Ariel's Song

William Shakespeare's Ariel's Song

William Shakespeare's Ariel's Song, from The Tempest, is a lyrical masterpiece that encapsulates the magical and transformative nature of the play. This essay will explore the poem's structure, imagery, and thematic significance within the context of the broader work.

The poem is divided into two distinct stanzas, each with its own mood and purpose. The first stanza is light and playful, inviting the listener to join in a dance on yellow sands. The use of trochaic tetrameter in lines such as Foot it featly here and there creates a rhythmic, dance-like quality that mirrors the content. This metrical choice, combined with the alliteration in phrases like wild waves whist, enhances the musical nature of the verse, befitting Ariel's role as a spirit of air and music.

Shakespeare's use of onomatopoeia is particularly striking in this first stanza. The repeated Bow-wow and Hark, hark! mimic the sounds of the scene, bringing it to life for the audience. The inclusion of these sounds, along with the Cock-a-diddle-dow of the rooster, grounds the magical elements in familiar, earthly noises. This juxtaposition of the supernatural and the mundane is a recurring theme in The Tempest, and Shakespeare uses it here to great effect.

The second stanza takes on a more somber tone, shifting from the lively dance to a mournful description of a drowned man. The phrase Full fathom five thy father lies is one of the most famous lines in the play, its alliteration lending a hypnotic quality to the verse. This stanza introduces the theme of transformation, a central concept in The Tempest. The image of the drowned man's eyes turning to pearls and his bones to coral suggests that death in this magical realm is not an end, but a metamorphosis.

The sea-change mentioned in the poem is a term coined by Shakespeare that has since entered common usage. It represents not just physical transformation, but also the profound changes in perspective and understanding that the characters undergo throughout the play. The description of this change as into something rich and strange encapsulates the dual nature of the transformation - it is both beautiful and unsettling.

The poem concludes with the haunting sound of a bell, Ding-dong, which serves as both a death knell and a musical note. This auditory image ties back to the sounds in the first stanza, creating a sense of unity within the poem despite its shift in tone.

Ariel's Song serves multiple purposes within The Tempest. On a plot level, it is used by Ariel to lead Ferdinand to Miranda, furthering Prospero's plans. Thematically, it introduces and reinforces key ideas of the play: the power of magic, the transformative nature of the island, and the thin line between reality and illusion.

The poem also showcases Shakespeare's skill in writing for different characters. The language, while beautiful, is simpler and more direct than that used by human characters in the play. This suits Ariel's nature as an elemental spirit, more connected to the natural world than to human complexities.

In conclusion, Ariel's Song is a microcosm of The Tempest itself. It weaves together themes of magic, transformation, and the natural world, all while demonstrating Shakespeare's unparalleled ability to craft language that is both beautiful and functional within the context of his plays. The poem's enduring popularity is a testament to its standalone beauty, as well as its crucial role in one of Shakespeare's most beloved works.

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