Lecture: Percy Bysshe Shelley's "To a Skylark"

Introduction

• Poem: "To a Skylark" by Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Type: Ode
  • Elaborate stanzaic structure
  • Addresses a person or thing
  • Celebrates or expresses intense emotion
• Significance: One of the most popular odes in English literature
• Context: Shelley, a later Romantic poet like Keats and Byron; Early romantics include Wordsworth and Coleridge
• Composition Date: 1820
• Inspiration: The song of a skylark during Shelley and Mary Shelley's stay in Italy

Shelley's Idealism

• Shelley faced opposition for his idealistic poetry
• Critic Matthew Arnold described Shelley as "a beautiful and ineffectual angel"
• Shelley's life was cut short; he drowned

Stanza Analysis

Stanza 1

• Opening: Glorifies the skylark as a "blithe spirit"
• Bird vs. Spirit: Bird is a spirit due to its invisibility and heavenly song
• Artistic Expression: Skylark's song is spontaneous and natural

Stanza 2

• Imagery: Bird compared to a "cloud of fire"
• Action: Singing and soaring simultaneously

Stanza 3

• Evening Imagery: Skylark compared to brightening evening clouds
• Concept of Unbodied Joy: The bird is pure joy without a physical presence

Stanza 4

• Evening Setting: Evening sky described as pale purple
• Unseen Presence: Skylark compared to a star unseen in daylight

Stanza 5

• Comparison to the Moon: Like the moon, the bird is unseen but its presence is felt

Stanza 6

• Exaggeration (Hyperbole): Earth and air filled with the bird's voice
• Imagery: Compared to moonbeams spreading from a hidden moon

Stanza 7

• Question of Identity: Wonders about the bird's nature
• Beauty of Melody: Song surpasses beauty of rain from rainbow clouds

Stanza 8

• Comparison to a Hidden Poet: Unseen poet whose works affect the world
• Possibly Personal Reference: Shelley likens himself to the hidden poet

Stanza 9

• Comparison to a High-born Maiden: Maiden sings to soothe her heart, music spreads beyond her bower

Stanza 10

• Comparison to a Glow Worm: Hidden glow of a glowworm amidst dew-covered plants

Stanza 11

• Comparison to a Rose: Fragrant rose hidden by leaves, scent taken by the wind
• Impact on Winds: Winds (thieves) become intoxicated by the rose's scent

Stanza 12

• Comparison to Natural Sounds: Skylark's music surpasses the sound of rain on grass, awakening flowers
• Music's Superiority: Joyous, clear, and fresh beyond description

Conclusion

• Continuous Imagery: Shelley uses numerous similes to express the skylark's beauty
• Overall Message: Celebrates the natural, joyous, and spiritual essence of the skylark's music