Objectives

• Analyse how Hughes constructs the hawk as a speaker of absolute power through diction, syntax, and dramatic monologue form across all six stanzas.
• Identify and explain the effect of specific language choices — including 'no falsifying dream', 'I kill where I please', and 'Nothing has changed since I began' — on the reader's response to the hawk.
• Evaluate the competing critical interpretations of the hawk (natural force vs. fascist figure) using evidence from the poem and its 1960 context in Lupercal.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical paragraph that connects Hughes's language choices to the poem's construction of power, incorporating at least two embedded quotations.
• Compare the hawk's self-presentation with that of another speaker of power, identifying similarities and differences in how each poet uses voice to unsettle the reader.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Inside the Hawk's Head: Voice, Power, and Close Reading

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the poem once in silence. Write two sentences: one describing what the hawk is doing, and another expressing how the hawk makes you feel as a reader. Avoid using the word 'powerful'. You have four minutes — begin as soon as you sit down.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of stanza 1: "I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed. / Inaction, no falsifying dream / Between my hooked head and hooked feet." Consider why Hughes begins with stillness instead of flight. Notice the repeated use of the word 'hooked' throughout the poem and the phrase 'no falsifying dream' — the hawk doesn't require imagination because it already has the reality it needs. The syntax here is straightforward and concise, reflecting the hawk's assuredness. To highlight this effect, contrast it with a sentence that features a question mark or is loaded with subordinate clauses.

   Independent task

   Working with stanzas 5 and 6 ('My manners are tearing off heads' through to 'Nothing has changed since I began'), students will annotate a printed copy of both stanzas. Then, they will write a single PEEL paragraph of 120–150 words that answers the question: How does Hughes use language in the final two stanzas to present the hawk as a figure who equates itself with the natural order? Students should include at least two quotations, identify one language technique, and explain its effect on the reader. The completed paragraphs will be collected at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   On a Post-it, write one sentence explaining why Hughes chose to end the poem with 'Nothing has changed since I began' rather than an image of the hawk in flight — what does the stillness achieve that movement could not?

2. Lesson 2: Writing About Power: Context, Criticism, and the Analytical Paragraph

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read this critical statement without referring to the poem: 'Hughes's hawk isn’t a fascist — it represents Nature, which operates outside of morality' (Hughes, paraphrased). Write two bullet points: one piece of evidence from the poem that backs up this perspective, and another that adds complexity to it. You have five minutes and your annotated copy of the poem.

   Teacher input

   To open an exam-style paragraph, start with the line, "The sun is behind me" (stanza 4). Guide students in transitioning from the quotation to discussing technique, such as the positioning and the metaphor of divine support, and then to the effect this creates—indicating that the hawk has both literal and symbolic backing from the universe. Contextualize this by noting that Hughes is writing in contrast to the ironic detachment typical of the Movement; this hawk embodies pure assertion without irony. Additionally, introduce a counter-reading by suggesting, "A critic might argue that this image conveys a fascist sense of self-belief." After this, circle back to the text by stating, "Yet, Hughes removes any ideology from the hawk—it simply declares a fact." This approach transforms a paragraph from mere description into a compelling argument.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a full exam-style response of 250–350 words to the following question: "In 'Hawk Roosting,' Hughes presents a speaker who confuses dominance with the natural order." Begin by analyzing the hawk's opening declaration of stillness in the first stanza and then discuss at least two other moments in the poem, including the line "I kill where I please because it is all mine" from stanza 4 and the closing line "Nothing has changed since I began." Your response should provide a thorough analysis of how Hughes employs voice, syntax, and imagery to convey this theme. Be sure to reference the poem's context in Lupercal (1960) at least once and consider at least one alternative interpretation of the hawk's voice. Aim for three well-developed paragraphs. This work will be collected and assessed according to the rubric.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes this thought in your own words, without copying from your essay: the most unsettling thing about the hawk as a speaker is not that it is violent, but that it is _______ — explain your answer in no more than three sentences.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 do-now: teacher scans two-sentence responses to check whether students have grasped the monologue voice before instruction begins.
• Lesson 1 annotation: teacher circulates during independent annotation of stanzas 5–6 to check that students are identifying specific language choices rather than paraphrasing content.
• Lesson 1 PEEL paragraph: collected and skimmed for whether students have named a technique and explained its effect — not just quoted.
• Lesson 2 do-now bullet points: teacher reads three or four aloud to gauge whether students can hold two competing readings simultaneously before the modelling begins.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket: teacher reads responses at the door to identify students who are still describing the hawk's violence rather than its self-justifying certainty — these students are flagged for feedback at the start of the next lesson.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of a narrator or speaker in a literary text, including how the speaker's perspective shapes meaning.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including connotation, imagery, and diction.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the organisation and sequence of a literary text contribute to its meaning.
• Literary and Cultural Context (LCE-1) — Explain how literary, historical, and cultural contexts of a text contribute to its meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including the effects of language, form, and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations, including critical readings.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, including the ways in which texts relate to each other and to literary traditions.

Eduqas

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with particular attention to language, form, and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.