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2010/06/19, 04:15 AM
To a Skylark by Shelly
What is Shelly’s concept of imagination?
The poem “to a skylark” describes nature through visual and auditory images. Shelly defines it as the instrument of moral good. He argues that poetry should reach a message. At the same time, imagination for him is the expression of human senses.
About the poem in general:
The poem can be divided into 2 parts: the opening 12 stanzas describe the beauty of the skylark in general as a symbol of nature. In stanza 13, there is a shift in Shelly’s message. In the 2nd half of the poem, Shelly shows moral value of nature. He argues that the skylark should teach humanity to live in peace. He ends the poem by expressing his wish to be a skylark. The poem deals with Shelly’s 2 aspects of imagination. His description of the skylark in the 1st half of the poem is conveyed through visual and auditory images. At the same time, the 2nd half of the poem contains Shelly’s moral side of imagination.
The opening stanza:
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art. “hail” gives us the impression of as if he is talking to a bird and it is listening to him. The opening lines contain a personification which gives the reader an auditory image in which the poet and the bird are talking to each other. The poet here in this stanza is trying to paint a general picture of the skylark.
The 2nd stanza:
We have here more than 1 image. The general 1 describes the beauty of the skylark when it soars high. It contains both auditory and visual images. The final line of the stanza contains an auditory image which depicts the singing of the skylark. We have also a visual image in “like a cloud of fire”, in which Shelly uses a simile as the skylark is compared to a cloud of fire. The visual connotation of a cloud of fire is that the poet here compare the flying of skylark to a cloud of fire which in 1 hand gives us an extra flash of light. On the other hand allows us to contemplate its charming beauty. The combination of visual and auditory images here is emphasized in line 10. The use of words (singing / scaring) combines the images of its singing and the image of its flying.
The 3rd and 4th stanzas:
Once more Shelly continues his method in combining visual and auditory images. Here we have a metaphor in “in the golden lighting / of the sunken sun”. the poet here is comparing the act of sunset to someone who is sinking. The metaphor signifies that the day is coming to an end. In the following lines we have a double image, like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun. When the poet sees the skylark, he feels that all human beings live in a joyful life. In “ melts around thy flight”, the poet gives us a picture of the skylark as if it is melting because of the skylark’s charming beauty. We have a powerful simile in “like a star of heaven / in the broad daylight”.
From line 21 to line 30:
Here the poet is giving us a description of both the movement and voice of skylark. We have here a metaphor in “ keen as are arrows”. He compares the skylark to arrows. Then in the 2nd stanza he is comparing the skylark’s voice to a very quiet night. The value of this comparison that may be he wants to say that the earth and air became quiet to listen to the skylark’s voice. Its voice is loud as it is the only available one. This shows that there is a high degree of exaggeration here “ hyberbole”.
Stanza 7:
At the beginning of the stanza he uses 2 rhetorical questions: what thou art we know not? And what is the most like thee? These images are intensified by them. The value of them is to express Shelly’s admiration and wonder. In “as form thy presence showers a ran of melody”, we have a very beautiful image. He compares the voice of the skylark to the rain of music.
Stanzas 8,9,10 and 11:
Here we have a succession of similes in 4 stanzas in order to make a contrast between the skylark and other elements of nature. Then after the succession of similes, Shelly concludes his description of the skylark by a stanza full of auditory images. The value of this concluding stanza is to highlight the major quality of the skylark namely its voice. So far this is mainly Shelly’s 1st definition of imagination.
Stanza 13:
The poem here undergoes an obvious shift. Shelly no longer describes the skylark, in contrast, he turns to the moral value of it. How can humanity learn from the beauty of skylark? The poet here invokes the skylark to teach humanity how to be pure and innocent.
Stanza 14:
“purity and innocence” are not only the qualities that Shelly admire in the skylark, but he also admires his ability to identify his own nature.
Stanza 15:
The rhetorical questions here serve to invite the readers of his poem not only to contemplate the beauty of the skylark, but also the fact that all human beings can be like it pure and innocent.
Stanzas 16 and 17:
The poet here continues the same idea but in some what different way. Shelly refers to the skylark as not knowing anything about pain, sorrow and annoyance as it is immoral. Shelly believes that the skylark is immoral and is above all the abstract ideas as death. It is something divine.
Stanzas 18,19 and 20:
The poet here contemplates the idea of being like the skylark. He wishes that all the humanity would be immortal as the skylark. Shelly is contemplating his wish to be like the skylark, on the other hand he is sure that his idea will not come true. The repetition here gives an indication that Shelly is aware of the fact that he is dreaming.
The final stanza:
The conclusion of the poem is much more realistic. In the final stanza, Shelly no longer desires to be a skylark. Instead, his only wish at the end of the poem is to learn joy, innocence and purity. This is some what a realistic wish
What is Shelly’s concept of imagination?
The poem “to a skylark” describes nature through visual and auditory images. Shelly defines it as the instrument of moral good. He argues that poetry should reach a message. At the same time, imagination for him is the expression of human senses.
About the poem in general:
The poem can be divided into 2 parts: the opening 12 stanzas describe the beauty of the skylark in general as a symbol of nature. In stanza 13, there is a shift in Shelly’s message. In the 2nd half of the poem, Shelly shows moral value of nature. He argues that the skylark should teach humanity to live in peace. He ends the poem by expressing his wish to be a skylark. The poem deals with Shelly’s 2 aspects of imagination. His description of the skylark in the 1st half of the poem is conveyed through visual and auditory images. At the same time, the 2nd half of the poem contains Shelly’s moral side of imagination.
The opening stanza:
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art. “hail” gives us the impression of as if he is talking to a bird and it is listening to him. The opening lines contain a personification which gives the reader an auditory image in which the poet and the bird are talking to each other. The poet here in this stanza is trying to paint a general picture of the skylark.
The 2nd stanza:
We have here more than 1 image. The general 1 describes the beauty of the skylark when it soars high. It contains both auditory and visual images. The final line of the stanza contains an auditory image which depicts the singing of the skylark. We have also a visual image in “like a cloud of fire”, in which Shelly uses a simile as the skylark is compared to a cloud of fire. The visual connotation of a cloud of fire is that the poet here compare the flying of skylark to a cloud of fire which in 1 hand gives us an extra flash of light. On the other hand allows us to contemplate its charming beauty. The combination of visual and auditory images here is emphasized in line 10. The use of words (singing / scaring) combines the images of its singing and the image of its flying.
The 3rd and 4th stanzas:
Once more Shelly continues his method in combining visual and auditory images. Here we have a metaphor in “in the golden lighting / of the sunken sun”. the poet here is comparing the act of sunset to someone who is sinking. The metaphor signifies that the day is coming to an end. In the following lines we have a double image, like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun. When the poet sees the skylark, he feels that all human beings live in a joyful life. In “ melts around thy flight”, the poet gives us a picture of the skylark as if it is melting because of the skylark’s charming beauty. We have a powerful simile in “like a star of heaven / in the broad daylight”.
From line 21 to line 30:
Here the poet is giving us a description of both the movement and voice of skylark. We have here a metaphor in “ keen as are arrows”. He compares the skylark to arrows. Then in the 2nd stanza he is comparing the skylark’s voice to a very quiet night. The value of this comparison that may be he wants to say that the earth and air became quiet to listen to the skylark’s voice. Its voice is loud as it is the only available one. This shows that there is a high degree of exaggeration here “ hyberbole”.
Stanza 7:
At the beginning of the stanza he uses 2 rhetorical questions: what thou art we know not? And what is the most like thee? These images are intensified by them. The value of them is to express Shelly’s admiration and wonder. In “as form thy presence showers a ran of melody”, we have a very beautiful image. He compares the voice of the skylark to the rain of music.
Stanzas 8,9,10 and 11:
Here we have a succession of similes in 4 stanzas in order to make a contrast between the skylark and other elements of nature. Then after the succession of similes, Shelly concludes his description of the skylark by a stanza full of auditory images. The value of this concluding stanza is to highlight the major quality of the skylark namely its voice. So far this is mainly Shelly’s 1st definition of imagination.
Stanza 13:
The poem here undergoes an obvious shift. Shelly no longer describes the skylark, in contrast, he turns to the moral value of it. How can humanity learn from the beauty of skylark? The poet here invokes the skylark to teach humanity how to be pure and innocent.
Stanza 14:
“purity and innocence” are not only the qualities that Shelly admire in the skylark, but he also admires his ability to identify his own nature.
Stanza 15:
The rhetorical questions here serve to invite the readers of his poem not only to contemplate the beauty of the skylark, but also the fact that all human beings can be like it pure and innocent.
Stanzas 16 and 17:
The poet here continues the same idea but in some what different way. Shelly refers to the skylark as not knowing anything about pain, sorrow and annoyance as it is immoral. Shelly believes that the skylark is immoral and is above all the abstract ideas as death. It is something divine.
Stanzas 18,19 and 20:
The poet here contemplates the idea of being like the skylark. He wishes that all the humanity would be immortal as the skylark. Shelly is contemplating his wish to be like the skylark, on the other hand he is sure that his idea will not come true. The repetition here gives an indication that Shelly is aware of the fact that he is dreaming.
The final stanza:
The conclusion of the poem is much more realistic. In the final stanza, Shelly no longer desires to be a skylark. Instead, his only wish at the end of the poem is to learn joy, innocence and purity. This is some what a realistic wish