How does the poet build an image of the undisturbed force in the environment in a vivid manner in the poem ‘ The Eagle ‘. Discuss.
The Eagle is a nature poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The poet is telling about the nature by using the Eagle and the surrounding of it. He builds an image of the undisturbed force in the environment in a vivid manner in this poem.
The poet uses personification in the beginning of the poem. He is personifying the Eagle as a male person.
” He watches from his mountain walls ”
The Eagle is the king of birds and it is the majestic bird of the sky. He is always in high places. He never comes down and it shows us his freedom. He can do anything he wants. No one can interfere him because he has the power.” Mountain walls “ is his fortress. He is watching from it whether someone get into his area. If so that bird or the danger will be the prey of the eagle. Mountains are a a part of nature. The Eagle is a part of nature. So if no one disturbs him that means the environment is undisturbed. And also the poet shows the nature has freedom , power and self sufficiency.
” Ring’d with the azure world he stands ”
This shows us the beauty of the nature. ” Azure world “ means the blue world which means the blue sky. The Eagle is surrounded by the blue sky. Eagle has limitless freedom because the sky is limitless. He can live without any troubles because of that. The sky and the Eagle are parts of nature. So above examples show us the nature is beautiful , free and living in an undisturbed circumstances.
An eagle can see very well. So he is watching us who are down in the land from a high place like a mountain’s peak or from a high tree. So he can get to know if there is a danger to him or if there are preys to get as his meal. That shows us the alertness of nature. Nature can find the necessary things it wants because everything is under the nature. So nature is self sufficient.
” Wrinkled sea beneath him crawls “
This example shows us the Eagle is in a high place above the ocean. That is why he can see as the sea is crawling. Even the powerful sea is under him. That shows the power of nature and even powerful ones can not disturb it. The sea and the Eagle play major roles of nature because the sea is the most powerful thing on the ground or the lower level and the Eagle is a powerful part of the sky or the high level. So no one can disturb it. If someone do that nature will punish him. So the poet is talking about the nature using the eagle and the sea here. He shows us that the nature is powerful , unstoppable , independent and undisturbed.
” Like a thunderbolt he falls ”
The Eagle is in the highest rank of the sky. When it saw a prey it comes down very quickly , swiftly to get it. That shows in ” like a thunderbolt he falls “.
‘ falls ‘ is an effort less action. If his effortless action this much powerful when he is doing something on purpose it will be more dangerous and quick. By using the simile ‘ like a thunderbolt ‘ the poet says the danger , the speed of the eagle. The eagle is a part of nature. So it means the nature can sometimes be very dangerous and it is very quick. So no one can disturb such a powerful thing because sometimes the reaction is very much harsh and painful.
All those above examples shows us the qualities of nature and the undisturbed aspect of the nature. So the poet has succeeded on his purpose to show that it is undisturbed. So Alfred Lord Tennyson builds an image of the undisturbed force in the environment in a vivid manner in his poem , ‘ The Eagle ‘.