Ted Hughes was an English poet and children’s literature writer who is often deemed one of the greatest poet of his generation. His work is most often concerned with themes of nature and animal world.
“Hawk Roosting” is one such example, where an animal, the bird, is personified, and it shows its world perception. It describes the hawk sitting on top of a tree looking upon the world in a dominating manner. The hawk comments on its creation and is aware of its magnificence.
The language used in the poem is dry and factual, without the usage of many stylistic figures. It contains the hawk’s factual description of its existence and purpose. The main theme of the poem is the theme of nature, and the hawk is personified as an intellectual self-aware being to bring it closer to the reader.