I kill where I please because it is all mine.
There is no sophistry in my body:
My manners are tearing off heads -
The hawk exemplifies the part of nature that exists beyond the restrictions of human morality. As the speaker, the hawk acknowledges its nature which involves mauling and killing to fulfill its impulses. The bird is unapologetic in its tone because it is driven by forces of nature that surpass any moral judgment. It takes pleasure in hunting and killing not from a place of malice or wickedness but because of its inherent desires. The hawk affirms its superiority over the prey and the only etiquette it can show is mangling and slaying it.
It took the whole of Creation
To produce my foot, my each feather:
Now I hold Creation in my foot
The lines allude to both the theory of evolution and the religious concept of creation and creator. The hawk identifies the natural order of the universe by referring to the circle of life in the wild. It evolved as a means of survival and became a killing machine that feeds on prey which is part of creation too. Each creature serves its purpose in nature and the hawk views itself as a dominant component in the balance. Moreover, the quotation denotes the hawk as a supreme being similar to God with power over other creatures. Accordingly, Hughes captures the mindset of a bird of prey by its ability to have a higher vantage point and attacking its target.
Nothing has changed since I began.
My eye has permitted no change.
I am going to keep things like this.
The hawk brazenly declares its true nature which involves attacking and killing preys without remorse. It rationalizes the instinctual drives as part of nature’s law of balance that ensures the natural order of things. Since its motivations are not calculated or fallacious its actions go beyond moral judgments. The hawk has and will not change its perspective because it only knows to abide by its true nature. It is a formidable creature with the capability to instill fear and swiftly attack its target victims or prey. Thus, it accomplishes its purpose in the predator-prey interactions that maintain the ecological balance.
