Discuss Shelley’s Use of Imagery in His Poem “To a Skylark.”

Answer

Discuss Shelley’s use of imagery in his poem “To a Skylark.”

Image means an exact copy of something or a replica. Imagery is the combined use of images that refers to visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work. As a romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) has the utmost quality of his imagery since all the romantic poets are sensuous too.

Imagery of the Poem: The poem is profuse in images that are very unique and vivid to express the poet’s intention for an ideal world. The poem’s images are symbolic, too, to express his ideas.

Flying or Soaring Image of the Skylark: At the very beginning of the poem, the poet depicts the flying image of the miniature singing bird. He has recognized the skylark not as a bird but as a ‘blithe spirit’ that is pure and authentic. Shelley draws the cosmic image to recount the perennial joy and ecstasy of the bird. The skylark has been compared to the stars, which are sunken in broad daylight, but their existence is never dismissed. Likewise, a skylark is a bird of ever joy and ecstasy.

Like a star of Heaven,

In the broad daylight

Thou art unseen, but yet I hear thy shrill daylight.

Here, shrill daylight is an oxymoron that expresses the poet’s romantic agony for a new pattern of ideal society.

Charming and Intellectual Comparing and Contrasting Images: Shelley has shown a series of comparing and contrasting images that are charming and intellectual. In this series of images, the first compares the sweet singing with a poet who bears his thoughts but cannot be seen. The poets are fearless to expose. They are not artificial like the authority of the religious institutions.

Like a poet hidden

In the light of thought.

Thus, Shelley goes on. He has compared the skylark with the sweet-smelling rose, golden glow-worm, and the sweet song of love-laden princes who soothe her hearts by singing sweet songs. Here, all the images are the symbol of beauty and ideality. 

Corruption of Religion: Percy Bysshe Shelley has asserted that religion has been corrupted, so the mind-blowing choral hymns are not sweet and laudable. The authority also turns into mere tyranny, which is why the song of victory is less attractive. But the song of the tiny bird surpasses and is the mere source of ideality. The poet says: 

Pourest thy full heart

In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.

Image of Human Society: Like John Keats (1795-1821), Shelley announces that humans are frustrated and tensed by memory and future insecurity. Whatever they have, they cannot be satisfied. On the other hand, the world of skylark is free from excitement and insecurity. Such a human image compared to the world of skylark is a tendency to escape life’s difficulties. Still, at the same time, the poet also requests the beautiful singing bird to teach him the very art that he has so that the poet can scatter his thoughts in the way of the bird among human beings.

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.

Therefore, the poet wants to free human beings from harsh reality and emphasize the peace and happiness of life.

Therefore, it is transparent and clear that the poem’s imagery has the utmost significance of visual description and symbolic meaning to confer the message that a pattern of society based on spontaneity and free from all kinds of malfunction and maladministration can ensure sustainable peace and happiness.