Summary

The speaker in the poem, “ The Eagle” opens the poem by describing a lone eagle perched on the edge of a rugged ledge. He can see the entire “azure world” surrounding and below him from his position poised, with his “crooked hands” holding the rocks.

Tennyson’s eagle is in a position of power, and he dives as quickly as he is ready, and not a second later. He makes a surprising move on the last line, barreling down into the ocean in quest of prey.

Structure

The Eagle’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a two-stanza poem divided into two groups of three lines called tercets. These tercets have a very simple rhyming pattern that follows a AAA BBB pattern.

The metrical pattern of iambic tetrameter is also used in the poem. This means that each line has four sets of two beats, referred to as metrical feet (or iambs). The first is not emphasized, but the second is. It sounds similar to da-DUM, da-DUM.

The Eagle: Poetic Technique

Tennyson employs a variety of poetic approaches in ‘The Eagle.’ Alliteration, caesura, and personification are examples of these. The latter is likely the most obvious. It happens when a poet bestows human traits on a quasi-human creature or thing. In this circumstance, the eagle is said to have “hands.” It is also addressed to as “he” rather than “it,” which increases its agency and uniqueness.

Another approach is alliteration, which happens when words are used in sequence or appear near together and start with the same letter. The usage and repetition of the letter “c” in the first verse is a perfect example of alliteration.

Another intriguing approach is a caesura, which involves breaking a line of poetry to alter the emphasis. An example is the last line of the first stanza, with the comma dropping after “world.”

The Eagle: Detailed Analysis

Tennyson’s poem, Eagle, is a very powerful poem despite having just two stanzas. The poem depicts a lone eagle sitting atop a high coastal cliff.

Eagles are huge, strong raptors. They have big, hooked beaks and keen vision. They also have robust talons that aid in prey capture. Eagles construct their nests on cliffs or in towering trees. There are about 60 distinct eagle species around the globe.

The poem is divided into two stanzas, each with three rhyming lines in iambic pentameter. Triplets are three rhyming lines in a row.

The poet depicts the bird, positioned high up on the mountain, with admiration in the opening line. The bird grips the rock securely with his iron-like talons and remains still against the fierce wind. Because of his spectacular height, he looks closer to the sun than to the earth. The beautiful sky encircles him.

The poem opens with an excellent close-up. The poet attempts to humanize the bird in the opening line by utilizing the words “he” and “hands.” Even the word ‘clasps’ has warm and friendly overtones, like when people shake hands with one another. However, it alludes to the bird’s tenacious hold in his attempt to balance himself on the rock, which is exposed to persistent blasts of wind.

‘Crooked’ indicates ugly and misshapen, and it conjures up an unpleasant mental image. The sharp alliteration of the ‘cr’ sound intensifies the impact.

The bird is associated with the domain of the sky in the second line.

The phrase “azure world” alludes to a sky that is the colour of the ocean. The blue sky circles or ‘rings’ the bird. The passive action of ‘stands,’ which rhymes with ‘hands’ and ‘landing,’ produces a sense of stillness or inertia. This is similar to a film still. The caesura or comma before ‘he’ heightens the silence even further.

The second stanza opens with a bird’s-eye view of the water, which appears to creep beneath the high bluff. From such a great height, the sea waves resemble wrinkles in a garment or skin. The ‘waves’ rolling is reduced to ‘crawling.’ The term ‘crawls’ also conjures up images of reptiles devoured by eagles.

It’s unclear what he’s ‘watching’ from such a tremendous height. The eagle has great vision and may be observing some prey far below. The term also creates tension by preparing him for action. The phrase “mountain walls” refers to the rock’s steep inclination and inaccessibility.

The poem concludes on a high note with the final line. Finally, the eagle leaps off the mountain and glides down in a lovely straight path. It is a natural activity that is influenced by gravitational acceleration. The term “thunderbolt” refers to the rapidity with which a thunderbolt hits, and consequently the eagle’s speed.

It is famously difficult to pinpoint the subjects of this poem since it lends itself to several interpretations. However, one of the topics may be animal supremacy over man, who considers himself to be the most intellectual species on the planet. It may also contain themes such as freedom, fate, natural force, and so on.

Alfred Lord Tennyson is often regarded as the finest Victorian poet and is highly recognized for his poetic skill. His most famous poem is In Memoriam, which he addressed to his friend Arthur Hallam, whose death devastated the poet’s heart.

FAQ

What is the purpose of ‘The Eagle‘ by Alfred Lord Tennyson?

The poem employs several examples of metaphorical language in order to create a majestic and imposing depiction of an eagle. Tennyson demonstrates how, by understanding and adoration of nature, a man may reconnect with his human spirit.

What is the metaphor in ‘The Eagle‘ poem?

The eagle is a symbol of a powerful lone character. It has been personified to emphasize that it is about a person. The reader can draw parallel lines between the eagle’s attributes and the person being referred to.

What is ‘The Eagle‘ compared to in the end why?

The eagle is compared to a thunderbolt in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem The Eagle. A lightning bolt is a flash of lightning. In an instant, the eagle flies high and dives low with the same lightning speed.

What is the poet trying to express in the poem ‘The Eagle‘?

We can assume that Tennyson is telling us something about the human condition in the way the eagle has the power to approach the sun but is held down by the fact that this poem, by using words to describe the eagle that is usually used to describe humans, makes a connection between an eagle and human lives.