Concetti Chiave
- Shelley was a symbol of romantic rebellion and anarchy, challenging societal norms and religious beliefs.
- His personal life was controversial; he left his first wife for Mary Godwin, leading to public disapproval and his eventual move to Italy.
- He rejected social conventions and tyranny, advocating for freedom and love as solutions to societal issues.
- Shelley valued imagination for its creative power to transform the materialistic world he lived in.
- He viewed nature as a beautiful veil hiding divine truth and a refuge for the spirit, distinct from the perspectives of Wordsworth and Coleridge.
Early life and rebellion
Was born in Sussex in a quite rich family: his father was a member of the parliament. He was the symbol of the typical rebellion of romantic spirit, actually an anarchic. he also became a symbol for successive generations for this: since the very beginning he published something against catholicism, a pamphlet, “necessity of atheism”, that represents a break with his father.
He married with Harriet Westbrook and had 2 children but when he met the daughter of Godwin he abandoned Harriet to run away with Mary in Switzerland.
This relationship turned public opinion against him, and he was obliged to leave England, to go living in Italy. Then he drowned during a storm while he was on a boat.
Beliefs in freedom and love
freedom and love:
-refusal of social conventions
-refusal of any form of tyranny (because he was anarchic)
-he believed in the principles of freedom and love as remedies for the evil society.
role of imagination:
He believed in imagination because it meant creativity. With a creative imagination you can change the materialistic world where he lived.
nature:
he doesn’t describe a realistic nature normally described by Wordsworth, but he doesn’t even describe the metaphysical nature of Coleridge: he’s in the middle describing nature as a beautiful set , as a vail who covers up the divine truth.
In nature there is the divine thruth
Nature is also a refuge where he can find his true spirit, a sort of interlocutor of his melancholy.
Poet's role and rebellion
poet’s task:
the poet for him is a prophet. New: Is also a titan, someone big in morality.
He is a titan because he wanted a world of love, freedom and beauty. He is an eternal child.
So he is a rebel, who refused social conventions.
Domande da interrogazione
- Qual è stato il simbolo della ribellione romantica di cui l'autore è diventato rappresentante?
- Come ha influenzato la sua vita personale la relazione con Mary, figlia di Godwin?
- Qual è il ruolo dell'immaginazione secondo l'autore?
L'autore è diventato simbolo della ribellione romantica e anarchica, pubblicando fin dall'inizio opere contro il cattolicesimo, come il pamphlet "necessity of atheism", rompendo con il padre.
La relazione con Mary ha portato l'opinione pubblica a schierarsi contro di lui, costringendolo a lasciare l'Inghilterra per vivere in Italia, dove poi è annegato durante una tempesta.
L'autore credeva nell'immaginazione come espressione di creatività, capace di trasformare il mondo materialistico in cui viveva, rifiutando le convenzioni sociali e ogni forma di tirannia.
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