Adonais - Shelley's Poem On Keats' Death (1821) PDF

P.B SHELLY  Birth: August 4, 1792  Known as son of revolution.  He was a friend to Byron. “one day i woke up and found myself famous”.  Shelly and Byron used to go to Hotels where they wrote their signature with the line “Democrat, the lover of mankind and atheist”.  During his ea...

P.B SHELLY  Birth: August 4, 1792  Known as son of revolution.  He was a friend to Byron. “one day i woke up and found myself famous”.  Shelly and Byron used to go to Hotels where they wrote their signature with the line “Democrat, the lover of mankind and atheist”.  During his early days he was called mad Shelly due to his anger.  He used to read William Godwin the most important political theorist.  He studied politics and revolutionary ideas from Godwin.  Because of his revolutionary ideas he did not get fame and recognition.  He studied from the Oxford from where he was kicked off for his essay.  He eloped Harriet Westbrook but the marriage broke off.  Then he eloped Marry Godwin who is famously known as Marry Wolfnesteincraft.  He wrote his political ideas on paper boats and Kites.  He was role model for the later writers such as Victorian and Raphaelite poets.  Byron, Yeats, Thoreau and Tennyson were inspired by Shelly.  He also inspired Indian poets including Tagore.  He was non-violent which inspired Gandhi who was non-violent. Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement is inspired by Shelly.  Karl Marx was also inspired by Shelly.  His important works include Ode to west wind, Prometheus Unbound, Necessity of Atheism, Revolt of Islam and Adonias.  Shelly drowned in Boat accident on July 1822.  ADONAIS  The title is borrowed from Bion’s Lament for Adonis.  A Pastoral Elegy on the death of Keats.  Published in 1821.  Keats actually died of Tuberculosis but Shelly thought that he died due to criticism. That’s why he wrote “The image my great regret and honor for poor Keats”.  The elegy is written in 55 Spenserian Stanza.  Shelly cleared that he will use the Myth of Urania.  Adonis: Greek Mythological Figure.  Aphrodite/ Urania: Goddess of Love, lust and beauty in Greek Mythology.  The style of the poem is Lyrical and elegiac.  The poem starts in dejection but ends in optimistic tone. SUMMARY  The poem begins with a lament for Adonais, a symbolic figure representing Keats. Shelley invokes the "Uranian" (heavenly) powers, calling on nature and the muses to mourn the death of Adonais. Shelley emphasizes the injustice of death and describes how even the most beautiful and talented beings are not spared. He references the fleeting nature of life and compares it to the blooming and withering (rapidly diminishing) of flowers.  Shelley calls on Urania, the muse of heavenly poetry and mother of Adonais, to come and mourn her dead son.  He paints a vivid image of how the natural world is grieving—flowers, stars, and everything beautiful in nature are mourning Adonais' untimely death.  He describes how Adonais has passed away, leaving behind a broken world where no beauty or joy can remain. The poet feels despair as he contemplates the universality of death.  Shelley points toward the forces that contributed to Keats' death. Some critics argue that Keats’ poor reception by harsh reviewers, particularly in relation to his 1818 poem  Endymion, hastened his death, and Shelley seems to blame these critics for "killing" Adonais.  Shelley condemns the cruelty of literary critics who attacked Keats’ work. He suggests that their harsh criticism acted as a deadly force.  The poet bitterly notes how envy, ignorance, and malice (intention to harm) always seem to target the best and the brightest.  Shelley personifies nature, describing how even the universe itself is moved by grief. He critiques the transitory and fragile nature of life, where youthful promise is often crushed by the cold reality of death.  Shelley shifts from lamentation to a more philosophical meditation on death. He offers a vision of spiritual immortality, suggesting that Adonais is not truly dead but lives on in a more eternal, ideal realm. Shelley draws on Neoplatonism (the belief that all have emerged from one and will merge with the one), suggesting that death is not an end but a transition to a higher, purer existence.  Shelley begins to see Adonais as transcendent. Although his body may be dead, his spirit is now part of the eternal universe.  Adonais, like a star, has become one with the cosmos, shining forever beyond the grasp of time and decay.  The poet reflects on his own life and impending death, yearning to join Adonais in this eternal realm. Shelley sees death as a liberation from the suffering and pettiness of the world.  Shelley reflects on his own grief and comes to terms with the idea of death. He celebrates Adonais' new existence in the eternal, spiritual realm, where he is free from the pain and suffering of the material world.  Shelley expresses his belief in the triumph of the spirit over the limitations of the body. Adonais is now part of the eternal light that pervades the universe.  The poet resolves to embrace the idea of immortality, urging his readers to look beyond death and find solace in the eternal. Shelley ends the poem on a hopeful note, with the image of Adonais living on forever, untouched by death.  THEMES Mortality and Immortality  Shelly grapples with the inevitability of the death, yet he posits that the beauty of art transcends the morality.  It underscores the transient nature of human life and the pain of loss.  Keats is portrayed as a figure who, despite his physical death, achieves a form of immortality through his poetry. The Nature of Art  Shelly suggests that art can elevate the human experience, providing solace and a means of transcending the suffering.  The poem serves as a meditation on the power of poetic expression to immortalize the art’s spirits.  The poem celebrates the beauty of Keats’ poetry. Friendship and Loss  The bond between Shelly and Keats is palpable throughout the poem.  The poem expresses Shelly’s personal grief on the death of Keats reflecting deep sorrow.  Shelly’s lament is not only for Keats but also for the loss of kindred spirit in the artistic community. Transcendence and Transformation  Shelly explores that Keats has transcended his mortal limitations through his art.  True artistry enables one to surpass the physical existence.  Keats death is not an end but a transformation. FIGURES OF SPEECH Metaphor:  Shelly has employed the metaphor to convey an abstract concept. For instance, he refers to Keats as “a spirit” suggesting that his essence can transcend the death. Personification:  The poet personifies the elements of nature to reflect the theme and mood. For an example Shelly describes nature mourning Keats’ death, attributing human emotions to nature. The personifies the universal effect of Keats’ death. Imagery:  Rich and vivid imagery is employed to evoke the beauty of the poem. The description of the natural world creates the sensory experience and enhances poem’s emotional and thematic resonance. Allusion:  Shelly alludes to classical mythology and literature, drawing on figures such as Apollo and the muses. These allusions elevate the status of Keats connecting him to tradition of revered poets. Symbolism:  Symbols in poems represent the broader themes. For instance, the “rose” symbolizes the beauty of nature and “shadow and light” symbolize the transition between life and death.