Why do we learn literature? 1. To benefit from the insight of others.

The body of world literature contains most available knowledge about humanity--our beliefs, our self-perception, our philosophies, our assumptions and our interactions with the world at large. Some of life's most important lessons are subtly expressed in our art. We learn these lessons only if we pause to think about what we read. Why would anyone bury important ideas? Because some ideas cannot be expressed adequately in simple language, and because the lessons we have to work for are the ones that stick with us. 2. To open our minds to ambiguities of meaning. While people will "say what they mean and mean what they say" in an ideal world, language in our world is, in reality, maddeningly and delightfully ambiguous. If you go through life expecting people to play by your rules, you'll only be miserable, angry and disappointed. You won't change them. Ambiguity, double entendres and nuance give our language depth and endless possibility. Learn it. Appreciate it. Revel in it. 3. To explore other cultures and beliefs. History, anthropology and religious studies provide a method of learning about the cultures and beliefs of others from the outside looking in. Literature, on the other hand, allows you to experience the cultures and beliefs of others first-hand, from the inside looking out. The only other way to have such a personal understanding of others' beliefs are to adopt them yourself-which most of us aren't willing to do. If you understand where other people are coming from, you are better equipped to communicate meaningfully with them--and they with you. 4. To appreciate why individuals are the way they are. Each person we meet represents a unique concoction of knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. In our own culture we find an infinite variety of attitudes and personalities, hatreds and bigotries, and assumptions. With each exposure to those who differ from us, we expand our minds. We may still reject their beliefs and assumptions, but we're one step closer to understanding them. 5. To expand our grasp of the machinations of history. History and literature are inextricably entertwined. History is not just names and dates and politics and wars and power. History is about people who were products of their time with their own intricately-woven value systems. Study of literature enhances our appreciation of history's complexity, which in turn expands our appreciation of present political complexities and better equips us to predict and prepare for the future. 6. To exercise our brains. Our brains need exercise just like our bodies do. Don't balk at picking up the barbell and doing a few mental curls. Great literature has hidden meanings that won't slap us in the face like childrens' books will; we'll have to dig and analyze like an adult to find the gold. 7. To teach us to see individual bias. In a sense, each of us is an unreliable or naive narrator, but most of us mindlessly accept the stories of certain friends or family without qualification. We should remember that they are centers of their own universes, though, just like we are. They are first-person narrators-not omniscient--just like we are. The only thing that suffers when we appreciate individual bias is our

own gullibility. 8. To encourage us to question "accepted" knowledge. As children, most of us were taught to believe what we're told and those basic hypotheses provide our schemas, or building blocks of knowledge. As we grow, we learn to question some ideas while rejecting the offensively alien ideas outright, often without real examination. However, human progress often results from the rejection of assumed "facts." The difficulty lies in spotting our own unexamined assumptions. The more ideas we expose yourself to, the more of our own assumptions we can root out to question and either discard or ground our lives in. 9. To help us see ourselves as others do. Literature is a tool of self-examination. You will see your own personality or habits or assumptions in literature. The experience may even be painful. While our ego defense systems help us avoid self-scrutiny and ignore others' observations or reactions to us, literature serves as a mirror, revealing us to ourselves in all our naked, undefended glory. 10. To appreciate the contributions literature has made to history. The pen is mightier than the sword, yes? When a country undergoes regime change, the new regime imprisons, exiles or executes the intelligentsia--scholars and philosophers--who are seen as the keepers of the culture, creators of ideology, and instigators of revolt. See Russian, Chinese, and German history for examples. In American history, see the copious examples of pro- and anti-slavery literature as well as Thomas Paine's and Thomas Jefferson's contributions to the American Revolution. 11. To see the tragedy. Lenin said "A million deaths are a statistic, but one death is a tragedy." History gives you the statistics. Literature shows you the human tragedy. 12. To further our mastery of language. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words build and destroy nations. Study of literature hones our language skills and teaches us new and valuable techniques for communication. A master of language can seduce your emotions and inspire you to follow him into death--or he can crush your will with a word. Language is the single most important tool of leadership and great leaders embrace its study. 13. To recognize language devices and appreciate their emotional power. Like good music, poetry uses wordplay, rhythm, and sounds to lull the reader into an emotional fog, and therein deliver its message. Great leaders learn to harness these techniques of communication and persuasion. Listen closely to effective advertisements and politicians and lawyers. Listen to the pleasing rhythm and wordplay of their mantras, and watch the sheep blithely flock to them: "It does not fit--you must aquit!" "Crisp and clean and no caffeine!" Politicians use prolific parallelism: "We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail." 14. To explore ethical complexities. Only children find ethical rules cut and dried. Literature forces readers to challenge their simplistic ethical conceptions and sometimes their outright condemnation of others' actions. For example, we believe lying is wrong. But what do we mean? Do we never lie? Have

you ever met a person rude enough to follow this rule implicitly? Be advised, though: ethical exploration is a mature endeavor; it is not for the thin-skinned. 15. To see the admirable in everyday life. We are surrounded by unsung nobility and sacrifice. Once we learn to see it in the actions of common folk, our lives will be forever richer, as will our faith in humanity itself. 16. To learn better ways to behave. An untold amount of our opinions and words and reactions are absorbed during childhood and from our culture. Literature teaches us better courses of action and more effective responses to situations...if we let it. 17. To know we aren't alone. Others have been where we are, have felt as we feel, have believed as we believe. Paradoxically, we are unique just like everyone else. But we aren't alone. Others were here and they survived...and may have even learned from it--and so may we. 18. To refine our judgment. This involves several aspects of reading: exposure to new ideas and new ways of looking at old assumptions, expanded vocabulary and understanding, and improved ability to write. Altogether, these benefits refine our ability to think, and thus guide us toward informed, mature judgment. 19. To learn to support our points of view and trust our own interpretations. We provide evidence for our interpretation of a story or poem when we explicate it. When we build a solid case in support of our opinion, we build self-confidence in our own interpretations of language itself. 20. To develop empathy for those who are unlike us. Literature can train and exercise our ability to weep for those who are not us or ours. As children, our circles of concern stop with ourselves. As we grow, we expand those circles to our families and friends, and perhaps to our neighborhoods, towns, cities, states or countries. Our study of literature continues to expand that realm of concern beyond the things we physically experience. 21. To expand our vocabularies. New words are tools for grasping new ideas. Each new idea is a building block upon which we may acquire more knowledge. Knowledge is power. (Sources from http://www.freethought-forum.com)

Literacy Devices Allegory - a symbolic representation i.e. The blindfolded figure with scales is an allegory of justice. Alliteration - the repetition of the initial consonant. There should be at least two repetitions in a row. i.e. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Allusion A reference to a famous person or event in life or literature. i.e. She is as pretty as the Mona Lisa. Analogy - the comparison of two pairs which have the same relationship. i.e. shoe is to foot as tire is to wheel Assonance - the repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence. Climax - the turning point of the action in the plot of a play or story. The climax represents the point of greatest tension in the work. Foreshadowing - hints of what is to come in the action of a play or a story Hyperbole - a figure of speech involving exaggeration. Metaphor - A comparison in which one thing is said to be another. i.e. The cat's eyes were jewels, gleaming in the darkness. Onomatopoeia - the use of words to imitate the sounds they describe. i.e. The burning wood crackled and hissed. Oxymoron - putting two contradictory words together. i.e. bittersweet, jumbo shrimp, and act naturally

Personification - is giving human qualities to animals or objects. i.e. The daffodils nodded their yellow heads. Pun - A word is used which has two meanings at the same time, which results in humor.

Simile - figure of speech involving a comparison between unlike things using like, as, or as though. i.e. She floated in like a cloud. (Sources: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/resources/litdevices)

The Hawk Roosting

Introduction: Throughout the poem the Hawk sits at the top of a tall tree, where he either sleeps or ponders on his power. He is self-obsessed, as all his thoughts relate to his own circumstances and the fact that he holds the power of death in his talons. With that in mind, we can read each stanza to see what aspect of his own power (and of course the power of Nature through him) he is thinking about. The Voice: The voice is that of the Hawk himself, and through him, Nature. The voice is a 'thinking' voice; there is no action in the poem. As Hughes has intimated to us that the Hawk is a metaphor for Nature, we can also take it that Nature is thinking these thoughts. We need to note that Nature with a capital letter means a force or a being, rather than just 'the things you get in the countryside.' Point: Throughout the poem the Hawk sits at the top of a tall tree, where he either sleeps or ponders on his power. He is self-obsessed, as all his thoughts relate to his own circumstances and the fact that he holds the power of death in his talons. With that in mind, we can read each stanza to see what aspect of his own power (and of course the power of Nature through him) he is thinking about. Language: We have seen previously that Hughes tends to use the language and expression of ordinary speech, but in this poem he does something slightly different. In order to suit the character of the Hawk, Hughes has used rather more sophisticated or elegant expressions. If the Hawk represents Nature with all that power, then he is a kingly creature, the height of Creation. He expresses himself carefully and in rather a formal way. For instance, in the first stanza the Hawk boasts that he is not bothered by the "falsifying dream" of ordinary creatures. When awake and in sleep he likes to "rehearse" perfect kills. These expressions are formal in character and imply a high degree of control on the Hawk's part. We see other examples of this kind of language and attitude throughout the poem. In the second stanza, the Hawk sees the height of trees, the air's buoyancy and the sun's heat as things arranged especially for his convenience. In fact he sees the whole of the earth as his own. And the earth's face upward for my inspection. This personification of the earth shows the Hawk in control over it, like a king or governor. In this line the Hawk is presenting himself as the representative of Nature. It is Nature that controls the earth.

As we approach the central section of the poem, we hear the voice of Nature more and more clearly. While the Hawk speaks of his own feathers and feet, it must be Nature who says: Now I hold Creation in my foot Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly I kill where I please because it is all mine. The Hawk can do these things to a certain extent, but the arrogance and pride, as well as the performance of these feats, must be those of Nature. In Stanza 4, the Hawk speaks of his own straight flight "through the bones of the living" as though he would be intact and alive at the end of it. However, Hughes himself once pointed out that this is not possible, because the Hawk, like every other creature in nature (note the small 'n') has to fight against the enemies that are placed in his way. He will also die one day, so it is Nature who has the power to allot death, not the Hawk. We would call that an example of irony, as the Hawk is deceived as to his own power. Hughes stated on one occasion that the last three lines of the poem are Nature speaking. It is Nature who makes the decisions as to whether things will remain the same, not the Hawk.

Tone: The tone is hard and brutal. The Hawk says in line 16: My manners are tearing off heads The expression is unadorned, while the lines are made up of statements that are brief, terse and always to the point. The hard tone is derived partly from the fact that the Hawk (and therefore Nature) speaks logically and with a certain intellectual pride. The Hawk speaks emphatically and is confident that we will find him as fascinating as he does himself: It took the whole of Creation To produce my foot, my each feather Now I hold Creation in my foot The alliteration in these lines is there to hold them together but it is also produced by the fact that the Hawk is so arrogant and sure of itself that once it uses a word, that is the right one. You cannot imagine the Hawk searching for synonyms. The Portrait: Hughes's portrait of the Hawk is an attempt to convey the power and arrogance of such creatures. He finds this power in what could be described as their singleness of purpose. Ordinary mortals are distracted from their tasks by all sorts of hopes, fears and opinions. The Hawk is free from such "falsifying dreams" and because he considers no one but himself, he acts exactly as he likes. There is no sophistry in my body He says, meaning that he is what he is and nothing else. His flight has only "one path" because whatever decision he makes must be the right one.

Theme: The poem makes the statement that Nature has power over the earth and also has the power to allot death. Nature will survive, unlike creatures like the hawk, ensuring that her domain will remain unchanged.

(a) Summary of content Many of Hughes's poems deal with the animal world. In this poem he describes the hawk as the epitome of self- reliance and self- assurance. It has the ability to kill fearlessly. The hawk claims that the high trees have been created especially for its convenience and it boasts that the buoyancy (the ability to keep afloat) of the air and the sun's rays are to its advantage. The sun rays help the hawk in the sense that the prey is blinded by them when the hawk swoops down to make a kill with the sun above and behind it. The hawk sees itself as master of the whole creation. It can kill where it pleases on earth because it is the master of it all. Its methods are simple and direct- it tears off the heads of its victims. The hawk does not have to justify its right to kill. It is a natural and primeval right. That is how it has always been since the hawk has first been created and that is how it will always be. (b) Stanza analysis Stanza 1 In this stanza the hawk is asleep. Unlike other birds it can close its eyes without feeling threatened. The poet is personifying the hawk, giving it human characteristics. It is the speaker in the poem and we see its world through its eyes. In line 4 the hawk refers to " perfect kills" which already underlines its arrogance about its bodily perfection and perfected actions. Stanza 2 In this stanza the hawk's arrogance is even more accentuated. It views the earth, the trees, the air and the sunrays as being submissive to it. It is as if the high trees were created especially for its convenience; the air is buoyant especially to keep it afloat; the sunrays especially assist it when making a kill by shining in the eyes of its prey. Line 8 is particularly patronizing: the eagle has to inspect the earth' s face every day as if it were a child. Stanza 3 In this stanza the hawk shows signs of playing God: " Now I hold Creation in my foot." Its creation is seen as a very challenging and tedious process: "It took the whole of Creation/ To produce my foot, my each feather." Stanza 4 In the fourth stanza the hawk appears to be very possessive: " I kill where I please because it is all mine". It claims that there is no dishonesty ("sophistry") In its body: it is straightforward in its manner of killing. Stanza 5 In line 17 the word " allotment" implies an ordered pattern from which there is no escape. Once

again it boastfully sees itself as the crown of the creation: "No arguments assert my right." Nothing can counter its right to kill and reign over the universe. Stanza 6 Line 21: "The sun is behind me", apart from the more physical meaning, also implies that the sun offers moral support to the hawk's actions and, therefore, the hawk has no need to justify its actions by sophisticated arguments. The sun is the source of life on earth while the hawk is the symbolic instrument of death on earth. Once again the hawk displays extreme arrogance by stating that: "My eye has permitted no change./ I am going to keep it like this." It is going to see to it that the pattern of death and life will remain changeless and eternal.

There s been a death in the opposite house Please seek for the info at http://literature.com.my/