BSc BA ADP English Notes Poem Hawk's Monologue (Ted Hughes) Important Questions

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Question No 1. Bring out the beauties and delicacies of the poem "Hawk's Monologue" by Ted Hughes. Or Write Critical Appreciation of the poem.

Ans. It is though-provoking poem that tells us symbolically about a dictator. Hawk has been taken as a symbol. Just as a hawk feels it is the sole-ruler of the kingdom of birds, in the same way a dictator becomes power-drunk and feels that he is all-powerful and is always right.

The poet wishes to make us realize about this delusion on the part of the dictator that he has been specially made to rule the world whereas the others have been created to be ruled. Under the cover of the hawk, he lays open/bare before us all the follies of such a fellow.

The theme of the poem is the power and might of the hawk that makes it power-drunk. It always lives in the upper-most branches of the forest-tress. It feels that its curved beak and claws have been made be nature purposefully for preying. The air, the sun and the earth all help it in its job of hunting. It flies freely  and kills any bird it likes. Might is its right and might is right for it. Its target is very exact and precise. It flies directly "through" the body of its prey and doesn't need any argument to assert its right. It finds the sun at its back and intends to hold everything under its rule as it has found it.

This powerful theme of the poem has been put forth in strong and suitable words. The vocabulary is as aggressive as the flight and killing of the hawk. These lines are particularly worth quoting:

For the one path of my flight is direct

Through the bones of living  (lines 18-19)

The imagery of the poem is full of life. We begin seeing hawk ruling over the forest with all its might and destructive powers. The words used are evocative with deep emotion and a hidden strength which becomes manifest as we read/recite the poem aloud. The poem is a very good dramatic romantic lyric in the form of a monologue. It has been written in free verse with no rhyme except in line 3 and 4 that end in "feet" and "eat" (by chance) respectively. The number of syllables vary from 6 to 11 in different lines according to the flow of ideas or images. The poem, however, stands divided in 6 stanzas of 4 lines each. The words are mostly multi-syllabic, simple but elaborate.

Question No 2. Does the hawk accept the realities of life? Discuss with reference to "Hawk's Monologue" by Ted Hughes.

Ans. The hawk in "Hawk's Monologue" by Ted Hughes does not accept the realities of life. It is living under a continuous illusion. Right from the time it has gained consciousness, it has seen itself above other birds. It has been ruling the forest so to speak. It has seen that nature has never deceived it. The air's buoyancy has always been there to help it. The sun has always given it light. The earth has always presented itself below its feet. Nothing has changed. It has been killing the birds. All these continuities have assured it that its rule and domination over others will go on for ever. But there is one thing to be noted which it never notes. It is that all its powers are granted by God and God can take these whenever He likes. Hawk forgets in its power-drunkenness that it is, after-all, going to die one day.

So we see that the hawk does not accept the realities of life and that serves to take it towards a miserable end. 

Questions No 3. Discuss the theme of the poem. Do Hawk's assertions of all powerfulness impress you? If not, why?

Ans. Actually the poem Hawk's Monologue is symbolic. Hawk is a symbol of despotic ruler or a dictator who feels that he has been born to rule the people. The theme of the poem is the delusion of the power-drunk dictator. Such a fellow feels and asserts his all-powerfulness and goes to such advanced limits there remains no place to retreat and he has to die a humble and humiliated death.

The assertions of all-powerfulness of the hawk (i.e., such a dictator) do not impress us at all. We know that no bird (or man) can be all-powerful. Only Allah Almighty is All-Powerful. Man is mortal. He can never be all-powerful.

Question No 4. Discuss the images used by the poet to highlight the grandeur and impact of the Hawk's physical strength and domination over other creatures.

Ans. In the poem Hawk's Monologue we find that the poet Ted Hughes has used many images to highlight the grandeur and impact of the Hawk's physical strength and domination over other craters.

To start with, we find the hawk with eyes closed, but with

"..... no falsifying dream

Between my hooked head and hooked feet."   (line 2-3)

Later on, the hawk boasts that all the conveniences of nature like "air's buoyancy and the sun's rays" are made for it.

"Ans the earth's face upward for my inspection." (line 8)

Still, later on, it tells us that

"It took the whole of creation

To produce my foot, my each feather". (line 10-11)

and as result:

"Now I hold creation in my foot."  (line 12)

There is a very forceful image in the lines:

"My manners are tearing off heads ....

The allotment of death

For the one path of my flight is direct

Through the bones of the living."  (lines 16-19)

There is another powerful image that comes near the end:

"The sun is behind me."  (line 21)

The last two lines close the poem with another powerful assertion:

"My eye has permitted no change

I am going to keep things like this." (lines 23-24)

So we find a whole line of images used by the poet to highlight the grandeur and impact of the Hawk's  physical strength and domination over other creature.