The summary and theme of the poem " HAWK'S MONOLOGUE" written by Ted Hughes

 This is the summary, theme, critical appreciation, and reference to the context of the poem Hawk's Monologue written by Ted Hughes. This is for the students of B.A. This poem is included in the syllabus of the University of Punjab. I have given the introduction of the poet and poem. I have also given in this article refers to the context of the poem.

HAWK'S MONOLOGUE



Hawk's monologue summary


The poem "Hawk's Monologue" 

 Ted Hughes (1930-1998)

Introduction of the poet


Ted Hughes was a great English poet. He was a famous English poet and translator. He also wrote for children. He was a great 20th century English writer. He married Sylvia Plath. He wrote beauty and violence in the world. Ted Hughes was a great translator.  He translated many works.


Introduction of the poem


This poem is written by English poet Ted Hughes. This poem is about a hawk who boasts of his power. He thinks that he has all power. All-powerful people forget that one day they have to die and destroy.


Summary of the poem


Ted Hughes is a British poet of great poetic excellence. his poetry is a study of human nature in its various forms. Death, destruction, violence, and savagery are the basic themes of this poem. Hawk's Monologue illustrates the fact that the habit to plunder and prey contains the seeds of destruction. The all people who have power forget that their power will end one day. The poem is written the form of a monologue. A monologue is a speech delivered by the main character of the poem. The poet and other characters remain in the background.


In this poem, the hawk is the main character who boasts of this supremacy over all other creatures of God. The hawk is sitting on a tree and thinking about his prey. His eyes are closed He is a power-drunk He is sitting idle but he claims that he knows his action well. his hooked, head and the hooked feat never forget to prey on their victim even when they are inactive. They can hunt kill and eat in sleep also.


The hawk claims that his power never ended. He is sitting on a tree higher than other girds. This is a position of advantage and supremacy of him. He receives the sun's rays and the pleasing effect of the air contrary to other creations of God. The earth also helps him in his prey. He boasts that he is the crown of all creations. His every foot and each feather are fashioned by God with extreme care and beauty.


He has the power and authority to kill anything anywhere. He is very powerful and mighty. It is his habit to tear off the heads of his victims he is merciless and inhuman. His main aim is to destroy others. His path is full of bones and dead bodies. He has the absolute authority to question him. The hawk goes on to assert that nothing is going to change. He has been going on in his destructive activities for centuries together. His eye has permitted no change. His supremacy and excellence are permanent and are not going out to suffer. any change.


He further says that his flight is incomplete if he does not kill others. Nobody is there to deprive him of his right. He claims that his powerful eyes have allowed things to change to his disadvantages, and will create difficulties for him.


"Hawk's Monologue" points out the basic truth which is shared by all power-drunk rulers. All rulers think that their power never ended.


Critical Appreciation 


Hawk's Monologue is an interesting poem by Ted Hughes. The poem may be seen as a comment on the approach of those who are power-drunk. They want to rule the world through dictatorial means. They consider themselves above any regulation. To them, sympathy is a far cry, They need no justification for whatever they do. They are accountable for nothing and to none. As the title suggests, a hawk talks to himself in this poem.


The old hawk of the poem is sitting at the topmost branch of a tree in the forest with his eyes closed. He talks to himself and boasts about his achievements. He says that his hooked head and hooked feet know how to hunt even when they seem inactive. Different elements of nature assist him in chasing and catching his prey. The air helps him fly high. 


The rays of the sun help him look clearly. Even the face of the earth assists him to locate his prey. He claimes to have a right on killing any bird that comes his way His beak and claws are made to crush the heads of other birds that are inferior to him in power. He says that he knows well how powerful he is since his creation. He has not seen any change and will not allow any change.


The Theme of the poem


The theme of the poem is thought-provoking. In this world, powerful people think that they are monarchs. They are vain of their power. They haunt and tease others. They kill others only for their happiness. Intoxicated by their power, fame, and prosperity, they forget their downfall. but with the passage of time, they lose their power and glory. The Hawk is a symbol of power in the poem and also a symbol of death and destruction. 


Reference to the Context

Reference 


These lines have been borrowed from the poem Hawk's Monologue written by Ted Hughes.


Context


This poem is the monologue of an old hawk. The hawk tells us about his beauty, power, and skill to attack and hunt other birds. he considers himself the best of all creation. He thinks that God has used the best workmanship to fashion his feet and feathers. It is an inborn right to attack and kill other birds. The right of bloodshed and destruction is given to him by nature. he does not want any change in this system. he wants to be the lord of everything he surveys forever.


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