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POETRY - HAWK ROOSTING

Terms in this set (9)

A bird that dominates everything else, and knows it is the most powerful. It's a metaphor for a tyrant/dictator.
It's a nature and power and time passing and war and relationships poem.
What is the poem about?
'I sit on top of the wood, my eyes closed' - doesn't have to be alert.
'the earth's face upward for my inspection '- everything else is vulnerable to the hawk
How do we know the hawk is top of the foodchain?
Hughes is a nature poet, but uses it to discuss human behaviour. Poem written in 1950's: time of cold war - dictators ruling by force.
Possibly beat his wife, so he may be a hawk himself.
What is the context of the poem?
6 equal stanzas. Suggests control of the hawk. Lots of short sentences = no arguing aginst it.
How is the poem structured and why?
'I kill where i please because it's all mine'
'The one path of my flight is through the bones of the living'
Which 2 quotes suggest great violence in the bird?
'I am going to keep things like this' - suggests it's not going to change - arrogant and dominating.
What is the last line and why is it significant?
'Now i hold Creation in my foot' - thinks everything was designed for its own purpose. It is like a god.
Which quote emphasises the bird's arrogance/hubris?
Ozymandias, London - corrupted power
Afternoons - power of domestication - kills emotionally
What would you compare this poem to and why?
It has the hawk's back - it is helping it. This implies that nothing else has any chance against it. But of course, this is the arrogance (like a dictator) shining through.
What could the quote 'The sun is behind me' be referring to?
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