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Semester – IV (Verse)
Hawk Roosting
Ted Hughes
Hawk Roosting Question Answers | Class 12 | Semester 4
2 Marks [Short Type Question Answer]
1. Who is the author of the poem ‘Hawk Roosting? What type of poem is it?
Ans. Ted Hughes is the author of the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’.
➤ It is a dramatic monologue.
2. Who is the speaker of the poem ‘Hawk Roosting ‘ ? What does it represent ?
Ans. The speaker of the poem “Hawk Roosting” is a hawk, roosting in his natural habitat.
➤ It represents power, dominance, and the human desire for control and authority.
3. What does Hawk symbolise in Ted Hughes’ poem, ‘Hawk Roosting’?
Ans. The hawk symbolises power, authority and dictatorship. The hawk also represents cruelty, arrogance and the harsh but true face of nature.
4. Where is the hawk sitting? What does he do in his sleep?
Ans. The hawk is sitting on the top of a tall tree. In his sleep, he dreams of killing and controlling his prey, which shows his pride, power, and authority.
5. “Nothing has changed since I began” — what has not changed?
Ans. In the poem, Hawk Roosting, the hawk proudly says nothing has changed since he began. Actually, time and nature have changed, but his arrogant belief in power remains unchanged.
6. What does the phrase “no falsifying dream” mean?
Ans. The phrase “no falsifying dream” means that hawk has no false hopes. His only reality is power, hunting and killing which reflect nature’s truth.
7. Where did the hawk sit and how?
Ans. The hawk sits high on a tree in perfect stillness and control. From there he watched everything below like a ruler.
8. What does the hawk see in its dream? What kind of thoughts dominate the hawk’s mind during sleep?
Ans: The hawk sees itself killing and controlling everything in its dream.
➤ Even during sleep, his mind is dominated by thoughts of violence. Alive with instinct, he continues to rehearse his deadly acts, while sleeping.
9. What are convenient for the hawk? Why are they convenient for him?
Ans. The air, the sun, and the high trees are convenient for the hawk because they help him rule, hunt, and maintain his power.
➤ These elements of nature support his dominance and make his life easier as a ruler of the sky.
10. What are the advantages that the hawk mentions he possesses?
Ans. The hawk mentions that he enjoys the advantages of the high trees, the buoyancy of the air, and the sun’s rays. These elements support his control, power, and dominance over nature.
11. What does the hawk inspect from above? How does the earth help him?
Ans. The hawk inspects all creatures and the whole world below him from above.
➤ The earth helps him by always facing the sky upward, making it easy for the hawk to see and inspect it.
12. Where are the hawk’s feet locked? What does it indicate?
Ans. The hawk’s feet are locked on the bark of a tall tree.
➤ It indicates his firm grip, strength, and complete control over his position and keeping a watchful eye from a secure place.
13. What does the poet mean by ‘Now I hold the Creation in my foot’?
Or, ‘Now I hold the Creation in my foot’-What does the hawk mean by this line?
Ans. By saying “Now I hold the Creation in my foot,” the poet means that the hawk feels he has power over all living things. It shows his pride, authority, and belief that he controls the entire world beneath him.
14. “I kill where I please because it is all mine.” — why does the hawk say it?
Ans. The hawk says the above line to show his supreme power and authority. He believes the whole world belongs to him. So, killing is his right.
15. What does the hawk mean when he says “There is no sophistry in my body”?
Ans. Through the above line, the hawk means to say he does not need clever tricks or arguments. His strength, claws and violence are direct, simple and natural.
16. What does the hawk say about his body? What does he want to indicate?
Ans. The hawk clearly states, “There is no sophistry in my body.”
➤ By saying this, he wants to indicate that his manners of killing are direct and ruthless. He kills by tearing off heads. He is a ruthless killer, and he does not need any false reasoning or justification for his actions.
17. Describe the physical capability of the hawk.
Ans. The hawk is very strong and powerful. It has sharp claws and a hooked beak to catch and kill its prey easily. Its strong wings and sharp eyes help it fly high and see everything clearly.
18. “The allotment of death.”— Where is this line taken from? What does it suggest?
Ans. The line “The allotment of death” is taken from the poem “Hawk Roosting” by Ted Hughes.
➤ It suggests the hawk’s power to decide the death of its prey — showing its control, dominance, and authority over life and death in nature.
19. “No arguments assert my right”— Who says this? Why does he say this?
Ans. The line is said by the hawk in the poem “Hawk Roosting” by Ted Hughes.
➤ He says this to show his power and confidence. The hawk believes that he does not need anyone’s permission or reason to rule — his strength alone gives him the right to control and kill.
20. “The sun is behind me.” — What does the hawk say about the sun?
Ans. The hawk says that the sun is behind him, showing that even nature supports his power. He feels the sun helps him rule the world and gives him strength, as if the whole universe works in his favor.
21. “Nothing has changed since I began.” — Who says this? What does he mean by “since I began”?
Ans. The line is said by the hawk in the poem “Hawk Roosting” by Ted Hughes.
➤ By saying “since I began,” the hawk means that from the time he started ruling, everything has remained the same. He believes his power and control over nature have never been challenged or changed.
22. “My eye has permitted no change.”- What does the hawk mean by this statement?
Ans. When the hawk says, “My eye has permitted no change,” he means that he thinks he has full control over nature. The hawk believes that nothing has changed because he watches everything carefully and does not allow anything to happen differently.
23. Discuss the significance of the title of the poem “Hawk Roosting.”
Ans. The title “Hawk Roosting” is very meaningful because it shows the hawk resting proudly on a high branch, thinking about its power and control over nature. The word “roosting” means resting, but the hawk’s thoughts are about ruling and killing. The title reflects both the hawk’s calm appearance and its fierce, dominating nature.
6 Marks [Descriptive Type Question Answer]
1. Comment on the physical features of the hawk highlighted in the poem and their significance.
Ans. The poem immediately establishes the hawk’s physical dominance through its “hooked head” and “hooked feet.” These features are not merely descriptive; they are deeply significant. The hawk boastfully claims to limit the entire world between this head-to-foot span, thereby symbolizing its absolute possession and control over Creation. Furthermore, the description of its “unsophisticated physiology” emphasizes a raw, untamed savagery and brutal frankness. The features signify the hawk’s inherent, unrefined power, which it uses to justify its arrogance, self-assertion, and supreme, fascist-like ego.
2. How does the poem emphasise the physical prowess of the hawk?
Ans. The poem primarily uses the hawk’s egocentric monologue to exaggerate its physical prowess. The hawk’s savage features are presented as proof of its superiority, making it appear ferocious and “most superior living being.” Its power is evident not just in action, but in thought, as it “rehearses perfect kills and eats” even in its sleep. The hawk attributes its perfect design-its foot, its every feather-to the effort of the “whole of Creation,” underscoring its belief in its own unparalleled physical perfection. Its supreme authority is further emphasized by the boast that its eyes are the final authority, having “permitted no change” since the beginning, thus asserting a terrifying, unchanging mastery over the world.
3. “There is no sophistry in my body’-this statement expresses the brutal frankness of the hawk. Does the poet suggest something through this statement?
Ans. Yes, through this statement, “There is no sophistry in my body,” the poet suggests a profound absence of moral complexity or deceit in pure, natural power. The hawk’s brutal frankness is a declaration that its physiology is a simple, unadulterated machine for killing and ruling. The statement signifies that the hawk’s power is direct, unmannered, and without apology or moral justification. By removing ‘sophistry’ (deception or clever arguments), the hawk claims a primal, inscrutable authority where its actions-like ripping heads off-are not to be questioned. The poet uses this to portray the terrifying nature of absolute power that operates outside human social and moral laws.
4. “Now I hold Creation in my foot” explain the centrality of this assertion in the poem. What makes the hawk’s assertion of its invincibility so categorical?
Ans. The assertion “Now I hold Creation in my foot” is central because it encapsulates the hawk’s supreme, megalomaniacal ego, presenting a complete role reversal. The hawk, designed by Creation, now claims to possess and govern it. It signifies the core theme of absolute, self-appointed dictatorship. This assertion is made categorical by the hawk’s limited perspective and intense narcissism. Sitting on the highest branch, the hawk perceives the small world beneath it as the entirety of Creation. It uses its height and predatory success to justify its invincibility. It believes its will is law, citing that even the Sun abides by it, and its eyes control what exists. This delusion of divine authority makes its assertion of invincibility total and unquestionable—to itself, at least.
5. Why is the poem entitled ‘Hawk Roosting”?
Ans. The poem is entitled ‘Hawk Roosting’ because the entire dramatic monologue-the expression of the hawk’s colossal ego and its self-proclaimed supremacy-stems directly from the hawk’s position of roosting (resting) on the highest point in the woods. The title establishes the setting and the perspective: the hawk narrates its vision of the world from its perch of ultimate power. The physical act of roosting at the top symbolizes the hawk’s perceived position at the summit of the social and cosmic order. This specific vantage point fuels its megalomania, allowing it to see the world as small and entirely subservient to its will. The title thus perfectly frames the central theme: the thoughts of an unchallengeable dictator resting in its domain.
6. Bring out the parallel suggested between the predatory instincts of the bird and human behaviour.
Ans. Ted Hughes suggests a strong parallel by using the hawk’s predatory instinct as a metaphor for the human lust for power, authority, and unchallenged supremacy. Just as the hawk boasts of its inherited power and self-assertive pride, humans with a predatory instinct often disregard moral constraints to exercise their dominance-a “jungle raj” mentality. The hawk’s self-blindness, where its “ignorance is its bliss” and its perspective is limited, mirrors the human tendency to become equally self-absorbed and oblivious to greater moral or cosmic truths when consumed by power. Both the bird and the power-hungry human proclaim their supremacy, often with brutal frankness and a self-serving disregard for others, leading them to “weave their own fall” by mocking God and natural laws.
7. “It took the whole of Creation / To produce my foot, my each feather / Now I hold Creation in my foot.” – What does the hawk mean by saying that ‘the whole of Creation’ produced it? How does this statement reflect the hawk’s arrogance and sense of superiority?
Ans. The hawk means that its body is a work of unparalleled perfection, so finely tuned for hunting—with its hooked beak, sharp talons, and feathers—that it must have required the maximum effort and all the creative power of Nature (Creation) to design it.
This statement is a potent display of the hawk’s arrogance and belief in its own superiority. By claiming such a flawless, painstaking origin, the hawk elevates itself to the status of a divinely or cosmically favoured being, separate from and superior to all other creatures. Its subsequent claim, “Now I hold Creation in my foot,” shows the ultimate expression of this ego, reversing the roles and asserting that its perfection grants it absolute dominion over the very system that created it.
8. “No arguments assert my right: The sun is behind me” – How can these lines be interpreted as a metaphor for dictatorship or absolute authority?
Ans. These lines serve as a powerful metaphor for dictatorship and absolute authority because they reject the core principles of human civilization: reason and debate.
By stating, “No arguments assert my right,” the hawk immediately dismisses the need for ethical justification or democratic process for its actions (killing). This parallels a dictator who does not need to justify their rule or actions to the people, but simply imposes their will by force.
The phrase “The sun is behind me” further reinforces this. The hawk suggests that its power is so fundamental and total that even the sun—the source of life and light—is subservient, merely an accessory that casts the hawk’s shadow forward. This conveys a chilling sense of unchallengeable, God-like authority that dominates all existence, much like a tyrannical ruler who sees themselves as the supreme, unquestionable law.
9. The hawk has been personified in the poem ‘Hawk Roosting’-How does this literary device impact the reader’s understanding of the poem?
Ans. The personification of the hawk, specifically through its use of a dramatic monologue (first-person narrative), is crucial to the poem’s impact. By giving the hawk a voice, the poet grants the reader direct access to its megalomaniacal and ruthless mindset.
This literary device profoundly impacts the reader’s understanding in two key ways. First, it allows the hawk to articulate its absolute, fascist-like authority and sense of superiority, directly stating its belief that it controls all of Creation. This transforms the hawk from a simple creature into a symbol of unquestioned power and tyranny. Second, the monologue highlights the duality of Nature. The hawk’s speech reveals Nature’s indifference to human ethics; in the hawk’s world, killing is not immoral, but simply an existential right. The personification convincingly establishes the raw, brutal truth of survival, making the poem a chilling and memorable exploration of power divorced from conscience.
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