Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
The speaker of this poem is a hawk, who is personified in this poem to give us an insight into how a predatory animal might think.
Form and Meter
This poem is written in free verse.
Metaphors and Similes
Hughes uses a metaphor to describe how the hawk feels about his surroundings: "And the earth's face upward for my inspection."
Alliteration and Assonance
"To produce my foot, my each feather."
Irony
Ironically, the Hawk's intentions of "tearing off heads" are described as being "manners"
Genre
Nature poetry
Setting
This poem is set in a forest, where the hawk lives.
Tone
The tone of the poem is quite morbid.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The hawk is arguably both the protagonist and antagonist
Major Conflict
The major conflict of this poem is the hawk's feelings about his position in the ecosystem.
Climax
The climax of the poem is when the hawk says "I am going to keep things like this."
Foreshadowing
Hughes indicates the cruelty of the hawk in the following line:
"Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat."
Understatement
Hughes suggests that people often understate the cruelty of the natural world.
Allusions
By referring to "Creation," Hughes alludes to a religious way of thinking.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
Hughes personifies the hawk in this poem.
Hyperbole
The hawk uses hyperbole to describe its position at the top of the hierarchy. For example, the hawk says:
"It took the whole of Creation
To produce my foot, my each feather."
Onomatopoeia
N/A
