“To a Skylark” is a poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this poem, the speaker addresses a skylark, a small brown bird known for its continuous and impressive song, even while in flight. The poem explores the idea that the skylark is not just a bird but a “blithe Spirit” that derives its song from Heaven. The skylark’s song is seen as a source of inspiration and joy. Read More English Summaries.
To a Skylark Summary
To a Skylark Summary in English
“To a Skylark’ is one of the greatest poems of English literature. It is written by P.B.-Shellev. Welcoming the skylark the poet says that it is not simply a bird but a carefree light-hearted bird which has been never seen before. It pours its copious and plentiful natural spontaneous musical notes direct from heaven. It goes higher and higher springing from the earth like a cloud of fire. Its singing soars and soars all around as a wave. It is floating and running like an unbodied joy in the midst of golden lightening of the setting sun over which the clouds are brightening.
Everything pale or purple which signifies sadness melts around its flight. The skylark like the heaven star is invisible in day but still its joyful musical note is audible. It is keen like the arrows of the moon whose intense light comes closer in the while clear dawn. Though we see its hardly, we feel its presence somewhere around there. Its voice overpowers all over the earth and air in the lonely night from the lonely cloud. Its musical delight overflows.
The poet fails to define the bird in the actual sense. Never before such a bright drop has flown as its melody comes. The bird is like a poet hidden in the hilt of thought Ringing hymns unbidden until the whole world is wrought to sympathy wise hopes and fears. For the poet it appears to be a high-born maiden in the palace tower who soothes her love laden soul with her sweet music. Sometimes its looks like glow-worm which glitters among flowers and grass without being seen anywhere. It is like a rose surrounded by its green leaves. It gets deflowered by the warm winds spreading its fragrance overpowering its leaves which had stolen it from the sight. Its fresh music surpasses the spring sound which was till now joyous and clear.
The poet asks this spirit or bird whoever it is to teach him what sweet thoughts does it have. The poet has never heard of such a flood of rapture so divine. It is difficult to match it with any wedding chorus or triumphant song with its divine music. Still we feel there is a want hidden in its song.The poet fails to guess what does the bird pours through its musical strain.
There is a tremendous mystery behind it of love or ignorance of pain. No shadow of sadness does ever come near the joyance of its song for there is only love and love not its pangs. The bird’s song flows in such a crystal stream that it makes no difference whether it is walking or asleep. Even in this sense it surpasses human beings. It is the nature of human beings to look back and forward and be sad for what we have not.
To a Skylark Summary Class 11
Our sincerest laughter is mixed with pain. Our sweetest songs are those that tell of our saddest thoughts.
The poet in no way feels human being to be near the greatness of the bird even if we shed all our vices like hate, pride or fear.
Glorifying the bird the poet says that it is beyond all measures or delightful sound and available treasures written in the books by poets. The poet makes a request to the bird to teach even half of its gladness that its brain preserves. He wishes that the harmonious madness of the bird should ever flow from the poet’s lips so that the whole of the world would listen and enjoy it as the poet is listening and enjoying.