Evening Hawk Robert Penn Warren Stanza I II

“Evening Hawk” Robert Penn Warren

Stanza I - II From plane of light to plane, wings dipping through Geometries and orchids that the sunset builds, Out of the peak’s black angularity of shadow, riding The last tumultuous avalanche of Light above pines and the gutteral gorge, The hawk comes. His wing Scythes down another day, his motion Is that of the honed steel-edge, we hear The crashless fail of stalks of Time. The head of each stalk is heavy with the gold of our error.

Stanza I-II • Syntax – Use of commas to convey the gliding and swooping of the hawk – Creates graceful rhythm within the poem and the movements of the hawk – Cuts of suddenly in line 6 “His wing”

Stanza I-II • Imagery /tone – “The last tumultuous avalanche of Light above pines and the putteral gorge, The Hawk comes” • Image of darkness and night approaching • The last light on earth before death – climax of the person’s life • Urgency

Stanza I- II • Personification/ metaphor • The wing of the hawk = scythes bringing night? • Grimm Reaper • Bringing death? – “The crashless fall of stalks of Time” • Wing= scythe • “stalks of Time” = life • The unforeseen dives and slicing motion of wings represent the unforeseen nature of death. • Hawk is a symbol of the inescapability of time.

Stanza I-II • Tone • “Tumultuous avalanche” • “The head of each stalk is heavy with the gold of our error. ” – Urgent and heavy – Relates to theme of death and passing of time – Hawk not restrained by material possessions

Stanza III Look! he is climbing the last light Who knows neither Time nor error, and under Whose eye, unforgiving, the world, unforgiven, swings Into shadow

Stanza II • Imagery/ diction – “light” used repetitively throughout • Focus not on death, but last light on earth • “Shadow, unforgiving” – Power and last bit of light, not darkness • Symbol – Hawk as bringing the darkness of death • “unforgiving” • “Who knows neither Time nor error”

Stanza IV Long now, The last thrush is still, the last bat Now cruises in his sharp Hieroglyphics. His wisdom Is ancient, too, and immense. The star Is steady, like Plato, over the mountain.

Stanza IV • Juxtaposition of images – “The last thrush is still , the last bat” • Song bird verses nocturnal bird • The hawk descends into where the bats reign • The sunset the unforgiving hawk brings the dying day to its end

Stanza IV • Simile – “The star/ Is steady, like Plato, over the mountain” • Setting sun replaced by single bright star • Brings hope to those whom have departed from the light of day

Stanza IV • Allusion – Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – “our nature in its education and want of education” • Group of people chained in cave, facing the wall • Watch shadows projected on wall as things pass by a fire behind them • It is all they know of reality • Theme of passing of time and humans not aware of it • The philosopher is able to go beyond the cave and discover true reality

Stanza IV • Metaphor – “The last bat” lives in darkenss – holds truth of night – “The coming Hawk” lives in daylight and dim of evening – holds power of day – Death consuming life

Stanza V If there were no wind we might, we think, hear The earth grind on its axis, or history Drip in darkness like a leaking pipe in the cellar.

Stanza V • Failure of humans to realize we are losing time • “our error” • The scythe of the hawk cuts down human errors of man and lets them fall away without mercy • Theme of death and passing of time