A fell is a mountain range or hills covered by moors, such as those found in the Lake District in northwest England. Describing the fells as “free” suggests both unlimited physical space and the skylark’s freedom in this habitat. “Free fells” is an example of alliteration; the “f” sound is soft and pleasing to the ear. Bringing the words together in the line emphasizes each word in creating a visual image of the natural world where the skylark once lived but can no longer remember.
"a dare-gale skylark scanted..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
A “gale” is a very strong wind produced by a storm. In context, “scanted” means limited. “Dare-gale” as an adjective describing the skylark is an example of Hopkins’s creative poetic language. It is structured like a kenning, a two-word stylistic device found in Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry. The skylark’s daring to fly in a gale suggests the bird’s free-spirited nature and makes its confinement in a “dull cage” even sadder and more frustrating.
