percy bysshe shelley (august 4, 1792 – july 8, 1822) major english romantic poet considered to be...

• Percy Bysshe Shelley• (August 4, 1792 – July 8, 1822)

• Major English Romantic poet

• Considered to be among the finest lyrical poets of the English language

pg. 730

• Unconventional lifeUnconventional life• Uncompromising Uncompromising idealismidealism• Strong skeptical voiceStrong skeptical voice• Notorious figure during his lifeNotorious figure during his life

• He is perhaps most famous He is perhaps most famous for the following:for the following:

•““Ozymandias”Ozymandias”•““Ode to the West Wind”Ode to the West Wind”•““To a Skylark”To a Skylark”

• Shelley became the idol of Shelley became the idol of the next two or three the next two or three generations of poets generations of poets including the major Victorian including the major Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite poets:and Pre-Raphaelite poets:

•Robert BrowningRobert Browning•Alfred TennysonAlfred Tennyson•William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats

• He is famous for his association He is famous for his association with contemporaries John Keats with contemporaries John Keats and Lord Byron.and Lord Byron.

•He was married to the famous He was married to the famous novelist Mary Shelley, author of novelist Mary Shelley, author of FrankensteinFrankenstein..

•Shelley wrote the introduction to Shelley wrote the introduction to the 1818 edition of his wife’s the 1818 edition of his wife’s novel.novel.

• 1814 – Shelley fell in love 1814 – Shelley fell in love and eloped with Mary, the and eloped with Mary, the 16 year-old daughter of 16 year-old daughter of William Godwin and William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft.Mary Wollstonecraft.

•For the next few years, the couple travelled in For the next few years, the couple travelled in Europe. Europe.

• 1822 – Shelley moved to Italy and1822 – Shelley moved to Italy and published the journal published the journal The LiberalThe Liberal with Leigh Hunt and Lord Byron.with Leigh Hunt and Lord Byron.• By publishing it in Italy, the three By publishing it in Italy, the three men remained free from prosecution men remained free from prosecution by the British authorities. by the British authorities. • The first edition of The first edition of The Liberal The Liberal sold 4,000 sold 4,000 copies. copies. • Soon after its publication, Percy Bysshe Soon after its publication, Percy Bysshe Shelley was lost at sea on July 8, 1822, whileShelley was lost at sea on July 8, 1822, while sailing to meet Leigh Hunt.sailing to meet Leigh Hunt.

Read pgs. 730-740

Percy Bysshe Shelley – pg. 730

Preview Info – pg. 731

Literary terms:

imagery – descriptive language –

appeals to the senses

Romantic philosophy – link nature

and spirit

Read “Ozymandias” – pg. 733

“Ode to the West Wind” – pg. 734-736

“To a Skylark” – pg. 737-740

pg. 733

The feet of the colossus of The feet of the colossus of Rameses II Rameses II on which Shelley's on which Shelley's poem poem Ozymandias Ozymandias is based. is based.

Logical StructureLogical Structure

**Ozymandias, or Ramese II, was pharaoh Ozymandias, or Ramese II, was pharaoh of Egypt in the thirteenth century B.C. of Egypt in the thirteenth century B.C.

The poem, as an Italian sonnet, can be The poem, as an Italian sonnet, can be divided into two parts: divided into two parts:

• the first eight lines (octave)the first eight lines (octave)• the next six lines (sestet)the next six lines (sestet)


• The octave part describes the fragments of a The octave part describes the fragments of a sculpture the traveler sees on an ancient ruin.sculpture the traveler sees on an ancient ruin.

• The sestet goes further to record the words on The sestet goes further to record the words on the pedestal and then describe the the pedestal and then describe the surrounding emptiness. surrounding emptiness.


• The words on the pedestal are in contrast to The words on the pedestal are in contrast to both the octave and the last three lines of the both the octave and the last three lines of the poem.poem.

• The reader must ask:The reader must ask:

• ““What does Ozymandias want to achieve, as What does Ozymandias want to achieve, as opposed to what is left behind him?opposed to what is left behind him?

Irony Irony

•The most obvious kind of opposition The most obvious kind of opposition exists (between what Ozymandias said exists (between what Ozymandias said and what is left behind him). and what is left behind him).

•This opposition has the effect of This opposition has the effect of dramatic irony. dramatic irony.

Structure of NarrationStructure of Narration

•Frame storyFrame story

•The poem contains a story (told by Ozymandias) The poem contains a story (told by Ozymandias) within a story (told by the traveler) within a story within a story (told by the traveler) within a story (told by the speaker of the poem). (told by the speaker of the poem).

•In the core of this multiple story, the Ozymandias In the core of this multiple story, the Ozymandias we know is only a sculpture and the words on it. we know is only a sculpture and the words on it.

NOTESNOTES•Message: power is fleeting – humans cannot Message: power is fleeting – humans cannot escape effects of timeescape effects of time

•Message is relevant – accomplishments, Message is relevant – accomplishments, pride, powerpride, power

•Lines 1-8: description of statueLines 1-8: description of statue

•Lines 9-14: irony – wrecked conditionLines 9-14: irony – wrecked condition

•Heart – longing desireHeart – longing desire

•Hand – creative aspectHand – creative aspect

NOTESNOTES•Ironic comment on human pride & ambitionIronic comment on human pride & ambition

•Inscription: “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and Inscription: “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”despair!”

•Remnants of statueRemnants of statue

•Empty desertEmpty desert

•Ozymandias’s works – crumbled b/c of time and Ozymandias’s works – crumbled b/c of time and naturenature

NOTESNOTES•Contrast: King’s pride/passion vs. image of Contrast: King’s pride/passion vs. image of devastation & emptinessdevastation & emptiness

•Most important idea: meaninglessness of Most important idea: meaninglessness of earthly powerearthly power

•Ozymandias was an actual king of Egypt Ozymandias was an actual king of Egypt thousands of years before Shelley wrotethousands of years before Shelley wrote

•Political message: No dictator can ever truly Political message: No dictator can ever truly rule absolutelyrule absolutely

NOTESNOTES•A traveler describes crumbling remains of A traveler describes crumbling remains of statue commemorating Egyptian pharaohstatue commemorating Egyptian pharaoh

•Statue’s expression: obscured but includes Statue’s expression: obscured but includes frown, wrinkled lip, sneerfrown, wrinkled lip, sneer

•Condescending, proud rulerCondescending, proud ruler

NOTESNOTES•Lines 10-11:Lines 10-11:

““My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

•Words on pedestal convey attitude of pride & Words on pedestal convey attitude of pride & arrogancearrogance

NOTESNOTES•Lines 12-14: “Round the decay / Of that Lines 12-14: “Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, / The lone colossal wreck, boundless and bare, / The lone and level sands stretch far away.”and level sands stretch far away.”

•Idea expressed: Nature = more powerful than Idea expressed: Nature = more powerful than any human kingany human king

•Irony of inscription: Ozymandias expected his Irony of inscription: Ozymandias expected his works to last forever.works to last forever.

•The statue and his entire civilization have been The statue and his entire civilization have been destroyed.destroyed.

NOTESNOTES

•Although Shelley described only what the Although Shelley described only what the traveler saw, the reader should understand the traveler saw, the reader should understand the traveler had other senses as well.traveler had other senses as well.

•For example, the traveler very likely felt the heat For example, the traveler very likely felt the heat from the sun, etc.from the sun, etc.

“Ode to the West Wind”

•Apostrophe: Poem addresses the West Wind

•Poem describes force of West Wind

•West Wind:

•drives dead leaves

•stirs up the ocean

•destroys plants

•announces winter’s arrival

pg. 734-736

“Ode to the West Wind”

•Shelley:

•in awe of wind’s natural strength

•disillusioned with his own spiritual emptiness

•calls on West Wind to lift him up, destroy him, and then purify him (similar to changing of seasons)

•understands that decay will lead ultimately to the renewal of spring

•First two sections (I and II):

•Images of violence, death, decay, and burial

•Lines 16-17: Heaven and the Ocean are like trees.

•Lines 24-25: (Metaphor) Night is a tomb.

•Lines 46-48: Emphasis on driving force of wind’s strength

“Ode to the West Wind”NOTES

•Wind associated with autumn

•Leaves & seeds scatter – will bring new life

•Movement of clouds – initiates new weather

•Speaker asks wind to lift him as it would “a wave, a leaf, a cloud.”

•The “heavy weight of hours” (line 55) prompts speaker to ask wind to lift him up.


•Line 57: “Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is”

•Best expresses speaker’s hopes for West Wind

•Lines 57-63: Speaker sees himself in the autumn wind. Asks the wind to enable his spirit to be one with that of the wind.


•Shelley is not only examining the wind literally, he is also examining the wind figuratively speaking as well.

•The West Wind is an appropriate force to call on for new birth b/c it marks the changing of seasons: fall spring.

•Old is destroyed and replaced by new in the spring.


•Line 70: “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

•Even the bleakest situations are followed by times of renewal and hope.

•Line 70 ties together the poem b/c it sums up the theme: hope and a new beginning

•Summary: The West Wind’s destructiveness makes new life possible.


“To a Skylark”NOTES

•This poem is similar to “Ode to the West Wind” b/c both the wind and the skylark are constantly in motion.

•Define blithe: cheerful

•Stanza 1: The speaker claims the skylark is not a bird.

•The point? The bird’s song is something not of this world b/c the song is so beautiful.

pg. 737-740

•Lines 6-35: images of light – suggest bird is celestial or other worldly

•Speaker says skylark’s song is heard everywhere, even in heaven

•Lines 16-20: appeal to sight, sound, and touch

•Overall image presented of skylark: bird is often invisible – speaker perceives skylark, at times, only through sense of hearing.



•Line 35: image suggests skylark’s music is everywhere at once

•Lines 36-55 – speaker compares bird to the following:

•Poet

•Highborn maiden

•Glowworm

•Rose


•Lines 36-40: the skylark, like a poet’s hymns, creates sympathies and fears

•Lines 41-45: the skylark, like a sad maiden, sings songs to soothe the soul

•Lines 46-50: the skylark, like a glowworm's light, sings a song that fill the air

•Lines 51-55: the skylark, like the scent of fallen roses, sings a song that intoxicates the senses

•Each comparison suggests the skylark’s song can transform the world or even a soul.


•Poet believes skylark’s songs are sweeter than songs of humans

•Skylark does not know annoyance and pain

•Skylark understands death more deeply than humans, though

•Lines 86-87: “We look before and after, / And pine for what is not”

Unlike the bird, humans sulk and feel sorry for what is not and what will not be.


•Lines 88-90: “Our sincerest laughter / With some pain is fraught: / Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.”

Even human laughter has grief.

Human happiness is different from the skylark’s happiness b/c human happiness is always tinged with sorrow.


•Line 103: “harmonious madness”

•The gladness of the skylark is too pure to be understood by humans.

•If the skylark’s gladness/happiness were translated into poetry, the verses would be startlingly beautiful, but impossible to understand.

•Shelley focuses on:Limitations of human conditionPoet’s struggle with limitations

•Quality Shelley perceives & praises above all in the skylark’s existence:

Purity & simplicity of skylark’s joy

•Shelley’s description of nature in all three poems:

Nature has much to teach us.


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