To a Skylark
Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!
Bird thou never wert,
That from Heaven, or near it,
Pourest thy full heart
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.Higher still and higher
From the earth thou springest
Like a cloud of fire;
The blue deep thou wingest,
And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.In the golden lightning
Of the sunken sun,
O’er which clouds are bright’ning,
Thou dost float and run;
Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun.The pale purple even
Melts around thy flight;
Like a star of Heaven,
In the broad daylight
Thou art unseen, but yet I hear thy shrill delight,Keen as are the arrows
Of that silver sphere,
Whose intense lamp narrows
In the white dawn clear
Until we hardly see, we feel that it is there.All the earth and air
With thy voice is loud,
As, when night is bare,
From one lonely cloud
The moon rains out her beams, and Heaven is overflow’d.What thou art we know not;
What is most like thee?
From rainbow clouds there flow not
Drops so bright to see
As from thy presence showers a rain of melody.Like a Poet hidden
In the light of thought,
Singing hymns unbidden,
Till the world is wrought
To sympathy with hopes and fears it heeded not:Like a high born maiden
In a palace tower,
Soothing her love laden
Soul in secret hour
With music sweet as love, which overflows her bower:Like a glow worm golden
In a dell of dew,
Scattering unbeholden
Its a’e’real hue
Among the flowers and grass, which screen it from the view:
Like a rose embower’d
In its own green leaves,
By warm winds deflower’d,
Till the scent it gives
Makes faint with too much sweet those heavy winged thieves:Sound of vernal showers
On the twinkling grass,
Rain awakened flowers,
All that ever was
Joyous, and clear, and fresh, thy music doth surpass.Teach us, Sprite or Bird,
What sweet thoughts are thine:
I have never heard
Praise of love or wineThat panted forth a flood of rapture so divine.
Chorus Hymeneal,
Or triumphal chant,
Matched with thine would be all
But an empty vaunt,
A thing wherein we feel there is some hidden want.What objects are the fountains
Of thy happy strain?
What fields, or waves, or mountains?
What shapes of sky or plain?
What love of thine own kind? what ignorance of pain?With thy clear keen joyance
Languor cannot be:
Shadow of annoyance
Never came near thee:
Thou lovest: but ne’er knew love’s sad satiety.Waking or asleep,
Thou of death must deem
Things more true and deep
Than we mortals dream,
Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream?We look before and after,
And pine for what is not:
Our sincerest laughter
With some pain is fraught;
Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.Yet if we could scorn
Hate, and pride, and fear;
If we were things born
Not to shed a tear,
I know not how thy joy we ever should come near.Better than all measures
Of delightful sound,
Better than all treasures
That in books are found,
Thy skill to poet were, thou scorner of the ground!Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know,
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow
The world should listen then, as I am listening now.
Summary of To a Skylark
- Popularity of “To a Skylark” This poem, penned by Percy Bysshe Shelley, is a celebrated ode that first appeared in 1820. It captures the poet’s profound feelings inspired by the skylark’s enchanting song. The poem explores themes of nature, joy, and the contrast between the bird’s carefree existence and the complexities of human life.
- “To a Skylark” as a Representation of Wonder: The poem focuses on the skylark’s effortless, joyful song, which fills the world with happiness. Despite soaring to great heights, its melody remains clear and captivating. Shelley uses many similes and metaphors, comparing the skylark to a spirit, a maiden, a glow worm, and a rose, emphasizing its ethereal quality. The poet marvels at the purity and intensity of the skylark’s song, considering it superior to any human creation.
- Major Themes in “To a Skylark” The poem addresses the relationship between humans and nature, happiness, and beauty. Shelley highlights the skylark’s song, contrasting it with the limits and sorrows of human existence. The bird, free to glide and sing without restraint, represents a state of pure joy that humans can only aspire to. The poem explores the bird’s carefree life alongside the complexities of human experience, revealing both joy and sorrow.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “To a Skylark”
Literary devices enrich a poem by adding layers of meaning and musicality. Shelley skillfully employs several key devices in “To a Skylark.” Below is an overview of the most prominent ones:
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds creates a musical effect. For example, the long “ai” in “Hail” and the long “ee” in “Spirit” echo each other.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the start of words. “Sunken sun” and “pale purple” both start with the letter “s” or “p.”
- Apostrophe: Direct address to an absent or imaginary person or thing. Shelley repeatedly calls out to the skylark: “Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!”
- Consonance: Repeated consonant sounds within words. The repeated “l” in “I hear thy shrill delight” demonstrates consonance.
- Enjambment: A sentence or phrase continues from one line to the next without pause. For instance, “Thou of death must deem / Things more true and deep / Than we mortals dream…” carries the idea across three lines.
- Imagery: Vivid language that paints sensory pictures. Shelley describes the skylark’s flight and song in bright, luminous detail.
- Rhetorical Question: A question posed for effect rather than answer. “What objects are the fountains of thy happy strain?” invites contemplation.
- Simile: Comparison using “like” or “as.” Examples include “Like a Poet hidden” and “Like a high born maiden.”
- Symbolism: Objects or ideas that represent something deeper. The skylark symbolizes joy, freedom, and the sublime power of nature.
“Thou of death must deem
Things more true and deep
Than we mortals dream,
Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream.”
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “To a Skylark”
Poetic devices give the poem its musical quality and structural coherence. Shelley uses these devices throughout “To a Skylark.”
- End Rhyme: The rhyme of words at the end of lines. Shelley consistently uses end rhyme, creating musicality and cohesion.
- Quintet: Each stanza contains five lines, providing rhythmic stability.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABABC pattern, giving it a predictable, pleasing rhythm.
- Stanza: A group of lines that form a unit. The poem has twenty-one stanzas, each contributing to the overall theme.
“Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know,
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow
The world should listen then, as I am listening now.”
Quotes to be Used
The lines below are useful when discussing the wonders of nature.
Higher still and higher
From the earth thou springest
Like a cloud of fire;
The blue deep thou wingest,
And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.