"To a Skylark" : Summary

Summary

Background of the Poem: Shelley wrote To a Skylark in 1820 while he was staying in Italy. One evening, he was walking with his wife, Mary Shelley, in the city of Livorno. During that walk, he saw a skylark flying high in the sky and singing sweetly. The bird was not clearly visible, but its song filled the air. This moment touched Shelley deeply.

At that time, Shelley was thinking about nature, freedom, and happiness. He saw the skylark as a symbol of pure joy and beauty. The bird seemed free from pain, sadness, and worries of human life. Shelley wished to learn from the skylark how to be happy and peaceful. The poem shows Shelley’s deep love for nature. It also shows his desire to rise above human sorrow. This poem is not just about a bird. It is about Shelley’s wish to understand perfect happiness and express it through poetry.

Summary

The Skylark Appears and Starts to Sing [Stanza 1 to 5 (Lines 1–25)]

The poem begins with the poet greeting the skylark. He calls it a “blithe Spirit,” meaning it is full of joy. He says the skylark is not just a bird. It comes from Heaven or near it. It sings freely from its heart. Its song is natural, not planned. The bird flies higher and higher in the sky. The poet says it looks like a cloud of fire moving through the blue sky. It sings while flying and keeps flying while singing.

The time is evening. The sun is setting and giving golden light. The clouds are shining. The skylark moves like a spirit of joy in the glowing sky. It seems like its race of happiness has just begun. The poet cannot see the bird clearly. The sky becomes purple, and the skylark flies higher. It is like a star in the day that we cannot see but still know is there. The poet hears its song even if he cannot see it. The song is sharp and clear. It is like the light of the moon that is fading as the sun rises. We do not see it fully, but we can feel it is still present.

The Skylark’s Song Fills the Air and Becomes a Symbol [Stanza 6 to 10 (Lines 26–50)]

The poet says that the skylark’s voice fills the whole sky and the air. He compares it to the moonlight that shines from behind a lonely cloud at night. Just like moonlight spreads across the sky, the bird’s song spreads everywhere. The poet says people do not know exactly what the skylark is. He asks what is most like it. He says even the bright drops from rainbow clouds are not as lovely as the bird’s song. The music of the skylark falls like a sweet shower from above.

Then the poet gives some comparisons to show how wonderful the skylark is. He says the bird is like a hidden poet. That poet sings songs without planning, and those songs touch people’s hearts. The poet also compares the skylark to a young lady in a palace tower. She sings in secret to comfort her heart, full of love. Her music is soft and sweet, like love itself. The poet says the skylark is also like a golden glow-worm in a small, wet valley. It gives light quietly, hiding behind flowers and grass.

More Comparisons and Questions to the Skylark [Stanza 11 to 15 (Lines 51–75)]

The poet gives another picture of the skylark. He says it is like a rose hidden in its green leaves. The warm wind removes the leaves. Then its sweet smell spreads all around. The smell is so sweet that even bees feel weak. The poet says that even the sound of spring rain falling on fresh grass and flowers cannot match the skylark’s music. All that is joyful, clear, and fresh is less beautiful than the bird’s song.

Then the poet speaks to the skylark again. He asks the bird to teach humans the thoughts behind its song. He says he has never heard any song of love or wine that is so full of joy. Not even songs sung at weddings or during great celebrations can match the skylark’s song. Those songs seem loud, but something is missing in them. There is a hidden sadness in all human songs.

The poet then asks many questions to the skylark. He wants to know what things make the bird so happy. Is it the fields, waves, mountains, sky, or plains? Is it love for its own kind? Or is it that the skylark does not know any pain?

Human Sorrow vs. Skylark’s Joy [Stanza 16 to 21 (Lines 76–105)]

The poet says that the skylark’s happiness is very deep and clear. He believes the bird has never felt tired or annoyed. It loves, but it never felt the sadness that sometimes comes with love. The poet thinks the bird must have a better understanding of death than humans. Maybe that is why its song flows so purely, like a clear stream.

The poet then talks about human life. He says people always think about the past and the future. They are never happy with what they have. Even their true laughter carries some pain. The sweetest human songs come from sad thoughts. The poet says if humans could forget hate, pride, and fear, and if they were born never to cry, maybe then they could come close to the skylark’s joy.

The poet feels that the skylark’s art is better than any beautiful music or knowledge found in books. He calls the bird the “scorner of the ground” because it stays high in the sky and is far from worldly matters. Finally, the poet begs the skylark to teach him just half of the joy it knows. If he could feel that joy, he would write songs so sweet that the whole world would listen, just as he is listening now.