Important Questions for CBSE Class 11 English Woven Poem Chapter 7 - Hawk Roosting

A. Very Short Answer Questions: 1 Mark

1. Where is the hawk sitting? 

Ans: The hawk is perched high in a tree in the woods.

2. What does the hawk do in its sleep? 

Ans: The hawk practises its immaculate killing abilities while sleeping and eats its prey.

3. What does the hawk represent? 

Ans: The hawk symbolises the idea of society's survival of the fittest.

4. Name the poet who has penned “Hawk Roosting”. 

Ans: Ted Hughes is the author of the poem "Hawk Roosting."

5. What does the hawk describe as its manners? 

Ans: The hawk declares that cutting off heads is its etiquette, meaning that it kills.

B. Short Answer Questions 2 marks 

6. What are the advantages that the hawk mentions it possesses? 

Ans: From atop a tree, the hawk extols the benefits of the height of the trees, the buoyancy of the air, and the sun's rays.

7. What does the poem “hawk roosting” emphasize upon? 

Ans: Ted Hughes points out in his poem "hawk roosting" that sentient creatures may believe they are all strong, but they just cannot match the might of nature. Nature is supreme in its dominance.

8. Explain the physical capability of the hawk. 

Ans: To destroy its prey, the hawk possesses a hooked head and hooked feet, as well as powerful wings to allow it to fly above all.

9. In what language does the hawk interpret its thoughts in the poem? 

Ans: The hawk speaks in a rough and self-centred manner. It has a nasty intellect that is only interested in murder and looting.

10. What does the poem signify with regards to the world around us? 

Ans: The poem expresses the global hubris and fascism that exists now. The hawk indicates a person's desire to always be one step ahead of the competition.

C. Short Answer Questions 3 marks 

11. The hawk sounds arrogant. Discuss? 

Ans: In the woods, a hawk is sitting on the top of a tree. It is, in a sense, looking down on the world beneath its feet. Because he considers himself to be the most powerful entity in the area, the hawk comes across as arrogant. He feels himself to be all-powerful and the arbiter of life and death in his environment. 

12. Why does the hawk state that his life is very convenient?

Ans: The poet highlights the hawk's easy life at the start of the poem. The hawk admires the tall trees and the buoyant air that aid him in his flight. The hawk could easily observe the world beneath his feet from the top of the tree, choosing and killing its victim. All of these pieces of evidence support the hawk's dominance over other birds. As a result, the hawk declares that his life is extremely convenient.

13. What does the hawk imply when it says “there is no sophistry in my body”? 

Ans: The hawk means that he does not lie about his power or make any false claims about it. He doesn't need to deceive because his sheer power allows him to rip the heads off its prey. He means to indicate that he is free to do whatever he wants. He has the ability to soar slowly through the air, scrutinising everyone below him. 

14. What is the theme of the poem “hawk roosting”? 

Ans: Ted Hughes underlines the power of nature over mortal beings in this poem. The poem's central topic is that, even if living beings like the hawk believe they are all-powerful, they are powerless in the face of nature's might. Living beings can strive their hardest, but nature's dominance reigns supreme.

15. How does the hawk mock God, his creator? 

Ans: The hawk claims that the creator put a lot of effort into constructing him, his feathers, and his physique. He feels as if he is holding God in his grasp now that he is sitting on the top of the tree and clutching the tree limb in his foot. He makes fun of his creator by saying that he is extremely strong, even more so than God. He feels that because he has surpassed all others in power, he has nature at his mercy.

D. Long Answer Questions 5 marks 

16. Discuss the narcissist personality of the hawk. 

Ans: The hawk perched on a high tree branch considers itself to be all-powerful. It boasts that it dreams of murdering and eating its prey even while sleeping. It even challenges the creator by claiming to have the entire planet under its feet. It exerts its dominance by claiming that everything around him is working in his favour, whether it be the sun's rays, the air's buoyancy, or the tall trees. The hawk is fascinated with its powerful body, claiming that it was made solely to kill and eat and that this is what it will do in the future. It proclaims its dominance over others by claiming that no reasoning can modify its behaviour and that it even has control over the creator. All of this points to the hawk's narcissistic nature.

17. Draw a comparison between the hawk in the poem and the humans. 

Ans: Ted Hughes has accurately shown human behaviour all around the world with the hawk. Humans, like the hawk, desire to rule over others, particularly nature. They believe they are superior to others and are always attempting to assert their dominance. Humans, like the hawk in the poem, are conceited and believe themselves to be the creator. They are unconcerned about others and believe that their way of life and attitude to life is superior to that of others. They do not wish to change for the better and prefer to maintain their old controlling lifestyle. Killing is used by both the hawk in the poem and humans to demonstrate their control and supremacy over others.

18. Describe the physical features of the hawk that add to its lifestyle. 

Ans: Since the hawk is a predator, its body parts are tailored to aid it in its hunting. It features a "hooked head and hooked feet," implying a sharp and pointed beak as well as keen talons for killing and devouring its food. "Its feet are fixed against the tough bark," the hawk says, referring to the powerful grasp it has on the branch of the big tree. The hawk is well-built, as it can soar above other birds or glide leisurely with the assistance of its powerful wings.

19. What does the poet imply by the following lines? “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.” 

Ans: The poet implies that the hawk considers itself superior to the life-giving sun by saying, "the sun is behind me." It also implies that the hawk believes the sun morally supports its acts, therefore no reasoning is required to justify its heinous deeds. The hawk's arrogance is obvious because the sun is the source of life on Earth, but the hawk represents death and devastation.

The lines "Nothing has changed since I began," "My eye has permitted no alteration," and "I am going to keep things like this," touch on the hawk's arrogance. It is convinced that its way of life is correct and that no change will ever occur in its vicinity. It will maintain its demeanour and that its demeanour will be eternal and unchanging throughout.

20. What does the poem “Hawk Roosting” signify? 

Ans: The poem depicts human behaviour toward others in their environment. The hawk's self-manifestation in the poem alludes to humans' ruthlessness and cruelty, much as the hawk does. The human, like the hawk in the poem, is attempting to grasp and rule its creator through modern-day advances and technologies. Humans are influenced by their arrogance and overconfidence. The core ideas of human life have been forgotten in the ambition to govern others. Power and ego are obsessions for today's guy. He sees himself as the centre of the universe, with everyone else serving his whims and desires. The human has become unreasonable and arrogant simply because he is powerful. The poet is attempting to convey the reality that man is mortal and not the creator of the universe. Nature is the true undisputed creator, incapable of being governed by humans.