Shelley is primarily a poet of love, as Keats is of beauty. The story of his life is, in fact, a story of love. But it has to be remembered that Shelley as a love poet is a complex phenomenon. For him love, is not the name of one particular feeling or thing. It is tinged with many colours. It is sexual love, Platonic love, cosmic energy and love of humanity. Shelley devoted his brief life to the pursuit of love. Yearning for perfect Love, Beauty and Liberty is keynote of Shelley's poetry. He considers love a regenerating power, which is closely bound up with his conception of human perfectibility.
Shelley's attitude of love was greatly influence by the teachings of Plato. According to Plato, beauty has such as enormous power over men because they have previously beheld it in a heaven and since, sight is the keenest of bodily senses. Shelley looked upon love that is, by no means, a simple phenomenon. In his essay, 'A Defense of Poetry', he has defended this concept as:
"This is the bond and connection and the sanction that connects not only man with man, but with everything, which exists in man."
Shelley's concept of ideal love finds it best expression in "Epipsychidion". No poet felt deeply the dynamic influence of love in moulding human destiny; none realized utterly the triviality of life devoid of love; yet Shelley's women are merely lovely wraiths that greet us to the strains of delicious music.
"See where she stands! A mortal shape induced
With love and life and light and deity,"
From love as sexual passion, Shelley proceeds to look at love as Plato looked at it. Here his concept of love is mainly Platonic, though the view of Godwin on free love also had a profound influence on him. In "Phaedrus", Plato observes that Love and Beauty are nothing concrete but abstract and ideal. Thus love is regarded as a kind of madness.
Plato further held that every object of Nature is governed by love and are forever trying to unite them with the spirit of divine love diffused through the universe. Shelley's conception of Platonic idealism finds its vent in the following verses.
"Nothing in world is single;
All things by a law divine;
In one spirit meet and mingle,
Why not I with thine?"
Shelley devoted his whole life not to the pursuit of physical but to the ideal Love and Beauty which he yeaned for all his life. In this respect, he has beautifully described in "Hymn to Intellectual Beauty":
"Spirit of Beauty, that dost consecrate
With thine own hues all thou dost shine upon"
Love to Plato is also an aspiration towards the good and the beautiful. In "Prometheus Unbound", Shelley comes very close to the thinking of Plato. Prometheus exercised the freedom of the pursuit of good. And Demogorgan's statement that Love is free is the only most philosophic statement. Only Love is exempt. Only love is free. Thus, love in Prometheus represents the more general Platonic notion, the notion of all things good and beautiful:
"How glorious art though Earth! And if thou be
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
I could fall down and worship that and thee."
In his later years Shelley seems to have been moving away from the way of Affirmation towards of Rejection, towards the Rejection of the Image of Woman. He never lost his basic faith, but he laid more stress that before on the transcendent of that which he sought. His desire is:
"The desire of the moth for the star,
Of the night for the morrow,
The devotion of something afar,
From the sphere of our sorrow."
Like Plato Shelley believes that Love is the source of the greatest benefits for both the lover and the beloved since they encouraged each other in the practice of virtue. Love implants the sense of honour and dishonour and therefore impels to all noble deeds.
This is how Shelley looked at love. Though his concept of love is severely criticized by so many critics who contend that though intellectually mature, Shelley remained perhaps in some ways emotionally adolescent. His whole approach to love is not only unhealthy but his ideals, his visions, are only whims conceived in his own mind. But we should not forget that Shelley has his won philosophy of love, which was, to him, something higher and nobler than a mere sexual feeling, for him it was a perfection of all that is good and noble in the world.
Showing posts with label Shelley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shelley. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Shelley's Love For Nature
Love for Nature is one of the prerequisites of all the Romantics and Shelley is no exception. Love for Nature is one of the key-notes of his poetry. His poetry abounds in Nature imagery. 'On Love' reflects colourful Nature imagery and glorification of Nature. He shows fruition and fulfillment in his poems. Other poems e.g. 'A Dream of the Unknown', 'Ode to the Westwind', 'The Cloud', 'To Skylark', 'To the Moon', etc. are remarkable poems of Nature in which we find a profusion of Nature.
Like Wordsworth, Shelley believes that Nature exercises a healing influence on man's personality. He finds solace and comfort in Nature and feels its soothing influence on his heart.
Shelley, in his poetry, appears as a pantheist too. In fact, his attitude towards Nature is analogous to that of Wordsworth, whao, greatly influenced Shelly. However, as against Wordsworth, who linked the spirit in Nature with God, Shelley, on the other hand, linked it and identified it with love, for he was an atheist and a skeptic. He believes that this spirit 'wields the world with never wearied love'.
"Adonais" reflects the most striking examples of Shelley's pantheism. At an occasion, he thinks that Keats 'is made one with Nature' for the power, moving in Nature. Nature's spirit is eternal. 'The one remains, many change and pass'. He agrees that there is some intelligence controlling Nature. In fact, he fuses the platonic philosophy of love with pantheism. He finds Nature alive, capable of feeling and thinking like a human organism. Wordsworth equates it with God, Shelley with love.
Shelley loved the indefinite and the changeful in Nature. He presents the changing and indefinite moods of Nature e.g. clouds, wind, lightening etc. 'Ode to the Westwind' reflects this particular trend of Shelley, wherein, he shows the West Wind driving the dead leaves, scattering the living seeds, awakening the Mediterranean and making the sea-plants feel its force. His poetry lacks pictorial definiteness and, often, his Nature description is clothed in mist. As compared with Coleridge, Wordsworth etc. he is the least pictorial. It is partly due to the abstract imagery and partly, owing to swift succession of similes which blur the picture. Yet, sometimes, his image is definitely concrete. The picture of the blue Mediterranean, lulled to sleep by his crystalline streams and awakened by Westwind is virtually remarkable and substantial.
Despite his pantheistic attitude, Shelley conceives every object of Nature as possessing a distinct individuality of its own, too, though he believes that the spirit of love unites the whole universe, including Nature, yet he treats all the natural objects as distinguishable entities. The sun, the moon, the stars, the rainbow – all have been treated as separate beings. This capacity of individualizing the separate forces for Nature is termed as Shelley's myth making power which is best illustrated in "Ode to the Westwind". He gives the West Wind, the ocean an independent life and personalities. He presents the Mediterranean sleeping and then being awakened by the West Wind, just like a human body.
The ancient Greek gave human attributes to the natural objects whom they personified. Shelley, too, personifies them, but he retains their true characteristics. He personifies the West wind ad the Mediterranean, but both remains wind and ocean. They have not been endowed with human qualities. He has almost scientific attitude towards the objects of Nature. Whatever he says is scientifically true. The Westwind virtually drives the dead leaves and scatters the seeds to be grown in this wind; the sea plants undoubtedly feel the destructive effects of the strong Westwind. Likewise, clouds do bring rain, dew-drops, snow, lightening, thunder etc. He observes the natural phenomenon with a scientific eye, though the description remains highly imaginative.
Time and again, Shelley's Nature description has a touch of optimism having all the sufferings, tortures, miseries of the world. In "Ode to the Westwind", he hopes for the best and is confident that "If Winter comes, can spring be far behind?" His nature treatment is multidimensional; scientific, philosophic, intellectual, mythical and of course human. He is a marvelous poet of Nature.
Like Wordsworth, Shelley believes that Nature exercises a healing influence on man's personality. He finds solace and comfort in Nature and feels its soothing influence on his heart.
Shelley, in his poetry, appears as a pantheist too. In fact, his attitude towards Nature is analogous to that of Wordsworth, whao, greatly influenced Shelly. However, as against Wordsworth, who linked the spirit in Nature with God, Shelley, on the other hand, linked it and identified it with love, for he was an atheist and a skeptic. He believes that this spirit 'wields the world with never wearied love'.
"Adonais" reflects the most striking examples of Shelley's pantheism. At an occasion, he thinks that Keats 'is made one with Nature' for the power, moving in Nature. Nature's spirit is eternal. 'The one remains, many change and pass'. He agrees that there is some intelligence controlling Nature. In fact, he fuses the platonic philosophy of love with pantheism. He finds Nature alive, capable of feeling and thinking like a human organism. Wordsworth equates it with God, Shelley with love.
Shelley loved the indefinite and the changeful in Nature. He presents the changing and indefinite moods of Nature e.g. clouds, wind, lightening etc. 'Ode to the Westwind' reflects this particular trend of Shelley, wherein, he shows the West Wind driving the dead leaves, scattering the living seeds, awakening the Mediterranean and making the sea-plants feel its force. His poetry lacks pictorial definiteness and, often, his Nature description is clothed in mist. As compared with Coleridge, Wordsworth etc. he is the least pictorial. It is partly due to the abstract imagery and partly, owing to swift succession of similes which blur the picture. Yet, sometimes, his image is definitely concrete. The picture of the blue Mediterranean, lulled to sleep by his crystalline streams and awakened by Westwind is virtually remarkable and substantial.
Despite his pantheistic attitude, Shelley conceives every object of Nature as possessing a distinct individuality of its own, too, though he believes that the spirit of love unites the whole universe, including Nature, yet he treats all the natural objects as distinguishable entities. The sun, the moon, the stars, the rainbow – all have been treated as separate beings. This capacity of individualizing the separate forces for Nature is termed as Shelley's myth making power which is best illustrated in "Ode to the Westwind". He gives the West Wind, the ocean an independent life and personalities. He presents the Mediterranean sleeping and then being awakened by the West Wind, just like a human body.
The ancient Greek gave human attributes to the natural objects whom they personified. Shelley, too, personifies them, but he retains their true characteristics. He personifies the West wind ad the Mediterranean, but both remains wind and ocean. They have not been endowed with human qualities. He has almost scientific attitude towards the objects of Nature. Whatever he says is scientifically true. The Westwind virtually drives the dead leaves and scatters the seeds to be grown in this wind; the sea plants undoubtedly feel the destructive effects of the strong Westwind. Likewise, clouds do bring rain, dew-drops, snow, lightening, thunder etc. He observes the natural phenomenon with a scientific eye, though the description remains highly imaginative.
Time and again, Shelley's Nature description has a touch of optimism having all the sufferings, tortures, miseries of the world. In "Ode to the Westwind", he hopes for the best and is confident that "If Winter comes, can spring be far behind?" His nature treatment is multidimensional; scientific, philosophic, intellectual, mythical and of course human. He is a marvelous poet of Nature.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Shelley as a Revolutionary Poet
“For the Romantic poet, the idea of revolution has a special interest, and a special affinity. For Romanticism seeks to effect in poetry what revolution aspires to achieve in politics: innovation, transformantion, defamiliarisation" (Divid Duff,p. 26) Revolution is a dominant spirit in almost all the romantic poets. Percy Bysshe Shelley, a Romantic poet, is also called rebel for his idea of revolution in his poetry. As The French Revolution dominated all politics in those years, unlike Wordsworth or Coleridge, Shelley never abandoned the ideals of the revolution, though he was appalled by the dictatorship of Napoleon. Shelley only experienced the revolution at second hand through the books of various writers and was influenced by Rousseau, William Godwin etc. When he looked back, all he could see was the flame of revolution still flickering in spite of the terror, was and disease. His long poem, The Revolt of Islam, written at the height of his powers, is clear on one matter above all else- that the ideas of progress, which inspired the revolution, will triumph once again.
In the "Ode to The West Wind" Shelley is seen as a rebel and he wants revolution. He desires a social change and the West Wind is to his symbol of change. This poem, written in iambic pentameter, begins with three stanzas describing the wind's effects upon earth, air and ocean. The last two stanzas are Shelley speaking directly to the wind, asking for its power, to life him like a leaf, or a cloud and make him his companion in its wanderings. He asks the wind to take his thoughts and spread them all over the world so that the youth are awoken with his ideas.
In the first stanza of this poem, Shelley says that the West Wind drives away the last sign of life in trees and also helps to rejuvenate the world by allowing the seeds to grow in the spring. In this way the West Wind acts as a destroyer and preserver. Shelley says, “Wild spirit, which art moving everywhere;/ Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh, hear!" Actually the West Wind acts as a driving force for change and rejuvenation in the human and natural world. And it is the symbol of revolution. Shelley begins his poem by addressing the Wild West Wind. He quickly introduces the theme of death and compares the dead leaves to ghosts. The imagery of "Pestilence-stricken multitudes" makes the reader aware that Shelley is addressing more than a pile of leaves. His claustrophobic mood becomes evident when he talks of the wintry bed and
The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low/ Each like a corpse within its grave, until/ Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow"
Although the West Wind symbolizes his own personality and in the middle of the poem he seems somehow pessimistic when he says, "Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!/ I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!", at the end of the poem he is seen very much optimistic when he say that his revolutionary ideas must bring a change and the new order will be established.
The wind blows through the jungle and produces music out to the dead leaves. Shelley requests it to create music out of his heart and to inspire him to write great poetry, which may create a revolution in the hearts of men . He wants the Wind to scatter his revolutionary message in the world, just as it scatters cries and sparks from a burning fire. His thoughts may not be as fiery as they once were, but they still have the power to inspire men. He tells the Wind to take message to sleeping world, that if winter comes, spring cannot be far behind. After bed days come good days. Here he says, " If winter comes , can spring be far behind?"
We also find Shelley’s revolutionary zeal in ode “To A Skylark”. According to Shelley, the bird, Skylark, that pours spontaneous melody from heaven and sours higher and higher can never be a bird. It is for the poet, a joyful spirit that begins its upward flight at sunrise and becomes invisible at evening like the stars of the sky that become invisible in day light. Moreover, it is compared with the beans of the moon whose presence is rather felt than seen. It's a heavenly bird and by singing it spreads its influence through the world.
In the opening stanza, the bind is seen as a "blithe spirit" that "pourest thy full heart/ In profuse strains of unpremeditated art." The words "Pourest thy full heart" mean that the bird pours out its heart in song and with "In profuse strains of unpremeditated art", Shelley refers to the spontaneous flow of music which comes from the Skylark. There is nothing artificial in its music, it overflows profusely from its heart. And Shelley says as a spirit of revolution it spreads it revolutionary message as the moon spreads its beam. He says,
"All the earth and air
With thy voice is loud,
As, when might is bare,
From one lonely cloud
The moon rains our her beams, and Heaven is overflowed."
As in the beginning of the poem, the poet says the bird is a heavenly bird and it is a joyful spirit, its life is not sorrowful like that of human being. The life of human being is full of sorrow, suffering and it is rare to find ecstasy without pain. Our happiness is often mapped by memories of part affections and sorrows, and the painful uncertainly of what is to come in the future. Man is a creature that looks "before and after". He is subject to weariness and satiety, so that he can never enjoy happiness perennially. But the Skylark knows on satiety. It is the very embodiment of perennial delight, ever fresh and full of west and unwearied in its enjoyment of happiness. Human life, on the other hand, is subject to recurrent spells of frustration and pain. As he say,
“We look before and after,
And shoe for what is not:
Our sincerest laughter
With some pain is fraught:
Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought."
So the poet wants to experience half the gaiety of the bird and them he would sing wit such excellent poetic ecstasy via the people of the world listen to him. He says,
"Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know,
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow
The world should listen then-as I am listening now."
In the concluding part it can be said that Shelley is a true revolutionary poet whose message bears the ideas of revolution………………
In the "Ode to The West Wind" Shelley is seen as a rebel and he wants revolution. He desires a social change and the West Wind is to his symbol of change. This poem, written in iambic pentameter, begins with three stanzas describing the wind's effects upon earth, air and ocean. The last two stanzas are Shelley speaking directly to the wind, asking for its power, to life him like a leaf, or a cloud and make him his companion in its wanderings. He asks the wind to take his thoughts and spread them all over the world so that the youth are awoken with his ideas.
In the first stanza of this poem, Shelley says that the West Wind drives away the last sign of life in trees and also helps to rejuvenate the world by allowing the seeds to grow in the spring. In this way the West Wind acts as a destroyer and preserver. Shelley says, “Wild spirit, which art moving everywhere;/ Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh, hear!" Actually the West Wind acts as a driving force for change and rejuvenation in the human and natural world. And it is the symbol of revolution. Shelley begins his poem by addressing the Wild West Wind. He quickly introduces the theme of death and compares the dead leaves to ghosts. The imagery of "Pestilence-stricken multitudes" makes the reader aware that Shelley is addressing more than a pile of leaves. His claustrophobic mood becomes evident when he talks of the wintry bed and
The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low/ Each like a corpse within its grave, until/ Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow"
Although the West Wind symbolizes his own personality and in the middle of the poem he seems somehow pessimistic when he says, "Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!/ I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!", at the end of the poem he is seen very much optimistic when he say that his revolutionary ideas must bring a change and the new order will be established.
The wind blows through the jungle and produces music out to the dead leaves. Shelley requests it to create music out of his heart and to inspire him to write great poetry, which may create a revolution in the hearts of men . He wants the Wind to scatter his revolutionary message in the world, just as it scatters cries and sparks from a burning fire. His thoughts may not be as fiery as they once were, but they still have the power to inspire men. He tells the Wind to take message to sleeping world, that if winter comes, spring cannot be far behind. After bed days come good days. Here he says, " If winter comes , can spring be far behind?"
We also find Shelley’s revolutionary zeal in ode “To A Skylark”. According to Shelley, the bird, Skylark, that pours spontaneous melody from heaven and sours higher and higher can never be a bird. It is for the poet, a joyful spirit that begins its upward flight at sunrise and becomes invisible at evening like the stars of the sky that become invisible in day light. Moreover, it is compared with the beans of the moon whose presence is rather felt than seen. It's a heavenly bird and by singing it spreads its influence through the world.
In the opening stanza, the bind is seen as a "blithe spirit" that "pourest thy full heart/ In profuse strains of unpremeditated art." The words "Pourest thy full heart" mean that the bird pours out its heart in song and with "In profuse strains of unpremeditated art", Shelley refers to the spontaneous flow of music which comes from the Skylark. There is nothing artificial in its music, it overflows profusely from its heart. And Shelley says as a spirit of revolution it spreads it revolutionary message as the moon spreads its beam. He says,
"All the earth and air
With thy voice is loud,
As, when might is bare,
From one lonely cloud
The moon rains our her beams, and Heaven is overflowed."
As in the beginning of the poem, the poet says the bird is a heavenly bird and it is a joyful spirit, its life is not sorrowful like that of human being. The life of human being is full of sorrow, suffering and it is rare to find ecstasy without pain. Our happiness is often mapped by memories of part affections and sorrows, and the painful uncertainly of what is to come in the future. Man is a creature that looks "before and after". He is subject to weariness and satiety, so that he can never enjoy happiness perennially. But the Skylark knows on satiety. It is the very embodiment of perennial delight, ever fresh and full of west and unwearied in its enjoyment of happiness. Human life, on the other hand, is subject to recurrent spells of frustration and pain. As he say,
“We look before and after,
And shoe for what is not:
Our sincerest laughter
With some pain is fraught:
Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought."
So the poet wants to experience half the gaiety of the bird and them he would sing wit such excellent poetic ecstasy via the people of the world listen to him. He says,
"Teach me half the gladness
That thy brain must know,
Such harmonious madness
From my lips would flow
The world should listen then-as I am listening now."
In the concluding part it can be said that Shelley is a true revolutionary poet whose message bears the ideas of revolution………………
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)