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.
These lines are the opening stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a renowned English poet from the Romantic era. The poem was written in 1820 and is a tribute to the skylark, a small bird known for its melodious and uplifting song. In these lines, Shelley addresses the skylark as a “blithe Spirit” and expresses how it seems to pour forth its heart in a spontaneous and artful manner, creating beautiful music without any premeditation. The skylark’s song is likened to heavenly music, and Shelley’s poem explores themes of nature’s inspiration, the contrast between the world of the skylark and the human world, and the idea of transcending earthly limitations through art and imagination.
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.
These lines are the second stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In these lines, Shelley continues to describe the skylark’s ascent, comparing it to a “cloud of fire” rising higher and higher from the earth. The skylark’s flight is depicted as transcending earthly bounds, as it wings its way into the “blue deep” of the sky. Despite its soaring journey, the skylark continues to sing its melodious song, emphasizing its unceasing and joyful music as it soars ever higher. These lines further explore the idea of the skylark’s connection to the ethereal and its ability to inspire awe and wonder in those who observe its flight and hear its song.
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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.
In this stanza, from To A Skylark, Shelley describes the beauty of the skylark soaring in the sky of early morning before sunrise. Very early in the morning the sun seems to remain time beneath the horizon. The crimson rays (लाल-लाल फिरण) of the sun appear like flashes (क्षणिक प्रकाश) of lightning to the poet and the clouds that hover (0) on the horizon in the eastern sky become brighter and brighter. The skylark attracted as it were, by this beautiful sight fly up and signs as it soars in a carefree way. Now it floats as if carried by the air, now it darts obliquely (तिरछे रूप में) forward. It seems that the bird is a spirit of delight. The poet hears the bird’s song all day long, but he cannot see the bird. So it seems to him that the skylark is not a creature of flesh and blood but a spirit, a soul full of joy just liberated from the prison of body. It seems to be like a child who is just born in this world and feels life in every limb (an) and whose spiritual career has just started.
The pale purple even
Melts around thy flight;
Like a star of Heaven,
In the broad day-light
Thou art unseen, but yet I hear thy shrill delight,
These lines are the third stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, Shelley describes the skylark’s presence during the evening twilight (“pale purple even”). The skylark’s flight and song are so captivating that they seem to blend with the fading colors of the evening sky. The skylark’s beauty and significance are likened to a heavenly star that remains unseen during daylight but can still be heard, suggesting that its influence and inspiration are felt even when its physical form is hidden.
The stanza continues to emphasize the skylark’s enchanting music (“shrill delight”) and its ability to evoke emotions and sensations despite being hidden from view. Shelley’s portrayal of the skylark as a mysterious and ethereal presence reflects the theme of transcendence and the idea that nature’s beauty and artistry can reach beyond the ordinary boundaries of perception.
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.
These lines are the fourth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, Shelley compares the skylark’s song to the sharpness and brightness of arrows shot from a “silver sphere,” which likely refers to the sun. The skylark’s song is depicted as intense and piercing, much like the sun’s rays. The mention of the sun’s “intense lamp narrows” in the dawn refers to the way the sun’s light becomes focused and concentrated as it rises, creating a vivid and clear atmosphere.
Shelley expresses how the skylark’s song is so powerful that its impact is felt even when its physical presence is difficult to perceive. This stanza continues to explore the theme of the skylark’s hidden but deeply felt influence, comparing it to the subtle yet undeniable presence of the sun in the sky at dawn. Just as we can feel the sun’s presence even if it’s not fully visible, the skylark’s song resonates in a way that’s both captivating and intangible.
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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.
In these lines from “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the poet conveys the profound impact of the skylark’s song on the environment. The skylark’s voice is so resounding that it fills both the earth and the air, creating an all-encompassing sound that echoes throughout the surroundings. Shelley compares the skylark’s influence to that of the moonlight pouring from a solitary cloud on a bare night. Just as the moon’s radiance inundates the sky, the skylark’s song floods the atmosphere with its music. This metaphor underscores the skylark’s ability to transform and elevate the natural world, likening its song to a radiant force that saturates the heavens and earthly realm alike.
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.
These lines are the sixth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, Shelley expresses the mystery and uniqueness of the skylark’s nature. He acknowledges that while the true essence of the skylark remains unknown, he contemplates what might be comparable to it. Shelley likens the skylark’s presence and its music to something as exquisite as a rainbow, highlighting that even the brightest and most beautiful colors of nature cannot match the brightness of the skylark’s song. He paints a vivid image of the skylark’s music as a “rain of melody,” suggesting that its song falls upon the world like a refreshing shower, enriching the environment with its ethereal and enchanting sounds. This stanza continues to explore the skylark’s unique and captivating qualities, emphasizing its unparalleled ability to inspire and uplift through its melodious artistry.
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:
These lines are the seventh stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, Shelley compares the skylark to a hidden poet who is immersed in the realm of thought and creativity. This hidden poet-like skylark sings spontaneous and unbidden hymns, similar to how a poet might create verses from the depths of their imagination. The skylark’s song has the power to transform the world, evoking a sense of sympathy or connection among people. Shelley suggests that the skylark’s music can resonate with the hopes and fears that people might not have been aware of, thus touching them on a profound emotional level. This stanza further deepens the notion of the skylark’s artistic and emotional influence, portraying it as a mysterious force that stirs the human soul much like a poet’s verses.
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:
Here, in this stanza, from Shelley’s To A Skylark, the bird is compared to a lovelorn maiden (ferde) of aristocratic family, who in order to console herself sings in the solitude of her inner chamber a sweet song which over flows her bower.
An unmarried girl of noble descent often sings her love songs in her secluded (s) but lofty chamber in order to soothe her love-sick heart. In the tranquil hours (a) of midnight she sings unnoticed by others but her sweet music extends beyond the limit of her chamber and is heard by people all round. Similarly, the skylark singing from a very lofty region in the air, though invisible, fills the whole atmosphere with its charming music and enraptured (senere) the heaters below.
Like a glow-worm golden
In a dell of dew,
Scattering unbeholden
Its aëreal hue
Among the flowers and grass, which screen it from the view:
These lines are the eighth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, Shelley continues his series of comparisons, likening the skylark to a glow-worm that emits a golden light in a dewy dell. The glow-worm’s light is described as “aëreal hue,” suggesting its ethereal and delicate quality. This light is cast among the flowers and grass in the dell, creating a subtle and enchanting illumination. Similarly, the skylark’s song spreads its melodious beauty like the glow-worm’s light, touching the surroundings with its exquisite music. The skylark’s song is portrayed as a hidden gem, much like the glow-worm, concealed by the flowers and grass that “screen it from the view.” This stanza further emphasizes the idea of the skylark’s hidden yet captivating presence, resonating with the overarching theme of the poem.
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 those heavy-winged thieves:
In these lines, from Shelley’s To A Skylark, the song of the skylark is likened (fre) to the smell of the rose.
The rose is concealed in the thick foliage from the view of man. But its fragrance is carried far and nearby the summer winds. Like a thief burdened with a booty (epa) the winds become heavily loaded by robbing the rose of its fragrance and so they blow very languidly (feet) under the heavy burden. Similarly, the bird sings high up in the sky, so that it can not be seen by the people of the world below. But its song is distinctly heard and heartily enjoyed by the people all the time.
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.
These lines are the ninth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, Shelley compares the skylark’s music to the refreshing and rejuvenating sounds of springtime, such as the gentle showers that fall on the grass, the flowers awakened by rain, and all the joyful and clear sounds of nature. He suggests that the skylark’s music surpasses even these enchanting sounds of the natural world. The skylark’s song is portrayed as being more joyful, clear, and fresh than the combined beauty of spring’s awakening. By drawing these parallels, Shelley conveys the skylark’s exceptional ability to evoke a sense of wonder and delight, transcending the ordinary sounds of nature and elevating the spirit through its exquisite melody.
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.
These lines are the tenth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, the speaker addresses the skylark, referring to it as a “Sprite or Bird,” and expresses a desire to learn from it. The speaker acknowledges that they have never heard expressions of praise for love or wine that have evoked such a profound and divine sense of rapture as the skylark’s music does. By praising the skylark’s song in this way, the speaker emphasizes its unparalleled beauty and the intense emotions it stirs within them. The stanza reflects the theme of the skylark as a source of inspiration and enlightenment, suggesting that the skylark’s music possesses a unique and incomparable ability to convey a deep and transcendent sense of joy and wonder.
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.
These lines are the eleventh stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, the speaker continues to extol the skylark’s music by comparing it to various types of celebratory songs. The “Chorus Hymeneal” refers to a wedding song, while the “triumphal chant” likely denotes a victorious or celebratory song. The speaker suggests that even these grand and festive songs would pale in comparison to the skylark’s music. The skylark’s song is portrayed as embodying a completeness and depth of emotion that other songs lack, making them seem inadequate in comparison. This stanza underscores the unique and powerful quality of the skylark’s melody, portraying it as a source of fulfillment and transcendence that sets it apart from other forms of musical expression.
What objects are the fountains
Of thy happy strain?
What fields, or waves, or mountains?
What shapes of sky or plain?
What love of thine own kind? what ignorance of pain?
These lines have been taken from Shelley’s To A Skylark. The poet wonders how the song of the skylark can be so incomparably (अतुलनीय ढंग से) sweet and delightful. He would fain (s) know that the source of inspiration of the bird’s song. Generally, poets and singers are inspired by the beauty of nature to sing lovely songs. The beauty of the fields, sky, sea and mountains fills the poet’s mind with an eager, ardent (2) joy which finds utterance (af) in noble verses. But these verses of men have not the freshness and joyousness of the song of the bird. Hence the poet wonders if the skylark knows the beautiful aspect of nature that is missed by men. Otherwise its song could not have been so pure and delightful. Or, it may be that the skylark is inspired by a genuine love (en) for its fellow-creatures.. Man, too, loves his fellow-beings, but the love of man suffers from some limitation (m) while the bird’s love is free from that. Or, it may be that the skylark is a perfect stranger to the sorrow and pain of life; hence its song is free from the touch of sorrow and is piercingly sweet.
With thy clear keen joyance
Languor cannot be:
Shadow of annoyance
Never came near thee:
Thou lovest: but ne’er knew love’s sad satiety.
These lines are the thirteenth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, the speaker reflects on the skylark’s state of being and its relationship with emotions. The speaker acknowledges that the skylark’s “clear keen joyance” is so intense that it leaves no room for lethargy or weariness. The skylark remains untouched by “shadow of annoyance,” suggesting that it is unaffected by feelings of disturbance or irritation. The speaker observes that the skylark experiences love, but it has never encountered the sorrowful sense of “love’s sad satiety,” or the feeling of being worn down by the burdens of love. The stanza highlights the skylark’s pure and untroubled state of existence, emphasizing its ability to embody unadulterated joy and positivity, even in the face of emotions that can often be complex and conflicting for humans.
Waking or asleep,
Thou of death must deem
Things more true and deep
Than we mortals dream,
Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream?
This is from Shelley’s To A Skylark. In these lines the poet suggests further reasons why the song of the skylark is so joyful and so clear. The skylark seems to have a correct knowledge of the mystery (P) of death. while man can scarcely possess such knowledge. Death is a source of terror to him. That is why a man’s music cannot have the pure, unmixed joy of the bird’s. According to the poet, the bird is never afraid of death. On the contrary, the bird knows that death is nothing but a gateway to a happier life and hence its song is free and clear, its joy is, therefore, uncommon. The bird is perfect philosopher, having an instinctive (y) perception (ar) of the mystery of death. This clear conception of death never leaves the bird, whether it is in the waking moments of life or asleep. It is this freedom from the terror of death that enables the bird to sing in such sweet and pure strains .
We look before and after,
And pine for what is not:
Our sincerest laughter
With some pain is fraught;
Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.
These oft-quoted lines occur in Shelley’s To A Skylark. While contrasting (en) the sky lark’s song with man’s the poet shows the reason why human song can not attain the sweetness and joy of the bird’s music. A man is never happy in his life. When he looks to the past its sweet recollections ( fan) make him sorrowful; when he looks forward to the future, eagerly longing for a state of ideal bliss (4) he becomes gloomy (a). As for the present, he cannot enjoy it as he wanted and unrealised (aq) dreams and vague longings, all stand in the way of his making the best use of what he has. Joy and sorrow exist side by side in the life of man. Even in his sincerest laughter there is always an undercurrent of grief (g). His sweetest songs are those which give utterance to his melancholy (3) and sorrow. All these are in perfections (,) of human nature for which man can never sing in such a crystal clear strain (स्फटिक जैसे स्वच्छ संगीत, स्वर) 35 the skylark does.
Yet if we could scorn
Hate, and pride, and fear;
If we were things born
Not to shed a tear,
I know not how thy joy we ever should come near.
These lines are the fourteenth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, the speaker contemplates the differences between the skylark’s unblemished happiness and the complexities of human emotions. The speaker imagines a scenario where humans could dismiss negative emotions like hate, pride, and fear, and where they were not inclined to cry. However, in this utopian vision, the speaker struggles to envision how humans could ever approach the skylark’s pure and unadulterated joy. By comparing the skylark’s unwavering happiness to the challenging reality of human emotions, Shelley emphasizes the inherent difficulties and imperfections in human experience while highlighting the skylark’s extraordinary ability to encapsulate and express unburdened delight.
Better than all measures
Of delightful sound,
Better than all treasures
That in books are found,
Thy skill to poet were, thou scorner of the ground!
These lines are the fifteenth stanza of the poem “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this stanza, the speaker praises the skylark’s song and its significance, expressing that it surpasses all forms of delightful sounds and even the treasures of knowledge found in books. The skylark’s music is depicted as the ultimate source of inspiration for a poet, superior to any artistic or intellectual pursuit. The speaker refers to the skylark as a “scorner of the ground,” highlighting its ability to transcend earthly limitations and elevate itself through its song. This stanza further underscores the skylark’s role as an emblem of artistic and spiritual aspiration, suggesting that its music holds the key to unlocking the highest forms of creative expression and enlightenment.
Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know,
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow
The world should listen then, as I am listening now.
In these concluding lines of his poem To A Skylark. Shelley makes a passionate appeal to the skylark to inspire him with its song and give him at least half of its joy. The bird’s song is filled with supreme joy () and the poet envies (x to wry it. He thinks that even if he could share a small portion of the lark’s joy, he would write such rapturous poems as would straight into the hearts of his readers. They would charm the world in the manner in which the poet himself has been charmed by the song of the bird.
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