Hawk roosting - Ted Hughes Flashcards
what type of poet was he
a highly celebrated English poet
where did Hughes spend most of his life
living in rural areas and spending time outdoors
as a child, what was Hughes fascinated by
animals
what was Hughes aware of
the harsh realities of growing up in the countryside
his father fought in the world war, why is this significant?
influenced Hughes writing and it often includes violent imagery
what is this poem about
the harsh reality of nature
what is this importance of the title in this poem
- starting with the bird emphasis the importance to the poem and the food chain
- roosting means resting, the hawk must feel comfortable, safe and in control
the poem opens with the word I, why is this important
first person perspective, the hawk controls the poem
“top of the wood”
the hawks physical position could indicate its power. its superior to the rest of nature
“falsifying dream”
falsifying = fake, misleading
the hawk doesnt need fake dreams as its reality is perfect
what is the importance of the repletion of the word “hooked”
emphasises the hawks potential for violence
“or in sleep rehearse perfect kills”
the hawk thinks about killing even in its sleep emphaisising its power and violence
it gets great pleasure from killing
the poem only has 1 rhyming couplet and its found in the first stanza. “feet, eat” what is the importance of this
rhyme emphasises the idea it contains
the hawks kills are precise and perfect
“convenience” “!” “advantage”
the hawk thinks that the natural world has been designed just so suit it, showing its arrogance
“earths facer upward for my inspection”
earth has been personified, the hawk is above it both physically and hypothetically
“inspector”
have power over the things the inspect - they cast judgment and can punish
“locked” “bark”
the consonance emphasizes the hawks firm almost harsh reality
“my feet are locked upon the rough bark”
appears sturdy, as locks are a symbol of security
why is creation capitalized
reference to God
“it took the whole creation to produce my foot, my each feather”
the hawk thinks that it is a masterpiece, as it took all of gods effort to create it
the hawk is arrogant
“now I hold creation at my foot”
the hawk thinks it is not only more powerful then the rest of nature but God
“revolve it all slowly”
the hawks arrogance is highlighted as it thinks it can force creation to do what he wants
“I kill where I please because it is all mine”
monosyllabic language suggests the hawk is confident
what is the significance that this line is full stopped
the hawks say is final - nobody can say otherwise
the line ends just like the things it kills
