Hawk Roosting Vs Golden Retrievals

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Hawk Roosting vs. Golden Retrievals The perspective of animals is one not often discussed in poetry. In Ted Hughes’ “Hawk Roosting” and Mark Doty’s “Golden Retrievals” the speakers are actual animals. Although both poems share the idea of using an animal as a speaker, they differ greatly in imagery, connotation, and diction. In “Hawk Roosting,” the hawk looks down upon the world around him. The “earth’s face is upward for (his) inspection” and he “holds creation in (his) foot.” The arrogance and self-importance of the hawk are conveyed through the God-like diction. In “Golden Retrievals,” the diction conveys the dog’s short attention span. The dog focuses for only seconds and is baffled by his master’s thoughts about tomorrow. The dog brings the master back to the present with his “bronzy” bark. Although both poems take place outdoors, the views of each differ vastly. The hawk sees his setting as hunting grounds, a land he owns. The advantageous air and sun only fuel his desire to kill. He doesn’t include himself as a part of his surroundings, referring to his world with a selfish “my.” The dog takes in his surrounding with interest. “Balls and sticks” and “thrillingly dead things” call to him and although he enjoys them all he cares about his master even more. He pays attention to his master’s worries and snaps him out of his funk with a joyful “bow-wow.” The mind of the dog seems unfocused when compared to the worldly hawk. The hawk prefers to fly alone and be direct while the dog travels as a companion to his master. The hawk greets in the world around him with a harsh arrogance while the dog lives in the present and focuses on the little things. Each animal has a responsibility and lives to fulfill it, one by roosting with omnipotence and one by retrieving with jubilance. Both animals have their own personal ways of living their lives. The idea of
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