Nature

One of the major themes of the poem stems from the relationship between nature, mercy, and the beauty of the surrounding world. The hurt hawk was previously a formidable force in the skies, flying wherever he chose and fearing few predators.

The natural landscape described in the first stanza of the poem is foreboding and unforgiving, highlighting the dire plight of the hawk that cannot fly and seek other shelter. Instead, he is confined to the ground and huddled beneath various bushes and trees to shield himself from the elements. The beauty of the world is described as governed by a “wild God,” who is responsible for meting out mercy to those who are humble as the hawk has grown to be (15).

The second stanza of the poem characterizes the natural world in a softer tone, emphasizing the shift in the hawk’s life and the...