The Harsh and Brutal Cruelty of the Animal World in 'Hawk Roosting'. Seren J Noakes 11th Grade

Surrounded by the wilderness of Mytholmroyd, Hughes’ childhood was greatly influenced by the natural world, and this was significantly reflected in his poetry. Much of Hughes’ literary works depict the sheer power and, indeed, the cruelty of the animal world; and often how it mirrored our own humanity. ‘Hawk Roosting’ is a prime example of Hughes’ fascination of the ‘harsh and brutal cruelty’ of the animal world. The poetic voice of the hawk is merciless and remorseless. In the fourth stanza, it says “I kill where I please”, which epitomizes the brutal cruelty of the world in which it hunts, and the hawk itself. Indeed, the raw reality and honesty of the hawk’s nature (‘no falsifying dream’) only serves to accentuate its ruthlessness, as it is distinctly lacking in compassion or empathy. It is a predator; it lives to kill, and the hawk is perfectly aware of that. Yet, considering this, one could argue that despite the hawk’s conceited persona, it is merely doing what it needs to survive. How can the innate instinct for self-preservation be classified as ‘cruelty’, regardless of the fashion in which it was conducted? Perhaps Hughes, instead, was fascinated by the simplicity of nature -to kill or be killed- and the contrast it...