The Windhover

In "The Windhover," the bird (a kestrel) is described in its flight. With this one, focus on how the speaker's emotions color the description of the bird.
The poem is also subtitled "To Christ our Lord." If you wish, discuss the bird as a metaphor for Christ.

The speaker projects the image of the kestrel as this majestic thing. He talks about the creature’s mastery of the wind in how he flies, or how he hovers in midair rather. He describes him as a “Brute beauty” and is awe of his abilities. The language used here is so grand, “the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion//Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!” It’s as though he thinks this bird is defying nature, like he’s some amazing thing that acts against nature with how he flies. The speaker’s adoration for this bird is something like what one might hold for Jesus Christ. The speaker even declares this bird “morning’s minion king-//dom of daylight’s dauphin.”