Hawk Roosting Summary
This poem is about a hawk (a bird of prey) who is sitting on the top of a tree. The hawk feels powerful and proud. It closes its eyes and rests, but still thinks about hunting. Even when the hawk is sleeping, it imagines killing perfectly and then eating the prey.
The hawk says that it likes being on high trees. The air helps it fly easily, and the sunlight gives it energy. The hawk also says that the earth looks up to it, as if made just for the hawk to see.
The hawk’s feet are strong and hold tightly to the tree. It believes that the whole world was created just to make the hawk perfect — from its claws to its feathers. Now, the hawk feels like it controls everything.
The hawk says it can fly whenever it wants, and it can kill wherever it wants, because everything belongs to it. The hawk doesn’t try to be nice or polite — its way is simple: to kill and tear heads off.
The hawk says that it is the one who decides who should die. Its flight is straight and fast, going through living things without stopping. It doesn’t need to explain or argue for what it does — it just knows it has the right.
In the end, the hawk says that nothing has changed since it started living. Its eyes have allowed no change. The hawk wants to keep the world the same, under its control forever.
Main Message
This poem shows the power, pride, and control of the hawk. The hawk feels like a king of nature, who can do whatever it wants, and no one can question or stop it. It is also a symbol of strength and control.
Hawk Roosting Summary (Urdu)
یہ نظم ایک شکاری پرندے (باز) کے بارے میں ہے جو ایک اونچے درخت پر بیٹھا ہوا ہے۔ وہ اپنے آپ کو طاقتور اور مغرور محسوس کرتا ہے۔ وہ آنکھیں بند کر کے آرام کر رہا ہے، لیکن پھر بھی شکار کے بارے میں سوچتا ہے۔ وہ خواب میں بھی شکار کر کے کھانے کی مشق کرتا ہے۔
باز کہتا ہے کہ اسے اونچے درخت پسند ہیں۔ ہوا اسے اُڑنے میں مدد دیتی ہے اور سورج کی روشنی اسے طاقت دیتی ہے۔ زمین بھی اسے ایسے لگتی ہے جیسے وہ صرف باز کے دیکھنے کے لیے بنی ہو۔
باز کے پنجے مضبوط ہیں اور درخت کی موٹی چھال کو سختی سے پکڑے ہوئے ہیں۔ وہ کہتا ہے کہ پوری دنیا صرف اس کی خوبصورتی بنانے کے لیے بنی ہے — ہر پر اور ہر پنجہ خاص ہے۔ اب وہ کہتا ہے کہ وہ دنیا کو اپنے قابو میں رکھتا ہے۔
وہ کہتا ہے کہ وہ جہاں چاہے اُڑتا ہے، اور جہاں چاہے قتل کرتا ہے کیونکہ یہ سب کچھ اس کا ہے۔ وہ اچھا یا نرمی والا نہیں بنتا — وہ سیدھے سر توڑ دیتا ہے۔
وہ کہتا ہے کہ وہی فیصلہ کرتا ہے کون مرے گا۔ اس کی پرواز سیدھی اور تیز ہوتی ہے، اور وہ زندہ جسموں کے پار نکل جاتا ہے۔ وہ کہتا ہے کہ اسے کسی سے وضاحت نہیں کرنی پڑتی — وہ خود کو حق پر سمجھتا ہے۔
آخر میں باز کہتا ہے کہ جب سے وہ پیدا ہوا، کچھ بھی نہیں بدلا۔ اس کی نظر نے کبھی کسی چیز کو بدلنے نہیں دیا۔ وہ چاہتا ہے سب کچھ ہمیشہ ایسے ہی رہے — اس کے قابو میں۔
Hawk Roosting Summary (Hindi)
यह कविता एक शिकारी पक्षी (बाज़) के बारे में है जो एक ऊँचे पेड़ पर बैठा है। वह खुद को बहुत ताकतवर और गर्व से भरा हुआ महसूस करता है। उसकी आंखें बंद हैं, लेकिन वह अब भी शिकार के बारे में सोच रहा है। वह सपनों में भी शिकार करने और खाने की प्रैक्टिस करता है।
बाज़ कहता है कि उसे ऊँचे पेड़ पसंद हैं। हवा उसे उड़ने में मदद करती है और सूरज की किरणें उसे ऊर्जा देती हैं। जमीन भी उसे ऐसी लगती है जैसे वह सिर्फ उसके देखने के लिए बनी हो।
उसके पंजे मजबूत हैं और वह पेड़ की खुरदरी छाल को कसकर पकड़े हुआ है। वह कहता है कि पूरा संसार सिर्फ उसे परफेक्ट बनाने के लिए बना है — उसके हर पंख और पंजे को बनाने के लिए। अब वह कहता है कि वह सब कुछ अपने कंट्रोल में रखता है।
वह कहता है कि वह जहाँ चाहे उड़ सकता है, और जहाँ चाहे मार सकता है क्योंकि सब कुछ उसका है। वह अच्छा बनने की कोशिश नहीं करता — उसका तरीका है सीधे सिर तोड़ देना।
वह कहता है कि वही तय करता है किसकी मौत होगी। उसकी उड़ान सीधी और तेज है, जो ज़िंदा शरीरों के आर-पार निकल जाती है। उसे अपने अधिकार के लिए कुछ कहने की ज़रूरत नहीं — वह खुद को सही मानता है।
अंत में बाज़ कहता है कि जब से वह आया है, कुछ नहीं बदला है। उसकी नज़रों ने कभी कुछ बदलने नहीं दिया। वह चाहता है सब कुछ हमेशा ऐसा ही बना रहे — उसके कंट्रोल में।
Hawk Roosting Analysis
Introduction:
This poem is spoken in the voice of a hawk, a strong bird that sits high in the trees. The hawk feels proud and powerful. It thinks that everything in the world exists only for it. The poet shows how the hawk believes it is the ruler of nature, and no one can challenge or stop it.
Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis
Stanza 1:
I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed.
Inaction, no falsifying dream
Between my hooked head and hooked feet:
Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat.
Meaning:
The hawk is sitting on top of a tall tree.
It is resting with eyes closed, not doing anything.
Even when sleeping, it does not dream false things.
In its mind, it is practicing how to kill perfectly and eat.
Main Idea:
The hawk is calm but always ready. Even in sleep, it thinks about power and killing.
Stanza 2:
The convenience of the high trees!
The air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray
Are of advantage to me;
And the earth’s face upward for my inspection.
Meaning:
The hawk enjoys the comfort of high trees.
Air helps it fly, and the sun gives it light and energy.
The earth looks up as if it is made for the hawk to inspect.
Main Idea:
Everything in nature — trees, air, sun, and earth — is seen as something made to serve the hawk.
Stanza 3:
My feet are locked upon the rough bark.
It took the whole of Creation
To produce my foot, my each feather:
Now I hold Creation in my foot
Meaning:
The hawk’s strong feet are tightly holding the rough tree bark.
It believes the whole world (Creation) was made just to create its perfect body.
Now, the hawk feels like it controls the whole world with its foot.
Main Idea:
The hawk thinks it is the most important creature — it was made perfectly and now it rules.
Stanza 4:
Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly –
I kill where I please because it is all mine.
There is no sophistry in my body:
My manners are tearing off heads –
Meaning:
The hawk can fly and look over everything slowly.
It kills wherever it wants, because it believes everything belongs to it.
The hawk says it is not fake or clever with words.
It is direct and brutal — it just kills by tearing heads.
Main Idea:
The hawk is honest about its power. It says: “I kill. I don’t hide it.”
Stanza 5:
The allotment of death.
For the one path of my flight is direct
Through the bones of the living.
No arguments assert my right:
Meaning:
The hawk believes it decides who should die.
Its flight is fast and straight, going through living creatures.
It says no one needs to agree or disagree — it has the right to rule and kill.
Main Idea:
The hawk thinks it has full control over life and death. It doesn’t need anyone’s permission.
Stanza 6 (Final):
The sun is behind me.
Nothing has changed since I began.
My eye has permitted no change.
I am going to keep things like this.
Meaning:
The hawk says the sun supports it from behind.
Since it was born, nothing has changed.
Its sharp eyes never allowed change.
It will make sure everything stays under its control forever.
Main Idea:
The hawk wants to keep the world the same, under its power, without change.
Main Themes
| Theme | Explanation (Easy Words) |
|---|---|
| Power and Control | The hawk feels it controls the whole world. |
| Pride and Ego | The hawk is very proud of itself. It thinks it is perfect. |
| Nature and Survival | It shows how wild animals think — kill or be killed. |
| Violence and Death | The hawk is not ashamed of killing. For it, violence is natural. |
| Stability (No Change) | The hawk doesn’t want anything to change. It likes being in control forever. |
Poet’s Purpose (Why Ted Hughes wrote this?)
- Ted Hughes uses the hawk to show a voice that is proud, powerful, and honest about violence.
- Some people say the hawk also represents rulers or dictators — people who want full control.
- The poem is not just about a bird. It also tells us about human power, ego, and cruelty.
Final Message
This poem tells us how some creatures (or people) feel they are the most powerful. They do what they want, without fear, guilt, or care. They believe the world exists to serve them, and they will never allow change.
