Percy Bysshe Shelley
English Romantic poet and radical thinker.
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Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) was an English writer and a major figure among the Romantic poets. His poetry and his personal views were deeply radical, addressing political and social issues, yet he remained largely unrecognized during his lifetime. After his death, his literary reputation grew steadily, and he came to influence later poets such as Robert Browning, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Thomas Hardy, and W. B. Yeats. The critic Harold Bloom praised him as a superb craftsman, an unmatched lyric poet, and one of the most advanced sceptical intellects to write poetry.
Although his reputation varied in the 20th century, from the 1960s onward he received increasing critical acclaim for the sweeping momentum of his imagery, his command of different genres and verse forms, and the complex interplay of sceptical, idealist, and materialist ideas in his work. His best-known poems include the long works Alastor, or The Spirit of Solitude, Julian and Maddalo, The Mask of Anarchy, Adonais, and The Triumph of Life; the short poems "Ozymandias," "Ode to the West Wind," and "To a Skylark"; and the verse dramas The Cenci, Prometheus Unbound, and Hellas. He also wrote prose fiction and essays on political, social, and philosophical topics. Much of this writing remained unpublished or appeared in expurgated form during his life due to the threat of prosecution for libel.
From the 1820s, his work found an audience in Owenist, Chartist, and radical circles, and later attracted admirers including Karl Marx, Mahatma Gandhi, and George Bernard Shaw. Shelley’s life was marked by family troubles, poor health, and backlash against his atheism and defiance of social norms. He went into permanent exile in Italy in 1818, where he produced some of the finest poetry of the Romantic era. He died in a boating accident in 1822 at age 29.
Lore & Background
Percy Bysshe Shelley was an English writer and a leading figure among the Romantic poets, known for his radical political and social views as well as his poetic craft. He was born in Sussex, the eldest son of a Whig Member of Parliament, and spent a sheltered early childhood close to his mother and sisters. At school, he was frequently bullied, earning the nickname "Mad Shelley" for his violent reactions and eccentric interests in science, the occult, and supernatural tales.
He conducted experiments with gunpowder, acids, and electricity, and later at Oxford, he set up a laboratory in his room. Under the influence of a close friend, he developed strong anti-Christian and radical political views, which were dangerous during Britain’s war with Napoleonic France. His life was marked by family crises, ill health, and backlash for his atheism and defiance of social conventions. He went into permanent self-exile in Italy in 1818, where he produced some of the finest poetry of the Romantic period.
His best-known works include long poems such as Alastor, Julian and Maddalo, The Mask of Anarchy, Adonais, and The Triumph of Life; short poems like "Ozymandias," "Ode to the West Wind," and "To a Skylark"; and verse dramas including The Cenci, Prometheus Unbound, and Hellas. He also wrote prose fiction and essays on political and philosophical issues, much of which was unpublished in his lifetime due to risk of prosecution. After his death in a boating accident at age 29, his reputation grew steadily, influencing later poets such as Robert Browning, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Thomas Hardy, and W. B. Yeats.
Reader's Guide
Shelley’s significance rests on his enduring influence on poetry and radical thought, though he did not achieve fame during his lifetime. A radical in both his poetry and his political and social views, he is considered one of the major English Romantic poets. His work is noted for its sweeping momentum of poetic imagery, mastery of genres and verse forms, and a complex interplay of sceptical, idealist, and materialist ideas. Much of his poetry and prose was not published in his lifetime, or only in expurgated form, due to the risk of prosecution for political and religious libel.
Following his death, recognition of his achievements grew steadily, and he became an important influence on later poets such as Robert Browning, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Thomas Hardy, and W. B. Yeats. From the 1820s, his writings found popularity in Owenist, Chartist, and radical political circles, and later drew admirers including Karl Marx, Mahatma Gandhi, and George Bernard Shaw. American literary critic Harold Bloom described him as a superb craftsman, a lyric poet without rival, and one of the most advanced sceptical intellects ever to write a poem. His life was marked by family crises, ill health, and backlash against his atheism, political views, and defiance of social conventions, leading to permanent self-exile in Italy in 1818, where he produced some of the finest poetry of the Romantic period before his death in a boating accident at age 29.
Did You Know?
- At Eton College, he endured severe mob bullying called 'Shelley-baits' and earned the nickname 'Mad Shelley'.
- He drowned near Livorno (then known to the English as Leghorn) on 8 July 1822.
- His heart is reputedly buried alongside his son in the family vault at St Peter's Church, Bournemouth.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Percy Bysshe Shelley (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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