EXERCISE
1. Discuss the significance of the title of the poem.
👉The title “Hawk Roosting” is significant because it provides a crucial entry point into the hawk’s mind, which is the central focus of the poem.
2. What does the poet mean by “Now I hold Creation in my foot”?
👉Through the expression “Now I hold Creation in my foot,” the poet conveys the hawk’s belief that it has absolute power and control over all of nature.
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INSIGHT CHECK
1. “I kill where I please because it is all mine” What does the line reveal about hawk’s attitude towards power and ownership?
👉This line reveals the hawk’s attitude of possessing unlimited power and absolute ownership over its world. It is much like a human dictator who craves to enjoy unrestrained power over everything.
4. “My eye has permitted no change” How does the line reflect the hawk’s belief in its control over the world?
👉This line reflects the hawk’s belief in its absolute control over the world by showing its refusal to accept change. The hawk believes that its control is permanent and that the natural gift of his eye leads him to believe that every visible animal is meant for him to
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EXTRA IMPORTANT SAQ
1. What does the hawk explain about his closed eyes?
👉The hawk explains that its closed eyes do not signify indulgence in dreams or imagination. Instead, they indicate a period of inaction and preparation for a perfect hunt.
*2. What does the phrase ‘no falsifying dream’ suggest?
👉The phrase suggests that the hawk is an efficient predator that does not engage in dreamy imagination but instead sharpens its natural hunting skills.
3. What does the hawk claim to do in its dream?
👉The hawk claims that during its sleep, it does not get lost in imaginary dreams. Instead, it rehearses the perfect killing of hunted animals for food.
*4. Why are high trees advantageous to the hawk?
👉The hawk finds high trees advantageous because their position at the top provides a clear view of the earth below, which helps it to hunt for food easily.
*5. How are the natural elements advantageous to the hawk?
👉Natural elements such as air and sunlight are advantageous to the hawk’s hunting. The air helps it to float, and the sunlight provides the light needed to detect its prey.
*6. What physical features make the hawk an efficient hunter?
👉The physical features that make a hawk an efficient hunter are its hooked beak, sharp talons, and sharp eyesight. As a bird of prey, these characteristics allow it to seize, kill, and tear apart its prey.
7. Explain the poetic device used in the line “And the earth’s face upward for my inspection.”
👉The poetic device used in the line is a metaphor, which is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as.” The earth’s “face” is also an example of personification, which gives human qualities to inanimate objects.
*8. What does the word “roosting” mean? Why does the poet describe a roosting hawk?
👉The word “roosting” means to rest or sleep on a perch or branch.The poet describes a roosting hawk to allow the reader to enter the hawk’s mind and create a monologue from its perspective.
*9. “I sit on the top of the wood.” Why does the speaker sit on the top of the wood?
👉The speaker, a roosting hawk, sits on the top of the wood to survey the ground below and hunt for its survival.
*10. “It took the whole of Creation / To produce my foot, my each feather,” What excellence of the hawk is suggested by these two lines?
👉Through the above mentioned lines the poet suggests the hawk’s excellence as a perfect hunting bird. The lines imply that nature meticulously created its feet and feathers to make it an efficient predator.
11. Why is the work ‘Creation’ written with a capital letter? In what different meanings is the word ‘Creation’ used in the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’?
👉The word ‘Creation’ is written with a capital letter because the poet wants to signify a sense of providence, God, or eternal Nature.In the poem, ‘Creation’ means the force of nature and also the created things like animals.
*12. What two various activities of the hawk’s feet are mentioned in the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’?
👉The two activities of the hawk’s feet mentioned in the poem are–
(i) They are a perfect tool for killing.
(ii) They are used to sit firmly on the rough bark of the tree.
*13. What is the purpose of the hawk’s flying up and revolving slowly?
👉The purpose of the hawk’s flying up and revolving slowly is to survey the ground for hunting. The hawk describes its flight as being direct, passing through the bones of living creatures.
*14. Why does the hawk say “There is no sophistry in my body”?
👉The hawk says “There is no sophistry in my body” to mean that his physical appearance and features are a true reflection of his nature as a killing machine, without any false or deceptive ideas. The word “sophistry” means deceptive arguments.
*15. The allotment of death—Explain the line in the context of the hawk.
👉The line “The allotment of death” in the context of the hawk means that nature has created the hawk as a predator and has assigned it the role of causing death to other animals. Nature creates both life and death, and the hawk’s role is to be a hunter.
16. How does the hawk justify his manner?
👉The hawk justifies his manner by stating that his behavior of killing and tearing off the heads of other animals is a role given to him by nature. He sees himself as a top-order predator in the food chain, and therefore, his actions are a natural part of his existence.
*17. Whose voice is heard in the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’? What does the voice justify?
👉The voice heard in the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’ is the voice of the hawk itself.The hawk’s voice justifies its role in the natural order and its actions as being assigned by nature.
*18. “The sun is behind me” What does this line signify?
👉The line “The sun is behind me” can signify two things–
(i) The sun is setting, as it is no longer in front of the observer.
(ii) A hawk has chosen a perch with the sun at its back to get a clear view of the ground and its prey.
19. Why does the hawk say that the earth’s face is upward for his inspection?
👉The hawk is a bird of prey that believes nature created him for killing other animals. He thinks that the earth, being a part of nature, helps him by turning its face upward to assist him in finding his prey.
*20. “Nothing has changed since I began” What has not changed?
👉The hawk’s role as a predator has not changed. The hawk believes that since he was created by nature to be a predator, his function remains the same. The primary reason for this unchangeability is his sharp eyes, which were designed by nature to detect prey from high above.
21. What attitude of the hawk is expressed through the monologue in the poem “Hawk Roosting”?
👉The hawk’s monologue expresses an extremely self-assured and powerful attitude. He enjoys his power and believes he has the right to dominate nature ruthlessly with his inherent strength.
*22. How do the air and the sun create advantages for the hawk?
👉The air and the sun create advantages for the hawk by providing a favorable environment for hunting. The hawk uses the air to soar high and the sun to help him see his prey clearly.
23. How does the hawk justify its activity of killing where it pleases?
👉The hawk justifies its killing by asserting that everything belongs to it and that as a predator at the top of the food chain, nature has granted it the right to kill wherever it wishes.
*24. “No arguments assert my right” What according to the speaker is his right? How does the speaker apply the right?
👉According to the speaker (the hawk), its right is to kill wherever it pleases.The hawk applies this right by tearing off the heads of its prey and flying directly through the bones of living beings.
25. What is the central theme of the poem “Hawk Roosting”?
👉The central theme of “Hawk Roosting” is the hawk’s power, dominance, and control. It symbolizes nature’s violence and the arrogance of absolute authority.
