Percy
Bysshe Shelley
Life and works:
Shelly was born in
the 1792. He spent his early childhood in the country and he was a very
sensitive and imaginative child. He developed interest in scientific
experiments and the occult, and was nicknamed "mad Shelley". In 1810 Shelley
went to Oxford and immersed himself in intellectual life. With Thomas Jefferson
he wrote a pamphlet entitles The necessity of Atheism. As a result the two
friends were expelled and went to London. Here the poet met Harriet Westbrook
who fell in love with him; believing her to be opposed by a tyrannical father,
he married her. In 1813 they were in London and there published Queen Mab, an
allegory against organized religion. He also met William Godwin whose works he
knew and admired so much; this meeting was destined to have a very important
consequence for the poet: when he saw the philosopher's daughter Mary, he
instantly fell in love with her. In 1814 Shelley eloped with Mary. In September
they returned to England, and in November Harriet committed suicide, drowning
herself in the Serpentine. The poet was shattered by the news, and hurried up
to London. Public opinion rose against him, and he was stripped of the custody
of their two children. In 1818 Shelleys settled in Italy and here he wrote his
best poetry. During his stay in Italy Shelley met Byron frequently. They had
much in common because they shared many political ideals, both were exiles, had
separated from their wives and were surrounded by scandal. In 1822 he died in
the Gulf of Spezia.
Critical notes:
Shelley was a radical
and he believed in the revolution that could change the world. His three
keywords was: liberty, Love and beauty. He dreamt of a pervading love that
would bring into the world peace and friendship. In his writing there was
different themes: the first is a passionate devotion to nature. He exploited
nature and natural objects acquired symbolic relevance. He constantly rebelled
against all forms of tyranny who represented a limit to freedom. Shelley was
capable of very practical proposals for reform. He made gradual reform of
Parliament and advocated the emancipation of women. Another theme is his
Platonism, which is linked to his pantheism: natural objects and human life are
bad copies of a remote ideal, and artist had to strip off the worldly clothing
and expose the ideal prototype. There was also a Shelley's interest in ancient
Greece. The stay in Italy was very important for Shelley because his hopes of
reform were stimulated. Shelley had a very high conception of the role of the
poet who becomes legislator of the world.
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