The Windhover

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

How would you describe the movement of a falcon? What are some words and images that come to mind when you think about how birds of prey fly? What do you think artists might see when they look at falcons? What might the falcon represent for a writer? If you can think of how birds are used in other art you are familiar with, you might be able to get an idea of what birds might mean to a writer.

Teaching Suggestion: This is a really tough poem, so the entry point should be the metaphor of the falcon. The first part of the poem is much easier than the second part, so students will most likely have an easier time understanding and relating to the descriptions in the first stanza than the metaphysical musings in the second half of the poem. Depending on the school and class you are in, engaging students in some contextual work with the passage in John where Jesus is crucified and then stabbed with a spear after his death would also be helpful before reading the poem.

• This webpage from Cornell Lab provides a lot of useful information about kestrels, which is the common name for the windhover. This page provides information about the kestrel's looks, habitat, and behaviors, and it includes plenty of pictures so students can really get a sense of the bird’s presence.
• This article about the Spear of Longinus presents the story of the spear as a historical mystery. The article discusses the story of the crucifixion and the use of the spear to confirm Jesus was dead, but it also discusses the history of the spear and ponders what happened to it after the events described in the Bible.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the poem.

Describe a time in your life when you were inspired by something you saw. What was the thing you saw? Describe it with as much physical detail as you can think of. How did it make you feel? Did it lead you to think of other things, or did it change your perception about your life or your experience as a human? Why do you think certain things have these kinds of effects on us? If you’ve never had an experience like this, ask a family member or a friend to tell you about theirs, and then reflect on how hearing about that person’s experience makes you feel. Do you believe moments of inspiration can happen to everyone, or do you think we trick ourselves into reading our thoughts and emotions in nature?

Teaching Suggestion: This is a complicated prompt, and it will be especially difficult for students who aren’t particularly reflective or who have a very literal mindset. Differentiation is key here. It is also important to allow for diverse perspectives here. Different cultural and religious backgrounds will dictate a lot about where student responses go here. It’s important to remind students that regardless of their perspective on this question, their experience is valid and worth sharing.