To a Skylark 2
To a Skylark 2 - meaning Summary
Skylark as Transcendent Song
The poem addresses the skylark as an ethereal, wandering musician whose song seems to transcend earthly cares. The speaker wonders whether the bird despises the world or retains ties to its nest while its wings and music lift heavenward. Contrasted with the nightingale, the skylark becomes a symbol of instinctive, luminous joy and a model of wisdom that unites aspiration with rootedness—loyal to both Heaven and Home.
Read Complete AnalysesEthereal minstrel! pilgrim of the sky! Dost thou despise the earth where cares abound? Or, while the wings aspire, are heart and eye Both with thy nest upon the dewy ground? Thy nest which thou canst drop into at will, Those quivering wings composed, that music still! Leave to the nightingale her shady wood; A privacy of glorious light is thine; Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood Of harmony, with instinct more divine; Type of the wise who soar, but never roam; True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home!
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