The similarities between "The Eagle," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and "Hawk Roosting," by Ted Hughes, are far more prominent than the differences. There is one glaring contradiction between the two poems: the hawk is an accomplished killer whereas the eagle is just perched ready for dinner only to kill when he has to. Both masters of their domain, perched in areas of high surveillance, these two very similar birds are portrayed as opposites by the authors.
             The eagle is a laid-back, silent leader who is on top of his kingdom. He is an aged leader in that the poem talks of his "crooked hands," also using words like, "ringed," and "wrinkled," in describing him. I also noticed, which I believe is the biggest difference, the leadership qualities shown by each bird. The eagle is a silent, lead-by-example, kind of leader. He just sits on his high perch, watching and waiting, for the next bit of prey to invade his territory. Even in that, prey is not his big worry, he is just taking in his surroundings' beauty. "The azure world," "wrinkled sea beneath," and "mountain walls," are just a few glimpses into his world that the author gives us to picture.
             On the other hand, the hawk comes across as more of an outspoken, dictator-type leader. He has to kill often to show his power, where the first, as I have stated, shows his power in different ways. In describing the hawk, the author says more of his killing and ways of killing, to describe him. "Rehearse perfect kills and eat," and, "My manners are tearing off heads," are just a few of the examples used. Another characteristic that jumps out at you about the hawk is the way he describes his surroundings or territory. "Now I hold Creation in my foot," and "I kill where I please because it is all mine," are the two phrases that show to me the most that he believes he is Godlike, almost. He feels as though he is a gift to the earth and that, "it took all of Creation to produce my foot...