Themes
- Freedom. The bird soaring in the sky has always been used as an example of freedom from the bonds of gravity, which anchors plants, people, and most animals to the ...
- Flesh versus Spirit. Readers are not told anything directly about the eagle’s spirit in this poem. ...
- Permanence. ...
- Topics for Further Study. ...
What is the theme of the eagle on the mountain?
It focuses on one eagle alone in the wild. In the first line, the eagle is atop a mountain, poised to strike. He is high up where no other animal or human can go. He is alone in his grandeur, with the sun and the bright blue sky forming the perfect background scenery.
How does the eagle represent the sea in the poem?
The eagle sits on top, above all other life, with the sun blazing behind him, and the bright blue sky accentuating his silhouette. It's a pretty impressive visual. Now look at the second stanza. The first line has more personification; the sea is described as 'wrinkled' and it 'crawls,' both very human traits.
What does the eagle’s masculinity represent?
This eagle’s masculinity represents the ideal male. The movements are described in short, crisp phrases. He clasps, he watches, he stands, and he falls. None of these depict what the reader would image this aggressive bird would show. All of these movements are passive. The eagle is perched on a rock overlooking the blue ocean.
What is it like to see an eagle?
The eagle is of tremendous size and strength. In the mind’s eye, one can see the eagle on his perch turning his head ever searching and alert.
What is the theme of the poem eagle and the Mole?
'The Eagle and the Mole' by Elinor Wylie describes an idealized way to live a life away from the troubles of contemporary society. The poem begins with the speaker describing the life of an eagle. It lives on a rock far from the “reeking herd” of human society. She is presenting this image as a goal for her listener.
What is the theme used in the dying eagle?
The theme suggested in the poem is the majesty of nature. Man cannot usually see the eagle because of the places that it chooses to build its nests. Most of the time man can only imagine what the eagle's movement and life are like. The freedom and beauty of this unparalleled bird is mother nature at its most pure.
What is the tone of The Eagle poem?
The poem “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson explores the view the speaker has of staring at an eagle. The tone of Tennyson is sincere and amused when talking about the bird. The reader says that the eagle is an incredible animal that has an unique shape and stay in very high altitudes.May 16, 2016
What kind of poem is The Eagle?
'The Eagle' is a poem written during the Romanticism movement in the Victorian Era. The poem is one of Lord Tennyson's shortest at two stanzas of three lines each. The poem uses figurative language, like personification, simile, and imagery, to make the eagle more than just a bird.Sep 5, 2015
Why did Tennyson write the Eagle?
"The Eagle" was inspired by Tennyson's travels in the Pyrenees, where he frequently saw eagles, raptors, and other birds of prey circling overhead. You'll notice, though, that he sets this poem on an ocean cliff rather than a mountainside, so it's not just a literal description of something he's seen.
What does the eagle symbolize in the poem the dying eagle?
The eagle is a figure of self-possession and independence, alone to make its choices for itself. Power over one's self is one aspect of command, control and power. The eagle is also described as being "like a thunderbolt" when he falls.Jan 16, 2019
What is The Eagle compared to in the end why?
Explanation: In the poem The Eagle, by Alfred Lord Tennyson, the eagle is compared to the thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is a flash of lightning. The eagle in a flash soars high and dips low immediately with the same lightning speed.Jul 21, 2019
How does the poet describe nature in the poem The Eagle?
The poet metaphorically uses the powerful bird, eagle and its surroundings to convey the power flow and the nature of power. His description evokes the imaginative eye of the reader to picture a cinematic scenery where eagle region.Jan 31, 2020
What words directly stimulated your senses in the poem The Eagle?
These words, used for their connotative effect, include “clasps,” “sun,” “ringed,” “stands,” “mountain,” and especially “thunderbolt.” All of these images of strength are associated with the eagle, implying that he has a powerful spirit.
Why is The Eagle poem called a fragment?
Due to its title, the poem is generally considered an incomplete piece of work. However, some literary critics believe that the poem is, in fact, complete due to the overall symbolism within the poem. Scholars argued that the fragment is a symbol for the eagle due to the eagle "breaking away" from the mountain.
What is the meaning of He clasps the crag with crooked hands?
Now, let's look at the poem more closely and analyze it line-by-line. The poem begins with a superb close-up. He clasps the crag with crooked hands; The poet tries to humanize the bird using the words, 'he' and 'hands'. Even the verb 'clasps' has connotations of warmth and friendship as when we shake hands with others.Dec 4, 2016
What is the meaning of the eagle in the poem?
In poetry and literature, the eagle is often a symbol for majesty, power, and of a regal nature. The eagle can soar to great heights and is a powerful predator. All of these descriptions suggest power and strength.
What does the eagle mean in the last stanza?
In the last stanza, the speaker repeats hints of old age: "wrinkled" and "crawls." Although the eagle can fly, he will inevitably have to come back down to earth. As the sea, part of the earth, is associated with wrinkles and crawling, so is the eagle. The imagery is focused on the eagle but the implication is that this can be applied to humans as well. No matter how great are our successes, we are inevitably mortal and therefore will eventually experience some sort of "fall." This fall is not necessarily a punishment; it could symbolize a fact of the limitations of life. It could be death or some other kind of limitation, and the fall could be as sudden as a thunderbolt.
What does the eagle's crooked hands mean?
Crag resembles "craggy" which can also describe the uneven wrinkles of an older person's face. The eagle's "crooked" hands suggest arthritis. The use of the word "hands" personifies the eagle and suggests that this poem can be read as a metaphor for humans.
Is the eagle close to the sun?
He (the eagle) is close to the sun. This suggests an allusion to the story of Icarus, the winged young man who flew too close to the sun. His wax wings melted and he fell into the sea. This parallels the eagle, a creature who can also soar "close to the sun," free and untethered.
Can an eagle fly?
Although the eagle can fly, he will inevitably have to come back down to earth. As the sea, part of the earth, is associated with wrinkles and crawling, so is the eagle. The imagery is focused on the eagle but the implication is that this can be applied to humans as well.
What does the eagle's masculinity represent?
This eagle’s masculinity represents the ideal male. The movements are described in short, crisp phrases. He clasps, he watches, he stands, and he falls. None of these depict what the reader would image this aggressive bird would show. All of these movements are passive.
What does an eagle grasp with his talons?
The eagle grasps the rock with his talons. His perch seems near to the sun in an isolated place. Surrounded by the blue of the ocean, he proudly stands.
What is the poem "The Eagle" about?
Ask a question. Ask a question. "The Eagle" is Alfred, Lord Tennyson's short-but-forceful appreciation of a mighty predator. Marveling at the grandeur of an eagle and at its stunning speed and strength as it swoops on its prey, the poem's speaker has a face-to-face confrontation with the sheer awesome power of nature.
What does the eagle symbolize in a poem?
For that matter, the eagle might symbolize the speaker's poetic inspiration —the feeling of being suddenly struck by the idea that leads one to write a poem like this! And some readers have also seen the eagle as a symbol for God—an idea the speaker nods to through personification and "thunderbolt [s].".
How many lines are there in the poem "The Eagle"?
Form. "The Eagle" is broken into two tercets (three-line stanzas). In six sparing lines, it evokes a whole wide and dramatic landscape, full of craggy rocks and echoing seas, and a powerful, godlike central figure: an eagle as mighty as a "thunderbolt.".
What is the only action of the eagle?
The second stanza shows the only action of the eagle. The first and second line show that, as he watches from his high perch, the sea moves below him. Then, in the final line, the eagle makes a grand dive towards the sea. The poem ends here, with the reader not quite sure why the eagle dived off his mountain roost.
What is the figurative language of the poem The Eagle?
Some of this figurative language includes alliteration, personification, hyperbole, imagery, metaphor, and simile. 'The Eagle' is a poem written during the Romanticism movement in the Victorian Era. The poem is one of Lord Tennyson's shortest at two stanzas of three lines each.
What does the color azure mean in Tennyson's poem?
It contains imagery, or words that appeal to the five senses, that are extremely visual. Tennyson uses the color word 'azure,' which literally means bright blue, and this blue sky is 'ringed' around the eagle. This creates a very majestic image. Picture looking up at this tall, rocky mountain. The eagle sits on top, above all other life, with the sun blazing behind him, and the bright blue sky accentuating his silhouette. It's a pretty impressive visual.
What does the eagle dive as fast as lightning?
The eagle dives as fast as lightning, but shaking the earth like thunder. Overall, every use of figurative language in this short poem centers on putting the eagle in a powerful and majestic picture. Analyzing the deeper meaning behind Tennyson's words, the reader can see the beauty in nature.
What language does the poem "Eagle" use?
The poem uses figurative language, like personification, simile, and imagery, to make the eagle more than just a bird.
What is the meaning of the fifth line in the poem "Mountain Walls"?
This adds more to the image of the eagle resting, high and mighty, above all else. 'Mountain walls' is a metaphor (a comparison without using like or as) comparing the mountain to walls built to keep things out.
How many lines are in the poem The Eagle?
'The Eagle' is one of Tennyson's shortest poems. It is composed of only two stanzas, with three lines each. However, it is full of figurative language and deeper meaning. Let's look at the figurative language in each line.
What is the meaning of the poem "The Eagle"?
The Eagle. “The eagle” is one of the shortest bird poems ever written in the history of English literature. The eagle is a predatory bird which fundamentally symbolizes power as it is one of the animal associates of the Greek god Zeus. Furthermore, the eagle functions as man’s connection to the divine because of the aforesaid connection, ...
Who wrote the poem The Eagle?
The Eagle by Alfred, Lord Tennyson -Poem. He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ring’d with the azure world, he stands. The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls. An eagle. Zeus,Eagle and the Thunderbolt.
What is the eagle by Lord Tennyson?
The eagle by the English poet, Alfred, Lord Tennyson is an extremely short poem written in the Victorian era . Many readers of the poem misunderstand that the poem is a fragment of a lengthy origin because of its short length, and of its ambiguous ending. Many teachers who teach the poem are not fully aware of its capacity and the metaphorical reach, thus ends up underestimating the literary masterpiece. Read the complete annotation of the poem and find out its themes, techniques and all the unexplored figurative senses.
What does the phrase "clasps" mean in Tennyson's essay?
One the one hand, “clasps” suggests the power of the eagle as he holds the “crag” firmly.
What does the last two words mean in the eagle?
The last two words indicate that the geographical location where the eagle reigns. It seems to have no liveliness as Tennyson theorizes the connection between power and loneliness, which is strengthened by the alliteration of “L” sound. Most of the beasts of nature who are in the upper section of the food chain seem to have solitary living conditions – individually or as a species, thus Tennyson figuratively indicates a primary characteristic of power.
What does "crooked" mean in the poem?
“Crooked”, literally suggests the physically twisted nature of the talons of the eagle. In a different perspective, “crooked” denotes dishonesty as well.
Why is the letter E dropped in the first word of the poem?
In the first word, you can see that the letter “e” is dropped in order to maintain the rhythm of the poem. We call that literary technique an elision. However, the reader can understand the sense of the word once the rest of the line is read. Keep in mind that “Ring’d” is a passive verb, which has been done to the anthropomorphized eagle by someone.
Meaning
Whitman’s ‘The Dalliance of the Eagles’ is about two eagles, intimately making love with each other, right up in the open sky. The speaker of the poem picturesquely captures each moment of their intimacy. The fierce nature of their lovemaking displays the physical passion burning in their hearts. It even got them hurt.
Structure
The poem ‘The Dalliance of the Eagles’ runs into ten lines without any specific rhyme scheme. It is written in free-verse and composed of a combination of anapestic and iambic feet. Besides, It is a sort of symphonic poem, having a single continuous movement that illustrates the content. Moreover, the rhythm of the poem is cascading.
Literary Devices
Whitman’s ‘The Dalliance of the Eagles’ showcases the following literary devices:
Detailed Analysis
Walt Whitman’s poem ‘The Dalliance of the Eagles’ begins with a simple scene. The speaker talks about one of his daily routine things. He states what he observed one fine day when he went for his afternoon walk. While “skirting the river road,” he looked up into the sky by hearing “a sudden muffled sound.” The dallying eagles made this sound.
Similar Poems
Readers who enjoyed reading Walt Whitman’s ‘The Dalliance of the Eagles’ may consider exploring the poems listed below.
