“Uncumberèd” means not encumbered—not hindered, obstructed, or weighed down. The idea of the soul’s being “flesh-bound” (still dwelling in the body) but not encumbered by the body is paradoxical in the context of the sonnet’s octave; however, the paradox is explained in the final line of the sestet. “His bónes risen” is an allusion to the Christian belief in the resurrection of the body after death, its transformation, and ascent to eternal life in heaven.

The repetition of “hear him, hear him” implores readers to listen to the songs of a skylark in nature, the bird’s “babble” suggesting joyous songs that tumble one into another. “Drop down to his nest” is antithetical to the image in the octave of the caged skylark’s “droop[ing] deadly” in a “cell.”

“The Caged Skylark” is an example of a Petrarchan sonnet with an octave of 8 lines followed by a 6-line sestet. This line marks the beginning of the sestet and a change of theme as the poem’s analogy is finalized. The “sweet-fowl, song-fowl” refers not to the caged skylark but to a skylark free in the natural world.

The “b” sound in “barriers” and “bursts” is created by suddenly expelling air through closed lips in a sort of explosion. The alliteration of the “b” sound in “barriers” and “bursts” creates an auditory image of sudden eruptions of “fear or rage,” emphasizing in a different way the skylark’s and the soul’s ongoing misery.

The imprisonment motif, which has been implied throughout the text, is now made clear; the skylark and the soul both live in cages. The alliteration and diction in “droop deadly” contrast sharply with the musical sound and uplifting tone of the alliteration in the previous line. The contrast emphasizes that the essential misery of the skylark and the soul is ongoing.

The line is driven by the alliteration of the “s” sound, called sibilance, which is soft and musical—like their songs and the “spells” they create. The word “spells” has connotations of being charmed or captivated. The alliteration and the repetition of “sweetest” are themselves captivating, drawing readers into the music of the songs.

Hopkins continues to develop the poem’s analogy in this line. Despite their circumstances, both the skylark and the spirit sometimes “sing,” suggesting that an essential part of themselves longs for expression.

The skylark sits on the “turf” at the bottom of its cage or on the perch within the cage, whereas the spirit within the body occupies a “poor low stage,” referring to living in the world. The description underscores the similarity between the caged skylark and the restrained spirit in that both are imprisoned by their circumstances.

The phrase is an allusion to a line in John Milton’s “Sonnet 19: When I consider how my light is spent”: “‘Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?’” In the context of Hopkins’s poem, with the soul’s being confined within the body, living is reduced to working day after day until the end of one’s life. The work is “drudgery,” defined as hard, monotonous, or routine work. The allusion and the diction in this line underscore the idea that like the skylark, humans are caged until their spirits are set free.

“Free fells” also can be interpreted as an example of Hopkins’s creative poetic language. “Fells” is suggestive of “falls” and evokes the image of the skylark in flight, swooping toward the earth.

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.

With this line, Hopkins establishes an analogy that is developed throughout the poem: the soul confined within a physical body is like a skylark confined in a cage. The soul is a “mounting spirit,” suggesting that if unrestrained, it would rise up to heaven, just as the skylark, if uncaged, would soar.

“Bone-house” is an actual kenning, a two-word phrase that describes an object through metaphor. In context, “bone-house” is the physical body of the person, in which the soul or spirit is confined. The physical body is described as “mean”; as the word is used here, it means low or wretched.

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.