Chapter hawk-roosting: Hawk Roosting | Short Questions

This line suggests that the hawk recognizes the immense effort and time nature spent to create such a perfect killing machine. Every part of the hawk, from its sharp claws to its aerodynamic feathers, is a masterpiece of biological engineering. However, the hawk uses this fact not to show gratitude, but to justify its own importance. It feels that because so much effort went into making it, it has the right to rule over everything else that nature has produced.

The hawk uses the word 'manners' ironically to describe its violent behavior. While 'manners' usually refer to polite social rules, the hawk's only rule is the survival of the fittest. By saying its manners involve tearing off heads, it emphasizes that it is a creature of raw instinct and physical power. It does not follow human codes of conduct; its only 'politeness' is the direct and efficient way it kills its prey without any unnecessary hesitation or apology.

The hawk describes its path of flight as 'direct,' meaning it does not deviate or hesitate. This path goes 'through the bones of the living,' which is a vivid and terrifying image of its predatory nature. Unlike humans who might take complex routes or consider moral consequences, the hawk’s movement is a straight line toward destruction. This illustrates the hawk's single-minded focus on killing and its lack of any internal conflict or doubt about its actions in the world.

When the hawk says 'The sun is behind me,' it suggests that the most powerful force in nature is supporting its actions. Being positioned with the sun behind it gives the hawk a tactical advantage while hunting, as it can see clearly while its prey is blinded by the light. Metaphorically, it implies that the hawk is the center of the solar system's attention. It feels that nature is literally 'backing it up,' confirming its rightful place as the dominant ruler.

At the end of the poem, the hawk displays a very rigid attitude toward time, claiming that 'nothing has changed' since it began. It views the world as a static place where it has always been, and will always be, in power. The hawk has 'permitted no change' because any change would disrupt its perfect dominance. This shows the hawk's desire for eternal control and its belief that its power is so absolute that it can even stop the progress of history.