The poem "Life & Death of a hawk" is written by the Sri Lankan poet Patrick Fernando. In writing this poem, the writer's aim is to portray some qualities of a typical dictator & how one like that can face an unexpected tragedy. Using one of his favourite themes here, the poet has highlighted how contradiction of nature which often plays an ironic role affects the subjects on earth. Nature endowed the hawk with power of which he could boast and also ingrained in him a weakness which could bring disaster on
him. Those who are ignorant of this dual nature of nature are caught unawareness by being attracted to some apparent luxuries. The hawk was tempted by the sight of a chicken to descend on a kitchenyard, a place he should have completely detested. The temptation succeeded in its aim due to a weakness inherited by him-greed.The poem is symbolic because the episode of the hawk is in fact the episode of a dictator who is blind to the reality of nature. Excessive power
which they think is unchallengeable makes them blind. As evil breeds nothing but evil, theur wrong openion of themselves corrupt them to the core. Then they lose their moral sense and act blindly with rash courage. Even the most powerful should use his power for the benefit of others. They should not try to be alienated from the others. They must live for them always feeling the pulse of them. It is the principle that makes a ruler safe and happy. Acting against this means asking for trouble. The hawk came to his pathetic end when he descended on a chicken. This is symbolic of using power disregarding its consequences. The shot he got is symbolic of the hatred he earned through his demonic deeds.
The poet makes use of the symbolic mode of presentation here. The way that the hawk thinks is exactly the way of a despot. Birds like roc and albatross are also symbollically used to indicate the challenges that any powerful person may have to confront. The chicken is the temptation the weakness or the vulnerable point of the victim. The gunshot is the final blow the victim gets. Here the hawk's arragont behaviour is rediculed by the poet through the technique of feigned seriousness. The phrase "dripping vent", indicates that there are holes all over the dead body made by worms. The noble bird was rewarded with a mean death by nature. Thus we see the poet's effort to bring a universal truth before us has become a great success.
The poem's universal quality is more emphasized when we see the sad plight happened to the world dictators like Hitler, Idi Amin, Musolini, Gadafi etc. They had to pay for their faults by their life. This nature is successfully brought out by the poet by using the effective symbol of the hawk.
