The Eagle by Alfred Lord Tennyson - Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering literary devices, key terms, themes, setting, and imagery from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem The Eagle.

The Eagle

A poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson about a powerful eagle sitting high above the world before suddenly diving down like lightning to catch its prey.

Azure

Bright blue; used in the poem to describe the world surrounding the eagle, showing how high above the earth the eagle is.

Crooked hands

A phrase that compares the eagle's claws to human hands, showing that the eagle has a good grip on the rocky mountain.

Wrinkled sea

A description where 'wrinkled' refers to the waves on the ocean far below the eagle.

Crawls

A word used to describe the sea, making it seem slow and small compared to the eagle.

Like a thunderbolt he falls

A simile that compares the eagle's dive to a thunderbolt, showing how fast, powerful, and dangerous the eagle is.

Theme of The Eagle

Power, freedom and nature.

Mood of The Eagle

At first calm and peaceful, then suddenly exciting and powerful.

Setting of The Eagle

High up on a mountain, above the sea.

Personification in The Eagle

A literary device used when the eagle is described as having 'hands' and the sea is described as 'crawling'.

Contrast in The Eagle

The juxtaposition where the eagle is high and powerful, while the sea far below seems small and slow.

Imagery in The Eagle

The use of words like 'Sun', 'azure', 'Sea', and 'mountain' to help picture the scene.