answer 1

Monosyllabic, dramatic monologue
6 quatrains (4 line stanzas)

Question 2

Themes

Answer 2

Power
Violence
Duality of nature

Question 3

Context

Answer 3

The poet is a former Poet Laureate
He worked in nature
The poet held quite divisive views on life - he believed in survival of the fittest
The poem is allegorical for the corrupt political leaders of the time

Question 4

Hawk Roosting

Answer 4

The verb ‘roosting’ may refer to the hawk sleeping and dreaming

Question 5

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

Answer 5

The personal pronoun ‘I’ suggests that the hawk is asserting their serendipity, dismissing God and all other entities as lower than it. The phrase ‘top of the wood’ may refer to the ‘top of the food chain’. The phrase ‘eyes closed’ is also quite ironic as the compound adjective hawk-eyed often signifies a very sharp perception. It claims itself so powerful and is confident enough that it can rest without fear. The hawk is anthropomorphised

Question 6

Inaction, no falsifying dream
Between my hooked head and hooked feet

Answer 6

The whole poem is from the 1st person perspective of the hawk. The phrase ‘falsifying dream’ may represent a metaphor for poetic creation. Meanwhile, his unconscious mind seems to be more focused on catching prey than anything and it also seems that it’s perception of reality is the only one it’ll acknowledge. The ‘ee’ sounds of ‘between’ and ‘feet’ work to imitate a hawk’s screech and this is repeated throughout the poem. The repetition of ‘hooked’ may also be for emphasis as to show that everything on the hawk is designed to kill

Question 7

Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and east

Answer 7

The hawk is shown to be honed to a meticulous and ruthless killing machine that takes pride in killing it’s prey. The couplet with the previous line is in itself precise and controlled representing the hawk’s own control. The phrase ‘perfect kills’ is also an oxymoron

Question 8

The convenience of the high trees!
The air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray
Are of advantage to me:

Answer 8

The hawk suggests that the elements have been tailor made for him and is for his advantage, allowing him to dominate in nature’s serenity so it’s prey has no chance of survival. An example of anastrophe.

Question 9

And the earth’s face upward for my inspection

Answer 9

The Earth is personified as looking up for a metaphorical inspection, suggesting he is clearly superior

Question 10

My feet are locked upon the rough bark

Answer 10

This line suggests that the hawk is an immovable force, unrivalled in power

Question 11

It took the whole of Creation
To produce my foot, my each feather:
Now I hold Creation in my foot

Answer 11

These lines suggest that the hawk and ‘Creation’ are synonymous, implying that he is the pinnacle of creation. Therefore, the hawk is further exaggerating its own importance and the 2nd line is rather long to suggest that creating him was such a difficult task. It suggests it has snatched power from its creators

Question 12

Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly -
I kill where I please because it is all mine.

Answer 12

The phrase ‘I kill where I please’ tells us of the hawk’s simplistic thoughts as well as the easiness of which it kills. The bold, almost arrogant statement shows that it has no concern for pain or fear, seeing itself as invincible

Question 13

There is no sophistry in my body

Answer 13

The noun ‘sophistry’ means false reasoning which suggest that he is not hesitant and needs no justification. The assonant rhyme of ‘sophistry’ and ‘body’ again shows such a control over the poem mimicking the hawk’s control on his surroundings

Question 14

My manners are tearing off heads -

Answer 14

This line again shows the hawk’s callous view of the world. The phrase is quite oxymoronic as killing and good manners are often considered mutually exclusive not inclusive

Question 15

The allotment of death

Answer 15

The phrase is somewhat ambiguous but it may be perceived that the hawk believes he is in charge of a world full of death. The noun ‘allotment’ has connotations of growth and begging whereas ‘death’ usually means the end therefore making the statement itself oxymoronic

Question 16

For the one path of my flight is direct
Through the bones of the living
No arguments assert my right:

Answer 16

The lines suggest that like a bullet, it can fly straight to its target, using the graphic image of tearing up flesh for emphasis. However, the rhyming of ‘flight’ and ‘right’ help to give the stanza some cohesion.

Question 17

The sun is behind me.

Answer 17

That fact the the ‘sun is behind’ it suggests that the hawk sees the sun as a justification for its actions because it supports it. In doing so, he claims that his powers are God-given and his divine right. It could also mean that it places itself above the sun, increasing its own self-importance

Question 18

Nothing has changed since I began.

Answer 18

It rejects any notion of change and suggests it has and always will be the figure of authority. It also therefore rejects evolution and believes that everything was always how it is now. The full stop at the end highlights its definitive ideals and emphasises the fact that it won’t change

Question 19

My eye has permitted no change

Answer 19

The hawk clearly believes that he is the only thing that can permit change, therefore implying that he controls all of what he sees

Question 20

I am going to keep things like this

Answer 20

The hawk is shown to be so arrogant and deluded that is believes it can prevent the future and passage of time

Question 21

Whys

Answer 21

Hughes encourages his readers to draw parallels between the callous and vicious nature of the hawk and twentieth century dictators.
Hughes condemns the exploitation of power, where rulers commit acts of depravity and despotism for personal gain.
Hughes exposes how absolute power often results in narcissism and delusions of grandeur, with leaders developing a misguided sense of invincibility.
Hughes criticises how power often strips people of their moral compass and sense of conscience, resulting in them behaving in an animalistic, barbaric manner.