Stylistic Devices in ”Hawk Roosting” by Ted Hughes

The Hawk Roosting poem is a very interesting, and distinctive description of the world of a hawk. Even though the hawk is described in an imposing way, it still has raw aggression, and horrible descriptions of killing, and power. The hawk, in the poem, has been given this idea that he is a god and that everything revolves around him. It is described as the epitome of self- reliance and self- assurance.

Hawk Roosting is written in six regular stanzas, each consisting of four lines. It is a rather simple structure that does not get in the way of meaning and let the reader clearly see what the writer means. The poem seems to have a regular metrical pattern. However, it does not appear to fit a specific rhyme scheme.

The poem is started with easy grace in the wood, my eyes closed, lay down to rest on a bare hillside yet with intense power. Moreover, as we continue down the lines, the grace ceases to exist and we are forced to race with our feelings, as there is a change of rhythm.

The hawk expresses himself in short concise sentences to make the language powerful and direct. For example, “The sun is behind me, and The allotment of death. Most of these sentences are short and use simple language. This creates direct powerful images, as there is nothing else in the sentence to confuse the reader.

There are many powerful images in “Hawk Roosting”, which help to reflect the character of the hawk. For example, the hawk is presented as being aggressive, pitiless, and barbaric which is expressed through the violent image “I hold creation in my foot” and “the earth’s face upward for my inspection. The last line, “I am going to keep things like this” also shows the hawks arrogance in the way that he believes it is himself who controls the things around him.

The I-figures lack of remorse is brought out by the impression that it was born with the right to kill and he reveals his right to kill through the lines: “I kill where I please because it is all mine.

No arguments assert my right.” These lines show the impression the hawk has. This is the reason why he kills without mercy. The fact that no arguments can declare his rights shows that the hawk has a lot of power with nothing more powerful than it, not even Creation. We know this when the hawk says, “Now I hold Creation in my foot.” The hawk’s violent power is not subject to any hesitation. The one path of the hawk’s flight is “through the bones of the living.” Might is right and the hawk needs no arguments to justify its actions. The lines make the hawk’s philosophy of life very clear. Other creatures must die in order for it to live.

The tone in this poem is very effective in bringing out the major themes, which are power and violence. In “Hawk Roosting, the hawk itself is the speaker of the poem. It gives us the feeling that the hawk is speaking directly to us which is a very good technique used by the poet because the hawk itself is telling us that it has become like us, it has the same lust for power which, we have. Its monologue of plain, forceful words matches the arrogant frankness of the speaker.

The hawk is known for its violence and the poet portrays this violence very well in his poem. He is ruled by his instincts only; he does not think about his actions and he has no conscience to make him feel guilty about what he does. The hawk sees life as it is; he is not misled by anything. The hawk thinks he is superior to humans and he mocks our way of life – ‘There is no sophistry in my body: My manners are tearing off heads The hawk’s way of life is pure and simple compared to our own. The hawk does not have any crises of conscience or confidence, has no qualms about doing as he pleases. The hawk has no cares or worries; his life is all about survival and taking each day as it comes. In this respect, perhaps the hawk is justified in thinking he is superior to humans.

Throughout the poem, we note that Hughes portrays the I-figure, who is very much present, as the master of all creation showing signs of playing God in the third stanza. In the poem, all actions are targeted towards the egocentric and individualized I-figure. The selfishness running through the poem is very much telling in its implications for the human world. With this poem, Ted Hughes is trying to show us how human beings are really like. Like the hawk, human beings seem to think that they are perfect of creation and that everything is there just for them, grabbing whatever opportunity presents itself.

To conclude, the poet has very well portrayed the nature of the hawk in this poem through distinct and clear-cut language with appropriate imageries. Affinity with god-like tendencies and parallels drawn with human nature can also be perceived. This imaginative glimpse into the hawks mind is very compelling. Its conceit, its absolute conviction as to its own superiority is strangely thrilling, and yet frightening.