English Poems Index


The Eagle :

He clasps the crag with crooked hands,

Close to the sun in lonely lands,

Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.



The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;

He watches from his mountain walls.

And like a thunderbolt he falls.


By Alfred Tennyson


About The Author :

This poem was written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson who lived from 1809 to 1892. Tennyson is a well-known figure in English Literature. He was regarded as the greatest poet of his day. Tennyson wrote many very long poems, but this is very short, indeed.

Tennyson's method of producing poetry was to first think of the lines in his mind and then write them down on paper. When this was done he would spend a lot of time changing the words, choosing those that sounded better than the ones that he had thought of originally. He tried to make each line perfect. He was very clever at choosing words that had the right sound.

Read the poem The Eagle two or three times.


Words to Know :

azure : deep blue like the colour of the clear sky

clasps : holds tightly

comb : fleshy red growth on the head rooster

crag : a steep rough rock forming part a cliff, peak

struts : walks stiffly or proudly

thunderbolt : a flash of lightning accompanying thunder