Composition

Here, we will discuss the outer composition (stanzas, verses, graphical expression) and inner composition (beginning, subdivision, and course) of the poem “Hawk Roosting” by Ted Hughes. Finally, we take a look at the rythm and the rhyme of the poem.

Outer composition

The poem “Hawk Roosting” presents a hawk’s view of the world. The poem is comprised of six stanzas, which present the hawk’s nature. The stanzas  allow the poet to organise the poem and send his message across according to an established plan. Each of the stanzas is comprised of four verses with similar length.

The hawk is somewhere high, above the ground, but it is not impressed by its condition; it knows that it was created by a divine force for the specific purpose of being a predator. According to the hawk, there is nothing special in what its existence is concerned; it was born and created to attack and kill, exactly like every other hawk has done and like every other hawk will keep on doing. The poem is meant to make the reader focus on the animal nature that mirrors human nature.

Inner composition

Each of the six stan...