A Short summary of P.B.Shelley's "Ode to Skylark".

A Short summary of P.B.Shelley's "Ode to Skylark".

The speaker of the poem addresses a skylark, and calls it a Carefree Spirit. Because its song comes from Heaven, and from its full heart. The skylark flies higher and higher, like a cloud of fire in the blue sky, singing as it flies. In the golden lightning of the sun, it fly's and runs, like a joy having no body. As the skylark flies higher and higher, the speaker loses sight of it, but is still able to hear its song. The earth and air ring with the skylark’s voice, just as Heaven flows with moon rays when the moon shines out from behind a lonely cloud.

The speaker says that no one knows what the skylark is, for it is special and even rainbow clouds do not rain as brightly as the shower of melody that comes from the skylark. The bird is like a lonely maiden in a palace tower, who uses her song to comfort her lovesick soul. It is like a golden glow-worm, spreading light among the flowers and grass in which it is hidden. It is like a rose surrounded by green leaves, whose scent is blown by the wind until the bees are faint with too much sweet. The skylark’s song is better than everything even better than the rain falling on the shinning grass or the flowers. The speaker asks the skylark to tell him its sweet thoughts, for he has never heard anyone so deeply enjoying the feelings of Joy and Pleasure. It is free from all that gives pain to man. The skylark knows what lies beyond death and has no fear. Even if man freed himself from hate, pride, and fear, man's joy would not equal the skylark's. The secret of its capacity to sing so happily would be an incomparable gift for the poet. If the skylark could communicate to Shelley half its happiness, then he would write poetry that the world would read as joyfully as he is listening to the song of the bird.