19 pages • 38 minutes read
To a Skylark
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Element of Water
The primary symbol in “To a Skylark” is water. Water imagery is consistently used to describe music, specifically the song of the skylark. For instance, its musical inspiration is described as “fountains / of thy happy strain” (Lines 71-72) or “waves” (Line 73). The skylark’s act of making music is described as “Pourest thy full heart” (Line 4) and “thy notes flow in such a crystal stream” (Line 85). Moving water symbolizes the intangible flow of music and emotion.
Shelley also creates a connection between the sky and water. The sky is described as the “blue deep” (Line 9), reminding the reader of the ocean. Continuing this idea, the setting sun seems to be submerged in water: Shelley uses the adjective “sunken” before “sun” (Line 11). Also, the purple sky “melts” (Line 17) around the flying bird, symbolically evoking another type of moving water—water moving between solid and liquid states.
The Element of Earth
A motif in “To a Skylark” is imagery of plants and the planet itself. The “earth” is referenced in Lines 7 and 26 as an elemental contrast to the sky; it’s the place where humans exist. Humans are bound to earth while the skylark can travel through the sky. Other plant life includes a maiden’s “bower” (Line 45), the “flowers and grass” (Line 50) that house a glow-worm, and “green leaves” (Line 52) concealing roses. In contrast to not only humans like the maiden, but also animals like the glow-worm, the skylark is free to travel above earth. When the speaker asks the skylark what inspires its joy, questions include “fields” (Line 73) and a “plain” (Line 74). Flora may serve as an inspiration for the skylark’s joy because it is free to travel above the earth.
Concealment
A second motif in “To a Skylark” is mystery, or things obscured from view. The skylark is compared to an “unseen” (Line 20) star that cannot be seen during the day. The skylark is further compared to a maiden during a “secret hour” (Line 44), during which she creates music to soothe her “love-laden / soul” (Lines 43-44). The speaker also compares the skylark to the light of a glow-worm “unbeholden” (Line 48), as well as a rose “embowered” (Line 51) in a bush of leaves. Humans, meanwhile, create music that has a “hidden want” (Line 70)—an unknown missing element.
Unlock all 19 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
Related Titles
By Percy Bysshe Shelley
