Background Information
The poem, To a Skylark, is written by PB Shelley. The poem was published in 1820 along with the lyrical drama, Prometheus Unbound. Shelley wrote this poem when he was walking in the countryside near Livorno, Italy. To the Skylark is a poem that captures the song of the bird and turns it into a song of happiness and joy - though short-lived but memorable at best.
Development of Situation
The poem lacks proper continuity that is found in Ode to the West Wind. The poem is a combination of different observations joined together. The poem begins with the speaker calling the bird a "Spirit". Then the addressor shows his appreciation of the song of the bird mentioned in the title. The poet puts the song of the bird side by side to a star, Venus (the planet), a poet, a maiden and a rose etc. The poet asserts that all human songs are sad but the song of the skylark is of joy. Lastly, the speaker unveils his desire to sing along with the bird with freedom,
The world should listen then, as I am listening now.
Themes
Associating divine qualities with the elements of Nature is the hallmark of Romantics like William Wordsworth. But Shelley, in this poem, finds the song of the skylark divine because of the audible beauty it sustains even when it is flying across the sky. According to Shelley, the song of the skylark is divine because its song is not understandable by the (mortal) humans.
The second theme of this poem is the limit of human communications. Because the addressor suggests that the human form of communications are without any meaning for the other person of the other race. Whereas the song of skylark is pure and conveys the message of joy far better than human languages do.
Figurative Analysis
PB Shelley has used some of the figurative devices to add a symbolic touch to his poetic touch. Here, the skylark has been used as a symbol of joy and happiness. But figurative analysis is not limited to symbols only. There are some instances of similes packed inside the poem. For example, "Like a rose embower’d", "Like a high-born maiden" and "Like a Poet hidden". But the poet also poses rhetorical questions that do not mean any answer to be given. The examples may include like, "What love of thine own kind?", "Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream?" and "What is most like thee?".
Setting and Imagery
The setting of this poem is sky because the skylark "scorn the ground". The images of this poem make us fly and sing along with the skylark. The most notable images may include like "Makes faint with too much sweet those heavy-winged thieves", *Like a star of Heaven" and "Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal stream".
Structural Analysis
To the Skylark is composed of 105 lines. The poem is further divided into twenty-one stanzas of five lines each, thus forming 21 quintets (a stanza of 5 lines is called a quintet). The rhyme scheme of each stanza is ABABB. The rhythmic pattern of this verse is trochaic trimeter in the first four lines in a stanza while the last line is iambic hexameter (also an Alexandrine)
Conclusion
To a Skylark is a poem of Romantic Escapism into the ecstasy (happiness) of the natural melody of the skylark.
