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Hawk Roosting Rhetorical Devices

610 Words3 Pages

There are many differences that can be highlighted between a hawk and a dog. However, in “Hawk Roosting” and “Golden Retrievals” the use of specific elements helps the reader to understand the characters themselves and how they view the world around them. Respectively, Hughes and Doty each use specific sentence structure, tone, and strong diction to characterize the speakers and present differing views of the world. The use of specific sentence structure throughout the poems further underlines the differences in the two characters and the attitude towards the world. Hughes’s use of sentences which exemplify complete thoughts illustrates to the reader that the hawk will take its time when completing a task and gives its full and absolute attention. The complete …show more content…

Because of the differing overall tones in each poem, it is easily inferred by the reader that the two characters have two completely different, if not opposite, views of the world. The overall tone in Hughes’ poem is dark and controlling, leading the reader to believe that the hawk is not interested in the brighter things that life has to offer. The use of phrases like “perfect kills” and “my right” emphasize the height at which the hawk views itself. Rather, he believes that he himself is at the absolute height of all creation whereas the tone of Doty’s poem is light and child-like to emphasize the attitude of the dog and his love for everything around him. Using tone in two differing poems highlights the two main differences between the hawk and the dog and their outlooks upon life.Hughes and Doty each use diction to present their characters’ differing views of the world. The diction used in “Hawk Roosting” is stronger and more intense than that of “Golden Retrievals.” By using phrases, or words, such as “of advantage” and “permitted” ultimately create the viewpoint of the hawk: the world is something to be owned and controlled, not enjoyed. However, Doty uses diction in a completely different

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