He wrote also a poem on the subject of Ahasuerus — being led to it by a German fragment he picked up, dirty and torn, in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. This fell afterwards into other hands, and was considerably altered before it was printed. Our earlier English poetry was almost unknown to him. The love and knowledge of Nature developed by Wordsworth — the lofty melody and mysterious beauty of Coleridge’s poetry — and the wild fantastic machinery and gorgeous scenery adopted by Southey — composed his favourite reading; the rhythm of “Queen Mab” was founded on that of “Thalaba”, and the first few lines bear a striking resemblance in spirit, though not in idea, to the opening of that poem. His fertile imagination, and ear tuned to the finest sense of harmony, preserved him from imitation. Another of his favourite books was the poem of “Gebir” by Walter Savage Landor. From his boyhood he had a wonderful facility of versification, which he carried into another language; and his Latin school-verses were composed with an ease and correctness that procured for him prizes, and caused him to be resorted to by all his friends for help. He was, at the period of writing “Queen Mab”, a great traveller within the limits of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His time was spent among the loveliest scenes of these countries. Mountain and lake and forest were his home; the phenomena of Nature were his favourite study. He loved to inquire into their causes, and was addicted to pursuits of natural philosophy and chemistry, as far as they could be carried on as an amusement. These tastes gave truth and vivacity to his descriptions, and warmed his soul with that deep admiration for the wonders of Nature which constant association with her inspired.
He never intended to publish “Queen Mab” as it stands; but a few years after, when printing “Alastor”, he extracted a small portion which he entitled “The Daemon of the World”. In this he changed somewhat the versification, and made other alterations scarcely to be called improvements.
Some years after, when in Italy, a bookseller published an edition of “Queen Mab” as it originally stood. Shelley was hastily written to by his friends, under the idea that, deeply injurious as the mere distribution of the poem had proved, the publication might awaken fresh persecutions. At the suggestion of these friends he wrote a letter on the subject, printed in the “Examiner” newspaper — with which I close this history of his earliest work.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ‘EXAMINER.’
‘Sir,
‘Having heard that a poem entitled “Queen Mab” has been surreptitiously published in London, and that legal proceedings have been instituted against the publisher, I request the favour of your insertion of the following explanation of the affair, as it relates to me.
‘A poem entitled “Queen Mab” was written by me at the age of eighteen, I daresay in a sufficiently intemperate spirit — but even then was not intended for publication, and a few copies only were struck off, to be distributed among my personal friends. I have not seen this production for several years. I doubt not but that it is perfectly worthless in point of literary composition; and that, in all that concerns moral and political speculation, as well as in the subtler discriminations of metaphysical and religious doctrine, it is still more crude and immature. I am a devoted enemy to religious, political, and domestic oppression; and I regret this publication, not so much from literary vanity, as because I fear it is better fitted to injure than to serve the sacred cause of freedom. I have directed my solicitor to apply to Chancery for an injunction to restrain the sale; but, after the precedent of Mr. Southey’s “Wat Tyler” (a poem written, I believe, at the same age, and with the same unreflecting enthusiasm), with little hope of success.
‘Whilst I exonerate myself from all share in having divulged opinions hostile to existing sanctions, under the form, whatever it may be, which they assume in this poem, it is scarcely necessary for me to protest against the system of inculcating the truth of Christianity or the excellence of Monarchy, however true or however excellent they may be, by such equivocal arguments as confiscation and imprisonment, and invective and slander, and the insolent violation of the most sacred ties of Nature and society.
‘SIR,
‘I am your obliged and obedient servant,’
PERCY B. SHELLEY.
‘Pisa, June 22, 1821.’
INDIVIDUAL POEMS
Following the untimely death of Shelley at the age of 29, his second wife, Mary Shelley, collected together his verse and fragments, many of which were published for the first time in 1839. Previously, many of the poems had appeared in various periodicals, magazines or obscure collections. In this section, readers will find some of Shelley’s most famous works, with poems such as The Skylark, the sonnet Ozymandias, Music When Soft Voices Die, I Arise From Dreams of Thee, When the Lamp is Shattered and the famous Ode to the West Wind being among his most celebrated achievements in verse. During his short life, Shelley was often subjected to severe judgment, mostly due to his atheistic views, resulting in his poetic power being recognised by only a few. However, with the publication of the 1839 collection, carefully arranged and documented by the poet’s wife, Shelley’s lyrical genius was established for the first time.
Shelley, 1819
CONTENTS
JUVENILIA.
VERSES ON A CAT.
FRAGMENT: OMENS.
EPITAPHIUM.
IN HOROLOGIUM.
A DIALOGUE.
TO THE MOONBEAM.
THE SOLITARY.
TO DEATH.
LOVE’S ROSE.
EYES: A FRAGMENT.
BIGOTRY’S VICTIM.
ON AN ICICLE THAT CLUNG TO THE GRASS OF A GRAVE.
LOVE.
ON A FETE AT CARLTON HOUSE: FRAGMENT.
TO A STAR.
TO MARY WHO DIED IN THIS OPINION.
A TALE OF SOCIETY AS IT IS: FROM FACTS, 1811.
TO THE REPUBLICANS OF NORTH AMERICA.
TO IRELAND.
ON ROBERT EMMET’S GRAVE.
THE RETROSPECT: CWM ELAN, 1812.
FRAGMENT OF A SONNET.
TO HARRIET.
TO A BALLOON LADEN WITH KNOWLEDGE.
ON LAUNCHING SOME BOTTLES FILLED WITH KNOWLEDGE INTO THE BRISTOL CHANNEL.
FAREWELL TO NORTH DEVON.
ON LEAVING LONDON FOR WALES.
THE WANDERING JEW’S SOLILOQUY.
EVENING. TO HARRIET.
TO IANTHE.
SONG FROM THE WANDERING JEW.
FRAGMENT FROM THE WANDERING JEW.
TO THE QUEEN OF MY HEART.
EARLY POEMS 1814-1815.
STANZA, WRITTEN AT BRACKNELL.
STANZAS. — APRIL, 1814.
TO HARRIET.
TO MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT GODWIN.
TO — .
MUTABILITY.
ON DEATH.
A SUMMER EVENING CHURCHYARD.
LECHLADE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE.
TO — .
DAKRTSI DIOISO POTMON ‘APOTMON.
TO WORDSWORTH.
FEELINGS OF A REPUBLICAN ON THE FALL OF BONAPARTE.
LINES.
POEMS WRITTEN IN 1816.
THE SUNSET.
HYMN TO INTELLECTUAL BEAUTY.
MONT BLANC.
LINES WRITTEN IN THE VALE OF CHAMOUNI.
CANCELLED PASSAGE OF MONT BLANC.
HOME. (FRAGMENT)
FRAGMENT OF A GHOST STORY.
NOTE ON POEMS OF 1816, BY MRS. SHELLEY.
POEMS WRITTEN IN 1817.
MARIANNE’S DREAM.
TO CONSTANTIA, SINGING.
STANZAS 1 AND 2.
TO CONSTANTIA.
TO ONE SINGING. (FRAGMENT)
A FRAGMENT: TO MUSIC. (FRAGMENT)
ANOTHER FRAGMENT: TO MUSIC.
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