hawk roosting themes

Question 1

what is the poem about - metaphorically and literally

Answer 1

literally - the poem is about a bird of prey
metaphorically - it makes comments about the imbalance of power in the world and hints at the repressed savagery within humans

Question 2

describe what the poem’s about

Answer 2

• the poem focuses on a hawk BOASTING about its power. The hawk thinks that it’s the most IMPORTANT and POWERFUL creature in the world and CONTROLS the universe
• the hawk describes how it likes to KILL its prey in a particularly VIOLENT way
• people have interpreted the poem in DIFFERENT WAYS — it could be an ALLEGORY for the behaviour of POLITICAL LEADERS or PEOPLE in general, or it could be showing the BRUTALITY OF NATURE

Question 3

what other poem includes ideas about pride and arrogance

Answer 3

‘Ozymandias’

Question 4

what other poems also explore the ideas of nature

Answer 4

‘To Autumn’
‘The Prelude’

Question 5

what other poem explores nature’s threatening side too

Answer 5

‘Death of a Naturalist’

Question 6

describe how power is presented in the poem

Answer 6

• the poet presents the hawk as powerful and DESTRUCTIVE
• its power has been UNCHALLENGED and it’s confident that nothing will change
• however, since the hawk is a part of NATURE, it will inevitably lose its power when it DIES
• the fact that the hawk doesn’t seem to know this could suggest that ISN’T AS POWERFUL as it thinks

Question 7

describe how arrogance is presented in the poem

Answer 7

• the hawk’s attitude is EGOTISTICAL and arrogant — it believes that it is SUPERIOR to both nature and God
• it’s unclear whether its CONFIDENCE is LEGITIMATE or not