Dr Keith Tankard
Knowledge4Africa.com
Updated: 14 October 2006

NOTES SENSE

This is a most graphic poem, written in six stanzas but with no discernable rhyming scheme.

• It represents the reflections of a hawk as it roosts on a tree-top surveying the world and contemplating the purpose of its life.
• The hawk sees itself as the centre of the universe and the pinnacle of creation.
• He controls the world, bringing death to anything on the ground that dares to defy his authority by moving.

ANALYSIS

Stanza 1:

The hawk sits atop a tree awaiting the approaching night (it is roosting). His arrogance is already clear.

• He says that even in his sleep, he does not dream needless dreams ("no falsifying dream").
• Rather his mind even now practises the art of killing and eating.

Stanza 2:

Everything is created for the hawk.

• The high trees are convenient to give him a good vantage point from which to view the world.
• The air allows him to float while searching the ground for food.
• The sun is positioned so that it conceals him from his prey on the ground.
• Even the earth faces upward for him to inspect.

Notice the martial attitude reflected in this stanza:

• military generals and kings inspect their subjects.
• The subjects in turn exist solely to be of use to those generals and kings.
• In this way rats, mice and other rodents have no other purpose but to obey the hawk and to provide him with food.

Stanza 3:

The hawk contemplates his foot which is locked into the bark of the branch.

• He sees himself as the pinnacle of creation.
• At the same time he rules creation with his foot.

Stanza 4:

Creation rotates beneath the hawk while he rotates in the air above.

• He owns everything.
• He kills whenever it pleases him.

The hawk points out that there is nothing false in his body.

• His curved beak and his clawed feet are designed solely to enable him to kill.

Stanza 5:

The hawk restates that his sole purpose in life is killing.

• His very path to fulfilment is through death (the bones of the living creatures).
• He has no need for false arguments.

Stanza 6:

The hawk points out that nothing changes in his life, and that he will allow no change.

• Nothing on the ground dares move.
• If it does, he will swoop down from his vantage point in front of the sun and kill it.
• Nothing dares to change his world.

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FEELING & TONE

Arrogance embraces everything that the hawk says.

• He believes that he is the centre of creation.
• He also rules creation with an iron fist (or claw).
• He kills all who dare to challenge his authority.

SOCIAL SATIRE?

Is there a hint of satire in this poem? Is the poet perhaps satirizing humanity for its ruthless control of the world?

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VOCABULARY

ROOSTING - a bird sitting comfortably through the night, perhaps sleeping

CONVENIENCE - usefulness

BUOYANCY - the ability to float, either on water or (metaphorically) in the air

SOPHISTRY - false arguments

ALLOTMENT - that which is given to us

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