Important Questions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 7 Poem Hawk Roosting 2026–27

Hawk Roosting by Ted Hughes is a dramatic monologue in which a hawk speaks about its body, power and right to kill. For CBSE Class 11 English, the poem connects predatory instincts with pride, violence, dominance and human behaviour.

Hawk Roosting is a poem by Ted Hughes from the Woven Words poetry section. It is spoken from the hawk’s point of view, which makes it a dramatic monologue. The hawk sits at the top of the wood and speaks with complete confidence about its hooked head, hooked feet, killing instinct and control over the world below.

Use these Important Questions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 7 Poem to revise Hawk Roosting for the 2026–27 exams. Focus on the physical features of the hawk, physical prowess of the hawk, air’s buoyancy, sophistry in my body, “Now I hold Creation in my foot,” predatory instincts and the poem’s link with human behaviour.

Key Takeaways

• Monologue: Hawk Roosting is spoken entirely by the hawk in the first person.
• Physical power: The hawk’s hooked head, hooked feet and locked claws show predatory strength.
• Brutal frankness: “There is no sophistry in my body” shows that the hawk does not hide its violence.
• Central assertion: “Now I hold Creation in my foot” shows the hawk’s pride and sense of control.

Finding the hawk’s violent voice and symbolic meaning hard to explain?
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Very Short Answer Questions for Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 7 Poem

These questions test direct facts from Hawk Roosting. They help revise the poet, form, setting and key images before explanation-based answers.

Q1. Who is the poet of “Hawk Roosting”?

Ted Hughes is the poet of Hawk Roosting.

He is known for poems that present birds, animals and nature through strong and often violent images.

Q2. In what form is “Hawk Roosting” written?

Hawk Roosting is written in the form of a monologue.

The hawk speaks throughout the poem. Its voice reveals pride, power and a violent view of the world.

Q3. Where is the hawk sitting?

The hawk is sitting at the top of the wood.

This position gives the hawk height, control and a clear view of the earth below.

Q4. What does the hawk do in sleep?

The hawk rehearses perfect kills and eats in its sleep.

This shows that killing is central to its instinct, even when it is resting.

Q5. Which physical features of the hawk are mentioned in the poem?

The poem mentions the hawk’s hooked head, hooked feet, locked feet and feathers.

These features show that the hawk’s body is made for hunting, gripping, tearing and dominating.

Q6. What does the hawk say about its manners?

The hawk says, “My manners are tearing off heads.”

This means that its natural behaviour is violent and predatory.

Q7. What does the phrase “air’s buoyancy” mean?

“Air’s buoyancy” means the support given by air to the hawk during flight.

The hawk sees the air as one of the natural advantages that helps it fly and hunt.

Q8. What does “sophistry in my body” mean?

“Sophistry in my body” means false reasoning, pretence or clever argument.

When the hawk says there is no sophistry in its body, it means that its power is direct, natural and brutally honest.

Short Answer Questions from Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 7 Poem

Short answer questions focus on meaning, image and attitude. Each answer should connect the hawk’s words with its sense of power.

Q9. What advantages does the hawk get from the high trees?

The high trees give the hawk height, safety and a wide view of the earth below.

From the top of the wood, the hawk can inspect the ground, choose its prey and feel superior to other living beings.

Q10. How does the hawk describe the earth?

The hawk describes the earth as facing upward for its inspection.

This shows the hawk’s arrogance. It imagines the whole earth as something placed below it for its observation and control.

Q11. Why does the hawk say that it kills where it pleases?

The hawk says this because it believes that everything belongs to it.

The line “I kill where I please because it is all mine” shows its violent confidence and sense of ownership over the world.

Q12. What does the hawk mean by “the allotment of death”?

“The allotment of death” means that the hawk sees death as something it has the right to distribute.

It believes that deciding who dies is part of its natural authority.

Q13. How does the poem show the hawk’s arrogance?

The poem shows the hawk’s arrogance through its belief that the world exists for its convenience.

It says that the high trees, air, sun and earth are all useful to it. It also claims that it holds Creation in its foot.

Q14. Why does the hawk say, “No arguments assert my right”?

The hawk says this because it does not need arguments to justify its power.

Its right comes from its body, instinct and ability to kill. It does not believe in moral explanation or debate.

Q15. What does “The sun is behind me” suggest?

“The sun is behind me” suggests that the hawk sees even the sun as supporting its power.

The image places the hawk in a commanding position, with light and nature behind it.

Textbook-Based Questions on Hawk Roosting

These questions are based on the Woven Words “Understanding the Poem” section. Give clear answers with reference to the hawk’s voice and images.

Q16. Comment on the physical features of the hawk highlighted in the poem and their significance.

The poem highlights the hawk’s hooked head, hooked feet, locked claws and feathers.

These features are significant because they show that the hawk is physically designed for hunting and killing. The hooked head suggests a sharp beak that can tear flesh. The hooked feet suggest strong talons that can grip prey.

The line “My feet are locked upon the rough bark” shows firmness and control. The hawk’s body becomes the main source of its confidence. Through these features, Ted Hughes presents the hawk as a perfect predator.

Q17. How does the poem emphasise the physical prowess of the hawk?

The poem emphasises the hawk’s physical prowess by presenting every part of its body as powerful and purposeful.

The hawk has a hooked head and hooked feet. Its feet grip the rough bark firmly. It can fly up, revolve slowly and inspect the earth below.

It says that even in sleep it rehearses “perfect kills,” which shows that hunting is part of its natural ability. The hawk’s strength is also shown through its confidence in its own body.

Q18. “There is no sophistry in my body” expresses the brutal frankness of the hawk. What does the poet suggest through this statement?

The statement suggests that the hawk’s violence is direct and without pretence.

“Sophistry” means false reasoning or clever argument used to hide the truth. The hawk says that there is no sophistry in its body because it does not hide its purpose.

It kills openly and does not feel the need to justify its actions. Through this line, Ted Hughes shows the hawk’s brutal honesty. The poet may also suggest that ruthless power often presents itself as natural and unquestionable.

Q19. “Now I hold Creation in my foot.” Explain the centrality of this assertion in the poem.

“Now I hold Creation in my foot” is central because it expresses the hawk’s complete pride and control.

The hawk first says that the whole of Creation was needed to produce its foot and each feather. Then it reverses the idea and claims that it now holds Creation in its foot.

This shows that the hawk believes it has become greater than the world that made it. The line brings together physical power, arrogance, ownership, violence and domination.

Q20. What makes the hawk’s assertion of its invincibility so categorical?

The hawk’s assertion of invincibility is categorical because it speaks without doubt, fear or hesitation.

It believes that the earth is there for its inspection, the trees and air help it, and the sun stands behind it. It says it kills where it pleases because “it is all mine.”

It also says that no arguments are needed to assert its right. The hawk’s confidence comes from its body, position and predatory instinct.

Q21. Why is the poem entitled “Hawk Roosting”?

The poem is entitled “Hawk Roosting” because it shows the hawk sitting still at the top of the wood.

Roosting usually means resting. However, in this poem, the hawk’s stillness is not peaceful. While it sits with its eyes closed, its mind is filled with power, killing and control.

The title begins with a simple physical position but gradually reveals the hawk’s violent inner world.

Q22. Bring out the parallel suggested between the predatory instincts of the bird and human behaviour.

The hawk’s predatory instincts can be compared with ruthless human behaviour.

The hawk believes that it owns everything below it. It kills where it pleases and does not justify its actions. It sees power as its natural right.

This attitude is similar to humans who dominate others, misuse power and refuse moral responsibility. Ted Hughes lets the hawk speak so readers can recognise the danger of arrogance and authoritarian power.

Extract and Phrase-Based Questions on Hawk Roosting

Extract and phrase-based questions test important lines from the poem. Explain both the literal meaning and the deeper idea.

Q23. Explain the line “Between my hooked head and hooked feet.”

The line reveals the hawk’s predatory body.

The hooked head suggests its sharp beak, and the hooked feet suggest its sharp talons. Both are used for catching, tearing and killing prey.

The phrase shows that the hawk’s whole body is suited to hunting.

Q24. Explain the lines “The convenience of the high trees! / The air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray / Are of advantage to me.”

These lines show that the hawk sees nature as useful to itself.

The high trees give it a strong position. The air’s buoyancy supports its flight. The sun’s ray gives light and warmth.

The hawk thinks all these natural elements exist for its advantage.

Q25. What is the meaning of “It took the whole of Creation / To produce my foot, my each feather”?

The lines mean that the hawk believes its body is the result of Creation’s complete effort.

It sees its foot and feathers as perfect creations. The lines show the hawk’s pride in its physical form and its belief that it is superior to other beings.

Q26. What does “My eye has permitted no change” mean?

The line means that the hawk believes nothing changes unless it allows change.

Its “eye” represents watchfulness and control. The hawk thinks its power has kept the world unchanged and will continue to do so.

Long Answer and Theme-Based Questions on Hawk Roosting

Long answers need a clear argument, references from the poem and explanation of the hawk’s attitude. These questions help prepare developed answers.

Q27. Discuss the hawk’s sense of power and dominance in the poem.

The hawk’s sense of power is present from the first line of the poem.

It sits at the top of the wood with its eyes closed. This position shows height, control and superiority.

The hawk believes that nature works for its advantage. The high trees, the air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray help it. The earth faces upward for its inspection.

Its dominance becomes stronger when it says, “I kill where I please because it is all mine.” The hawk does not think of killing as wrong. It treats death as something it has the right to allot.

By the end, the hawk says that nothing has changed and that it will keep things as they are. This shows its desire to preserve control forever.

Q28. Explain how Ted Hughes presents violence through the hawk’s voice.

Ted Hughes presents violence through the hawk’s own confident voice.

The hawk does not describe violence with shame or regret. It speaks of killing as a natural part of its identity.

The phrase “perfect kills” shows that the hawk sees hunting as an art it practises even in sleep. “My manners are tearing off heads” is shocking because it calls violence its manner.

The phrase “the allotment of death” shows that it believes it can decide who dies. The violence in the poem is cold, controlled and direct.

Q29. How does Ted Hughes use the hawk to comment on human behaviour?

Ted Hughes uses the hawk’s voice to suggest a parallel with ruthless human behaviour.

The hawk is proud, possessive and violent. It believes it owns everything and has the right to kill. It does not accept moral questions or arguments.

These qualities can be compared with human beings who misuse power, dominate others and justify cruelty as natural strength.

The poem does not give a moral lesson directly. It presents the hawk’s mind in a raw form so readers can see how dangerous power becomes without compassion.

Q30. What is the central theme of “Hawk Roosting”?

The central theme of Hawk Roosting is the relationship between power, violence and domination.

The hawk sees itself as a perfect predator. It believes that its body gives it the right to kill.

It also believes that the world belongs to it and exists for its convenience. Its attitude shows pride, brutality and absolute self-confidence.

The poem can also be read as a comment on human behaviour. The hawk’s voice resembles the voice of any powerful being that refuses moral responsibility and wants to dominate others.

Class 11 English Woven Words Poems Chapter Wise Important Questions