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To a Skylark

by P B Shelley

1. What is a skylark?

Ans: A Skylark is a common Eurasian and North African lark of farmland and open country, noted for its prolonged song during hovering flight.

2. What type of bird is skylark?

Ans: Skylark is a small bird that flies and sings in the higher area of the sky.

3. What does the poet call the skylark?

Ans: The poet calls the skylark “blithe Spirit”.

4. Who is 'blithe spirit'?

Ans: The Skylark is termed as a ‘blithe spirit’.

5. Why does Shelley call the skylark a blithe spirit?

Ans: Shelley calls the skylark a blithe spirit because unlike man it sings the songs of joy. It never bothers about the sufferings of the past or the fears of the future.

6. From where does the skylark sing? [NU 2018]

Ans: The skylark sings from the height of the air (sky).

7. What is the meant by 'Unbodied Joy'?

Ans: ‘Unbodied Joy’ means bodiless soul full of joy.

8. Why is the Skylark compared to 'an unbodied joy’?

Ans: The Skylark is compared to 'an unbodied joy’ because it is singing from such a height that its body is not visible but its song of joy is audible from the surface of the earth.

9. Why is the skylark compared to a poet hidden?

Ans: The skylark is compared to a poet hidden because the skylark sings like the poet in its own world till we are moved to the admiration of its song.

10. What, according to shelly, is the function of a poet?

Ans: The functions of the poets, according to shelly, are twofold: creation of new materials of knowledge, power and pleasure; and engendering in the mind a desire to reproduce and arrange them according to a certain rhythm and order which may be called the beautiful and the good.

11. Why does the love-lorn maiden sing?

Ans: The love-lorn maiden sing for soothing her love-laden soul.

12. What is "love's sad satiety"?

Ans: "Love's sad satiety" means a feeling of distaste after an excessive enjoyment of love.

13. Why is the skylark's song so perfect?

Ans: The skylark's song is so perfect because its joy is pure and free and it is ignorant of pain and unconscious of death.

14. What, according to Shelly, are the sweetest songs for men?

Ans: According to Shelly, the sweetest songs for men are those that tell of saddest thought.

15. Why does Shelley call Skylark scorner of the ground?

Ans: Shelley calls Skylark scorner of the ground because it flies higher and higher in the sky feeling hatred to the earth.

16. What appeal does Shelley make to the skylark? Why?

Ans: The appeal that Shelley makes to the skylark is to teach him half of its joy so that he can write poems and touch the heart of his readers.

17. What does the Skylark symbolize?

Ans: The Skylark symbolizes unbridled joy.

18. Quote at least two famous lines from Shelly's "To a Skylark".

Ans: “With some pain is fraught;

Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.”

'To a Skylark' by P B Shelley; Brief-answer Questions