A Lark

Summary 

Lawrence Alma-Tadema's poem describes the lark bird and all the challenges it faces on a daily basis. It also describes how it would be frightening to be alone in the sky and how, at one point, it might have wished to be a tiny goldfish in the sea.

Stanza-by-stanza explanation 

Lark-bird, lark-bird, soaring high,
Are you never weary?
When you reach the empty sky,
Are the clouds not dreary?
Don’t you sometimes long to be
A silent goldfish in the sea? 

In the first stanza, the poet tells us about the Lark bird, talks to the bird, and asks him some questions about the way he lives, as he says he shouldn't be scared to fly all alone next to the clouds in the night and that he feels like being a small little goldfish in the sea. 

Goldfish, goldfish, diving deep,
Are you never sad, say?
When you feel the cold waves creep
Are you really glad, say?
Don’t you sometimes long to sing?
And be a lark-bird on the wing?

In the second stanza, the poet speaks about the goldfish and asks the goldfish some questions. He asks the goldfish if he is really happy and if she actually enjoys the cold waves hitting her over and over again. Does she want to just be free and sing and fly like a lark?