To a Skylark

The primary symbol in “To a Skylark” is water. Water imagery is consistently used to describe music, specifically the song of the skylark. For instance, its musical inspiration is described as “fountains / of thy happy strain” (Lines 71-72) or “waves” (Line 73). The skylark’s act of making music is described as “Pourest thy full heart” (Line 4) and “thy notes flow in such a crystal stream” (Line 85). Moving water symbolizes the intangible flow of music and emotion.

Shelley also creates a connection between the sky and water. The sky is described as the “blue deep” (Line 9), reminding the reader of the ocean. Continuing this idea, the setting sun seems to be submerged in water: Shelley uses the adjective “sunken” before “sun” (Line 11). Also, the purple sky “melts” (Line 17) around the flying bird, symbolically evoking another type of moving water—water moving between solid and liquid states.

A motif in “To a Skylark” is imagery of plants and the planet itself. The “earth” is referenced in Lines 7 and 26 as an elemental contrast to the sky; it’s the place where humans exist. Humans are bound to earth while the skylark can travel through the sky.