Hawk Roosting Summary

Hawk Roosting is part of the second book of poetry called Lupercal, written by Ted Hughes. It was launched in 1960. The poem is written in a dramatic monologue and narrated in the form of the eyes of the Hawk. As the Hawk gives the details of nature available to him, he also sits on the long trees, sleeping and looking at their prey. He also believes that all the things which he sees are of him only him. He sees himself as a god. Hawk is the speaker in the poem; the tone in which the Hawk speaks is almost confident; overall, he experiences a false bravado. Throughout the poem, the Hawk continuously uses "I" for superiority. The major fact of the poem is that the poet Hughes wrote his poem "Hawk Roosting" in the Present tense, which matches that the Hawk is always there, and he is on the top of the food chain. The poem consists of 6 stanzas, and each stanza has four lines.

Summary

Stanza 1: In the first stanza, the Hawk feels confident and meditates deeply. He fears no one in the surroundings in the dangerous wild. He gently closes his eyes and worries about nothing. He is on the longest tree, where he can easily see the forest and the forest habitats. The poet uses very interesting para to create images for the readers. He writes, "Between my hooked head and hooked feet?" which generates the bird's wild, sharp beak and claws. In line 4, the Hawk tells the reader that he can perform the perfect kill of his prey even in his sleep.

Stanza 2: The Hawk tells the reader how easy and convenient his life is. He believed everything in his life was made for his sake and pleasure. The Hawk appears astonished at how much nature has given him in line 5, and he is so adamant in his expression that he even inserts an exclamation point. The trees are very high and long for him. He describes the air as buoyant, making him easier to fly high and high. In the winter, the sun's rays give him warmth. He proclaimed that all forms of beautiful nature give comfort and protection to him. Hughes draws a comparison between up and down as well. The Hawk can observe the Earth from his perch because it is underneath him. This separation creates the superiority of the Hawk.

Stanza 3: In para 3, the Hawk again snatched the attention to his sharp claws. He explains that God creates every feather on the Hawk's body and feet with more attention. This gives an image of very high power and very hard work slaving over how to create such a great and powerful being. The Hawk now believes he is God and superior to all other beings on Earth and in Heaven.

Stanza 4: The Hawk tells the reader that he can do whatever he wants, fly fast and slow. Seeing everything beneath him, he can kill any prey, whatever he wan to. He thinks that he has all things to have. The Hawk may demonstrate his might by tearing the heads off his prey, so there is no need to lie or act otherwise. The fourth stanza is not properly concluded since Hughes continues the Hawk's thoughts in the fifth verse.

Stanza 5: The Hawk sees himself as a God. He also says that he chooses to live or die. He only makes one flight, which he uses to dispatch his target. He is all-powerful; thus, arguments are not necessary.

Stanza 6: In the final verdict, the Hawk claims that the Earth has not changed since he was born. The world is not changed because he did not choose to change the world. It has been flawless and lasting ever since. He claims that because he did not permit it to change, it has not changed till now.

Conclusion

The Hawk's attitude to see the world, life, and death is different. In one of the true senses, it is pure form the heart of the Hawk, very much undiluted, and true to himself. The poet gives the human voice to the Hawk. He also says that human beings are more sophisticated and able to change the world and differentiate between moral and immoral. In some lines of the poem, the Hawk is understood as a mirror, making the reader think about life and death, power, morals and immoral, and most importantly, the relation with the natural world.

The poem is 6 stanzas and a free of all verses; there is no single set of rhyme schemes. On the page where the poem is written, it appears formal, tight, and restrained, hence having the balanced control of the Hawk in the poem. The poem is a little orthodox; the way clauses, punctuation, grammar, and sentences are put together is called syntax, which is extremely traditional in this poetry. There aren't any oddities, line breaks, or grammatical inconsistencies. Please note that the poem's lines are very beautiful and straightforward.