济南大学外国语学院英国文学史及选读课件 Romanticism（2）.ppt

Shelley(1792-1822) Life and Works Appreciation of Ode to the West Wind Shelley, Life and Works In his youth Shelley was an anti-conformist and a radical. He was expelled from Oxford University in 1811 because of his publishing an anti-religious pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.  In 1813 “Queen Mab”, his first long poem of importance was written. In 1816 he married Mary Godwin, another radical, and together they discussed political philosophy, anarchism, individualism, socialism and utopianism. . But their peaceful life was broken by the sudden death of his first wife Harriet, who drowned herself. A great scandal was made out of it by Shelley’s Political enemies. He was compelled to leave England in 1818 and spent all the rest of his life in Italy. In Italy Shelley and Byron formed a closer connection with each other and from then on the 2 names have been linked up for ever.  In 1818 Shelleys The Revolt of Islam was published. The years of his settlement in Italy were great ones in his literary career. Important works: “Masque of Anarchy”, “Prometheus Unbound” etc.  In 1821 he wrote an elegy “Adonais” on the death of Keats In 1822 he was drowned on a sailing trip. in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome Venus and Adonis Mary Godwin(1797-1851) Prometheus Karl Marx on Byron and Shelley The real difference between Byron and Shelley is: those who understand them and love them rejoice that Byron died at 36, because if he had lived he would have become a reactionary bourgois; they grieve that Shelley died at 29, because he was essentially a revolutionist and he would always have been one of the advanced guard of Socialism. About Shelley’s Poetry The central thematic concerns of Shelleys poetry are largely the same themes that defined Romanticism: beauty, the passions, nature, political liberty, creativity, and the sanctity of the imagination. What makes Shelleys treatment of these themes unique is his phi