Student Question
In The Eagle, what qualities of the eagle are most emphasized?
Quick answer:
In "The Eagle" by Tennyson, the qualities of strength and superiority are most emphasized. The poem highlights the eagle's powerful grip with "crooked hands," suggesting both strength and personification. The eagle's ability to thrive in solitude also underscores its resilience. Additionally, the imagery of the sea "crawling" beneath the eagle emphasizes its dominance and superior nature. Overall, strength is the eagle's most prominent characteristic in the poem.
In Tennyson's poem The Eagle, certain things about the eagle are stressed based upon the form and rhyme of the poem.
For example, in the first line, Tennyson is stressing the eagle's hands: "He clasps the crag with crooked hands." Here, to things about the eagle are being stressed: his strength and his human-like characteristics (personification: giving "hands" to an eagle).
His strength is again identified in line two when it is stated that he can survive in in lonely lands. It is the eagle's ability to survive in solitude that is stressed.
Again, in the fourth line, the strength of the eagle is stated.The sea is "crawling" beneath him. Both the word crawling and beneath speak to the eagle's superior nature.
Therefore, overall, the one quality of the eagle which outweighs all others is his strength.
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.
Already a member? Log in here.