The poem 'The Eagle' by the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson is written from the
point of view of an observer as we can see by the lines
'He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.'
We get the impression the nature-watcher is fairly close to the
magnificent bird of prey, as he is able to describe it close-up ('hands' and
later on 'falls.') Yet he or she must also have viewed it from a distance as to
see it hurtle from a great height involves being able to see the whole episode,
perhaps from the bottom of the crag. The second stanza continues with that
perspective but it seems to pan wider, to include us (the readers) in the whole
panorama as it takes in sky, heaven, sun seeming almost to encompass the whole
world. So spatial perspective does change but it is the narrator taking us with
him into the world of the eagle, not his personal opinion or another observer,
or the eagle, coming in to give us their angle on it. The eagle remains the
subject.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Get 48 Hours Free Access
Already a member?
Log in here.