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. Based on details from the poem, what do you think the eagle represents? Think about the central figure of the eagle. What qualities do eagles embody? How does this help you understand the poem? Analyze the alliteration in the poem, paying attention to lines 1 and 2. What effect does the poet create through the use of this poetic device? Alliteration draws attention to particular words. Why might Tennyson have wanted to emphasize those words? Consider the phrase "the wrinkled sea beneath him crawls." Why do you think Tennyson used these words to describe the sea? What effect does it have on you as a reader? Does the word "wrinkled" strike you as an unusual way to describe water? What other words in the poem seem to be conveying the idea of an elderly person or creature? What is the significance of the line "like a thunderbolt, he falls" within the context of the rest of the poem? Use text evidence to support your interpretation of this image. Does the eagle die, or is there another possible interpretations? What other examples of imagery in the poem indicate more than one possible interpretation?