101 Poems, Number 51

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

51: “Hawk Roosting,” in Lupercal (1960), by Ted Hughes (1930–98)

I had a colleague—brilliant guy*—

Who’d known Ted Hughes so long ago.

He loved this poem—so do I.

I memorized it (as you know).

It deals with rawest nature, and

You almost see old Darwin smile.

The hunter perched above the land—

His simple, brutal killing style.

The basics—that’s what hawks employ.

They see, they want, they soar, they kill.

And Hughes observes this kind of joy—

Then writes about it with his quill.

*Dr. Robert Pryce, teacher of French, Western Reserve Academy

Link to poem.