The birds of Shakespeare

For listeners who love both literature and the natural world, this compact study offers a fresh look at how Shakespeare wove the avian realm into his verses. The author traces the poet’s frequent allusions to birds—from the regal eagle to the humble song‑thrush—showing how each feathered character serves a metaphorical purpose, enriching the drama of human experience. By drawing on his own observations and the scholarly ornithology of his time, the presenter reveals just how keen Shakespeare’s eye was for the habits, calls, and symbolism of real birds.

The work originally formed a presidential address to a natural‑history society, so it balances literary analysis with a naturalist’s appreciation. Illustrated with a series of fine plates, the talk highlights the continuity of bird‑loving poetry from Chaucer through the nineteenth‑century poets, and it invites listeners to hear familiar Shakespearean lines with the added resonance of their feathered counterparts. The result is an engaging, scholarly walk through the Bard’s “sweet swan” of a subject, perfect for anyone curious about the intersection of poetry and the living world.