TO THE SKYLARK - Wordsworth
The unroofed school of nature attracted William Wordsworth more than the discipline of the classics, and he learned more largely from flowers and hills and stars than from his books.
Wordsworth loved to be alone and he was never lovely with nature.
The poet feels that a child when spends his time alone in the woods and fields feels the presence of the same living spirits, real though unseen.
(As Lewis Carroll says in his ‘Alice in Wonderland).
The poet emphasizes that the truth of humanity should be the subject of literary interest.
Wordsworth adds a mystic element to his poetry.
He believes that in every natural object, there is a reflection of god.
In his poem ‘To The Skylark’ is a beautiful poem describing the activities of the skylark in the sky.
The poem ‘To the Skylark' is a beautiful poem describing the activities of the skylark in the skylark.
He puts a series of questions in front of the lark.
He first asks the question of whether he hates the Earth, asking the poet to always find the lark in the sky.
Or his mind and eye still on earth.
The poet goes on to praise the bird for the sweet melody though he can not go to his own nest at his own free will.
The Skylark has been called a daring bird for the height at which it flies.
He has a strong bonding with his home.
His songs seems to drench the whole earth with the happiness of melodious song.
The poet asks the lark to leave the shady area for the Nightingale.
The lark is wise as it connects the Earth and the sky.
The poem thus seems to be an allegory of human attitude towards life.
Though the lark could not come to its own meeting of his own free will, yet he lies not disappointed.
The bird for the poet is a ‘blithe spirit’ not just a bird.
The song of the lark is like being powered from heaven.
The skylark is mysterious for the lark as it goes higher.
The lark is mythological as symbolizes daybreak. To the poet, the lark is ‘Ethereal Ministerial'.
Literary devices in the poem “To a Skylark”
In the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the following literary devices can be found:
1) Personification
They personify the skylark as a “blithe” or happy spirit in the first line of the poem, and later in the poem, the poet addresses the bird as a “Spirit.”
2) Symbolism
The skylark symbolizes pure poetic expression, high romantic imagination, idealism, and the spirit of poetry and music.
3) Metaphor
The skylark is described as a “Poet hidden / In the light of thought” and its song is described as “Harmonious madness.”
4) Imagery
The poem is full of vivid imagery, such as the skylark soaring up to a great height and raining down its song upon the world.
5) Alliteration
The repetition of the sound “h” in “hidden” and “hymns” creates alliteration in the poem.
6) Hyperbole
The poet describes the skylark’s song as surpassing every other beauty, making the speaker believe that the bird is not a mortal bird, but a “Spirit.”
7) Repetition
The repeated use of the word “song” throughout the poem emphasizes the central theme of the skylark’s song.
Themes in the poem “To a skylark”
In “To a Skylark,” some of the major themes include:
1) Poetic expression
The skylark is used as a metaphor for pure, unadulterated poetic expression, symbolizing the “harmonious madness” of inspiration.
2) Idealism
The skylark represents idealism, freedom from corruption and exploitation, and a harbinger of peace and progress.
3) Joy and happiness
The bird’s song is a symbol of happiness, personified as a “blithe” spirit in the first line of the poem.
4) Love and passion
The poet reflects on the feelings of love and passion that inspire human outpourings and compares them to the skylark’s song of joy and ecstasy.
5) The unknown and the mystical
The skylark is personified as a spirit and is seen as a symbol of the unknown, with the poet reflecting on what might be behind the bird’s ecstatic song.
6) Death
The skylark’s fearlessness of death is seen as a source of its incomparable happiness.
7) The power of art
The poem highlights the power of art, particularly poetry and music, to serve as a moral guide for society.
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