While Llwyd makes no mention of a specific type of hawk in his poem, he makes continual references to the bird’s “rhythmic movements,” and its “fire dance” which is “one with the dance of all the planets,/ one with the dance of the universe.” The poem is also set in Felindre which is a Welsh town surrounded by countryside and woods, the perfect habitat for the Red Kite. However, the birds continued to survive in Wales and became iconic due to their beauty and their distinctive and elaborate areal displays. Although Red Kites once bred throughout Britain, they became extinct in England and Scotland by the end of the 18 th century after being hunted by farmers who saw them as a threat to expanding agriculture. Among the most famous of these birds is the Red Kite (a type of hawk), which is considered by many to be the Welsh national bird. I did some research and found that in fact Wales is known for its birds, both on its extensive coastline and throughout the interior of the region. This overwhelming presence made me consider whether hawks have specific significance in Wales. Its view from the sky places all “animals, creatures and man” in the hawk’s control giving it enough power to cut a hole through God’s creations with its spiraling dance. It is clear that Llwyd’s hawk is not just any bird but holds more significant meaning as an omniscient presence in its landscape. Llwyd writes:įills with terror and thumps through the silkĪnd through the gap our civilization collapses, I am constantly evaluating the role animals play in literature and while reading this poem I was interested in Llwyd’s choice to portray the hawk as an all-powerful and all seeing creature. Specifically I was struck by the first poem in the anthology, “The Hawk Above Felindre,” which I found to be extraordinarily beautiful. This week while reading Alan Llwyd’s poems I noticed (as a avid animal enthusiast) that many of his works were animal related.
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