Ode to a Skylark summary and analysis

  

“Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought”

Ode to a Skylark is a typical romantic poem written by PB Shelley. Birds are always significant for romantic writers. As Shelley puts it “blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert,” The bird certainly is the powerful symbol in the poem.

 

Romantic writers in general John Keats and PB Shelley in particular reformulated the poetic visions of the bird's world. As the French writer Victor Hugo puts it “romanticism is liberalism in literature”, as far as a literary movement is concerned romanticism offers a limitless freedom and it is an extraordinary development of imaginative sensibility. Just like a bird, it's quite free to express the writers' passion and imagination without any restraints.

 

In fact poetry is a language by which man explores his own amazement. At the outset of the poem, Shelley greets the bird as a heavenly spirit and an epitome of ecstasy. It sings candidly in full throated ease. It flies to the peaks, feels like a blue flame of fire and abides the mellifluous melody. 

 

The sky is suffused with the golden lightening of the sunken sun. The bird floats and runs through the brightening clouds like a spirit. The evening dew and hue surround the bird and it is no longer visible to human eyes. It seems like a star of heaven. Despite the bird is invisible its sweet sound of delight permeates.

 

It looks like as sharp as the silver arrow of the star. When the dawn breaks, the lamp light of the star becomes narrower and gradually invisible, yet remains an impression. Similarly, the song of the invisible bird resonates in the celestial sphere. Indeed, the bird is inimitable; its rain of melody showers among the clouds of rainbow.

 

Shelly strikingly constitutes a series of comparisons such as the bird to the poet's faculty. As every poet unfolds the hidden beauty of the world in his light of thought, just like the bird hides magical melody in its mouth. The spontaneous strains can move the world to consolations and hopes.

 

A different analogy is with a forlorn maiden. She sings pleasant songs of love to attract her lover. Further comparison is with the firefly/glow-worm. It's magically real hue scatters among the flowers and grasses. It initiates an absolute moment of fascination. Similarly this skylark is too charming as it wonders with its exceptional soothing symphony.

 

Yet another striking similitude is with the rose encircled by its own green leaves. The fragrance permeates when warm wind touches it. Consequently, it entices all kinds of heavy winged insects.

 

Spring rain shines the grass and awakens flowers. The melody of that bird surpasses through that freshness. Poet conveys a sense of Wonder and ask for teaching that sweet thoughts. As he had never heard such an intoxicating tone before. The bird incessantly unleashes a flood of ecstasy. 

 

In fact, the song of the skylark is so heavenly when it compares to the song of humankind (chorus hymeneal or triumphal chant). Poet goes on expressing his doubts he wants to know the object of inspiration of his melody. Is it any fields, waves mountains, formation of sky or grassland? or is it about its own love towards other larks or your unspeakable agonies?

 

The bird is blessed with the clear light of joy far away from sadness and frustration. Speaker concludes that the skylark extends love, but it has never experienced a sadness that extreme Love can bring.

 

The speaker believes that skylark knows the matters of life and death with a deep sense of insight than we mortals can ever know. He extends his amazement by asking how could your music flow forth with such perfection. People look past and future and wish for what they don't have. Even the most sincere moment of happiness contains some kinds of suffering at the core. “Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought”. People make beautiful songs out of their miserable experiences.

 

Even if humankind is free from hatred, pride, fear and all kinds of sorrows just like skylark. Still, the speaker does not believe that it is not possible to accomplish the bliss of skylark.

 

Poet glorifies the heavenly skill of the bird. It’s far better than all earthly matters and even all kinds of treasures of knowledge. A poet may sometimes scorn. But the skylark is blessed with an abiding bliss. The speaker makes a final request to share the knowledge of gladness that the skylark largely processes. Humankind shall embrace this harmonious melody forever just like the speaker listens to the bird.