Percy Bysshe Shelley

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Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Rothwell

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Joseph Severn - Posthumous Portrait of Shelley Writing Prometheus Unbound 1845

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Percy Shelley gravestone with clear text

Percy Bysshe Shelley (4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets and is widely considered to be among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley is best known for his classic poems such as "Ozymandias," "To a Skylark," and "The Mask of Anarchy." His works are notable for their passionate idealism and the fervent tone of their expression. Shelley's radical views on politics, religion, and society, as well as his tumultuous personal life, influenced his writing and led to a significant posthumous appreciation of his works.

Biography

Early Life

Shelley was born in Field Place, Sussex, England, to Timothy Shelley, a Member of Parliament, and Elizabeth Pilfold, making him the heir to his wealthy family's estate. He attended Eton College, where he was subjected to intense bullying, and later enrolled at University College, Oxford. However, his tenure at Oxford was short-lived; Shelley was expelled for writing "The Necessity of Atheism," which challenged the existence of God.

Career

After leaving Oxford, Shelley eloped with Harriet Westbrook, a move that estranged him from his family and left him financially strained. During this period, Shelley began to develop his ideas on political and social reform, which he expressed through poetry and prose. His early works, such as "Queen Mab," reflect his radical views.

Shelley's personal life was marked by tragedy and scandal. His first marriage ended in acrimony, and Harriet's subsequent suicide cast a long shadow over his reputation. Shelley then married Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, the daughter of philosophers William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, with whom he had a close but turbulent relationship. Together, they were part of a circle of notable Romantic poets and writers, including Lord Byron and John Keats.

In 1818, Shelley left England for Italy, where he wrote some of his most famous works, including "Prometheus Unbound" – a four-act lyrical drama that is considered his masterpiece. His time in Italy was productive but also marred by personal loss, including the deaths of his children.

Shelley's life was cut short when he drowned in a sudden storm while sailing in the Gulf of Spezia near Lerici, Italy, at the age of 29. His body was cremated on the beach, and his ashes were interred in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.

Legacy

Shelley's influence extends beyond poetry; his radical ideas on nonviolence, vegetarianism, and free love have inspired generations of thinkers and writers. Despite his controversial life and the initial critical disdain for his works, Shelley's poetry and political writings have become central to the canon of English literature.

Major Works

• "Ozymandias"
• "To a Skylark"
• "The Mask of Anarchy"
• "Prometheus Unbound"
• "Adonais" – an elegy written for John Keats

Themes and Style

Shelley's poetry is characterized by its lyrical beauty, emotional intensity, and moral idealism. His works often explore themes of beauty, nature, political oppression, and the impermanence of human achievements. Shelley was a master of the sonnet form and is known for his use of vivid imagery and philosophical depth.

Influence

Shelley's ideas and writings influenced a wide range of movements and figures, from Karl Marx to the suffragettes, and his works continue to be studied and celebrated for their revolutionary ideas and poetic achievements.

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