Ans. Shelley idealizes the bird and compares it to many different beautiful things to show that the skylark is far more superior to them. To Shelley, the skylark is a ‘blithe Spirit’ which sings ‘full throat” in “Profuse strains of unmediated art”. The bird is unseen in the dazzling daylight. The invisibility of the bird has invested it with an element of mystery in the eye of the poet. It is ‘Like a star of Heaven’ and is superior to Earth and unseen ‘In the broad daylight’. The skylark with its melodious song is a mystery to the poet. The mystery that surrounds the bird makes Shelley puts forward the question: “What thou art we know not;! What is most like thee?” An important aspect of the bird’s song is its purity and joyousness. The joy of the bird is pure and unmixed. The song of the bird is divine to the poet. The poet tells “I have never heard/ Praise of love or wine! That panted forth a flood of rapture so divine.” Shelley is fascinated by the sweet and happy thoughts of the bird, which provide inspiration to its song. The poet wonders at the source of such unlimited ecstasy — “the fountains of thy happy strain”. Shelley also points out that more than the delightful music of the earthly people or the wisdom stored in the books the lark’s music is source of inspiration to the poet. The music of the skylark is perfect embodiment of beauty and joy and hence an endless source of inspiration for the poet.
