Hawk Roosting is poem written by British poet and translator, Ted Hughes. The poem was originally published in 1960 in collection of LUPERCAL. Hawk Roosting is 24 lines poem which is divided into six quatrains.
Hawk Roosting Poem By Ted Hughes
Summary of Hawk Roosting By Ted Hughes
In poem, author has shown Hawk with Human emotions. Hawk have a power of speech and thinking. Hawk believes whole world is his slave and he has a every right to hunt. Hawk is characterized as arrogant animal in poem and consider himself superior to everyone else.
The story of poem begins with Hawk who is sitting on a tallest tree of forest with his eyes closed. I sit top of tree with my eyes closed and does not do anything except thinking. I think about how I can make my myself more perfect in hunting. Thereafter, Hawk realizes that he is already perfect in hunting as he has everything which is required for hunting.
All the tallest trees are beneficial to me, they are made for me like that and the air in which I float, and sun’s ray are helpful for me. They are on earth to help me in hunting. The Earth’s face is upward so I can see it and do my hunting perfectly.
Hawk say my feet has locked top part of tree tightly, every part of my body like, foot and each feathers has took a many many years for its creation and now I hold god made things like tree with my foot. As I have took many years for my creation I will rule and keep everyone below my feet.
I fly very high in air and revolve around every corner of the earth, I hunt whenever I want to as everything on earth is mine. My body has no logical thoughts because I don’t care about the others feelings and I do what comes into my mind. When I do hunting I became very ruthless and tear off my hunt’s head from its body.
When I do hunting I never failed in it and death is confirmed and I don’t need to explain anyone for my rights. I do things with my wish and I don’t need to prove anyone anything.
The sun is behind me which means I have complete right on it and nothing has changed since I came on earth, my eyes haven’t allowed anything to change and this whole world is like it was during my creation. It is because I does not allow world to change. I will never let world change, everything will remain same like it was before. Nothing on earth can change without my permission.
In poem, poet has shown Hawk as a very powerful creature, it has so much power that It can rule on every God creation things. He do whatever comes into his mind and has every right to hunt any animal. Nothing on earth can change without the permission of Hawk. The main theme of “Haw Roosting” is Nature and Violence. Hawk is a part of nature but its mind contains violence and want to rule and hurt other creatures of earth.