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Essay / Ode to a Lark by Percy Bysshe Shelley - 1765
According to Near Eastern mythology, the lark was the first creature to live on earth. Even today, he carries his father or his creator on the top of his head. In other regions, the lark became associated with the "Spirit of the Wheat" and ultimately with Christ who proclaimed, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51; see also John 6:32-50). The use of this bird as a symbol of Christ was strengthened by the fact that it helped rid wheat fields of locust eggs, caterpillars and harvest beetles – destructive creatures that were symbols of the devil. Because it makes its nest on the ground, the lark, like Christ, is considered an intermediary between heaven and earth and a symbol of the marriage of heaven and earth. Because the lark rises straight to the sky and, when it reaches a great height, hovers there singing a joyful song, this bird is considered an emblem of joyful prayers to the Creator inspired by the joys of being alive . He is believed to pray for the sowers of the wheat fields and, allegorically, for the sowers of Christ's fields. Its association with prayer makes this bird a symbol of the priesthood. In Scotland it is said that the song of the lark can be understood by anyone who lies quietly in the fields and listens to it. A British superstition says that drinking three lark's eggs gives you a beautiful singing voice. The singing lark is particularly a symbol of Christ praying as he ascends into heaven, blessing his disciples (Luke 24:50-51; see also Acts 1:9; Mark 16:19). This bird also symbolizes freedom, ardor, joy. , youth, happiness and the desire to be happy. Among the French, larkspurs are worn as a good luck charm, just as rabbits' feet are cherished by the superstitious. Remarkable in many ways, great in his time, Percy Bysshe Shelley was a man among men, a poet among poets. , and a life educator among all. His great poetry tells stories of life lessons that one would never think of. He educated people of all ages with his great poetry, telling them about his life, the good, the bad and the simple. His works will be treated as a great reference for many years as great poets emerge among our peers..