Student Question
What is the central message of the poem "To a Skylark"?
Quick answer:
The central message of the poem "To a Skylark" is the transcendent beauty and freedom of nature, symbolized by the skylark's flight and song. This reflects Romantic literature's themes of the spiritual connection between nature and humanity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining awareness of this bond to avoid losing touch with nature and one's inner self.
The author expresses the transcendance of nature, depicted by the skylark's flight (symbol of freedom) and its song (symbol of both joy and its transmission to others).
This is a common leit motif of Romantic literature, prevalent in other works (not just poetry) of the time. Another idea appearing in this poem (and a recurring theme of the time) is that there is a spiritual correspondance between nature and man, but that man must nurture his awareness of this and not "lose touch" with nature and his inner self.
Check out the reference below for further insight into the themes and historical context of this poem.
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