To a Skylark by Percy Bysshe Shelley Summary Line by Line
Percy Bysshe Shelley was born on August 4, 1792, in Horsham, Sussex, England, into a wealthy and aristocratic family. He was the eldest son of Timothy and Elizabeth Shelley. From an early age, Shelley showed an interest in literature and a rebellious spirit that would characterize his later life.
Stanza 1:
“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.”
In the opening stanza, the speaker addresses the skylark as a “blithe Spirit” and acknowledges its ethereal nature by stating that it was never truly a bird. The skylark is praised for pouring out its heart in spontaneous and abundant melodies, described as “unpremeditated art.”
Stanza 2:
“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.”
Here, the speaker describes the skylark’s ascent, emphasizing its upward flight. The bird is compared to a “cloud of fire,” signifying both its radiant presence and the celestial heights it reaches. The skylark’s continuous song is highlighted as it soars ever higher.
Stanza 3:
“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 skylark is now associated with the “golden lightning” of the setting sun. Its flight is described as floating and running, evoking a sense of grace and freedom. The comparison to an “unbodied joy” suggests the skylark’s pure and unbridled existence.
Stanza 4:
“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.”
The skylark’s flight is depicted against the backdrop of the evening sky, described as “pale, purple even.” The bird is likened to a hidden star in daylight, emphasizing its elusive nature. Despite being unseen, the skylark’s joyous song is audible to the speaker.
Stanza 5:
“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.”
The intensity of the skylark’s song is compared to the arrows of the moon, whose light narrows in the clear dawn. The speaker suggests that, like the moon’s presence felt even when not fully visible, the skylark’s existence is known through the emotional impact of its song.
Stanza 6:
“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.”
The skylark’s voice is portrayed as resonating throughout the earth and air, filling the surroundings with its sound. The speaker employs a metaphor, comparing the skylark’s song to the moon’s beams raining down from a solitary cloud, creating an overflow of heavenly beauty.
Stanza 7:
“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.”
The speaker acknowledges the mystery surrounding the true nature of the skylark, pondering what could be comparable to it. The brightness of drops flowing from rainbow clouds is deemed inferior to the radiant melody that the skylark produces, emphasizing the uniqueness of its song.
Stanza 8:
“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.”
The skylark is compared to a hidden poet, singing spontaneously and creating a world of emotions that elicit sympathy from those who may not have paid attention to such hopes and fears before. The idea of the skylark as a transformative force through its song is emphasized.
Stanza 9:
“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.”
The skylark is likened to a noble maiden in a tower, finding solace in music during a private moment. The comparison suggests that the skylark’s song is both intimate and regal, possessing a sweetness that overflows like the music of love in a chamber.
Stanza 10:
“Like a glow-worm golden In a dell of dew, Scattering unbeholden Its aërial hue Among the flowers and grass, which screen it from the view.”
The skylark is now compared to a golden glow-worm in a dew-covered valley, scattering its luminous glow without being noticed. This imagery reinforces the idea of the skylark’s subtle but pervasive influence, much like the unnoticed beauty of a glow-worm amid the vegetation.
Stanza 11:
“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 these heavy-winged thieves.”
The skylark is metaphorically compared to a rose surrounded by its own leaves. The rose’s scent, analogous to the skylark’s song, is so overpoweringly sweet that it affects even the bees, described as “heavy-winged thieves.” This imagery conveys the overwhelming beauty and impact of the skylark’s melody.
Stanza 12:
“Sound of vernal showers On the twinkling grass, Rain-awaken’d flowers, All that ever was Joyous and clear and fresh,—thy music doth surpass.”
The skylark’s music is said to surpass the sounds of spring showers on the grass and the awakening of rain-refreshed flowers. The implication is that the skylark’s song transcends all that is joyous, clear, and fresh in the natural world, becoming the epitome of pure and elevated beauty.
Stanza 13:
“Teach us, Sprite or Bird, What sweet thoughts are thine: I have never heard Praise of love or wine That panted forth a flood of rapture so divine.”
The speaker implores the skylark to teach them, whether it be a spirit or a bird, the nature of its sweet thoughts. The speaker contends that they have never heard praise of love or wine that expressed a flood of divine rapture as intense as the skylark’s song.
Stanza 14:
“Chorus Hymeneal, Or triumphal chant, Match’d with thine would be all But an empty vaunt,— A thing wherein we feel there is some hidden want.”
The speaker suggests that even the most celebratory and triumphant human songs, like a wedding chorus or a triumphal chant, would pale in comparison to the skylark’s song. The comparison emphasizes the inadequacy of human expressions in capturing
