How Does Poetry Elevates The Beauty Of Society?

Percy Shelley argues that poetry is the device that elevates the beauty of society. Poetry brings imagination to the forefront, either by developing a divine idea or making a beautiful object even more beautiful. In response to the idea that poetry lacked relevance, Shelley claims that poetry not only elevates what we perceive as beauty; it is also the center of knowledge. This idea is further clarified when Shelley notes the comparison between poets and philosophers. Through his approach, Shelley argues against institutions that dismiss the cognitive prowess of poetry, and develops a principle that supports his belief of poetry being the wheel that turns society. Poetry involves the synthesis of imagination and reason, and with these conditions analysis begins. The mind undergoes a process of thought by mixing principles such as elements, nature, and many other representations to form a perception that explains general results. Although imagination and …show more content…
Shelley’s definition of a poet are the individuals who behold the future in the present. Those who draw on past influences to form radical interpretations participate in what Shelley calls “the eternal [or] the infinite.” This idea of the eternal refers to the continuous influence the poet has. Usually, poets were identified as the legislators of the world, since they exalted the beauty of normality. The mind of the poet is one who can synthesize opposites and keep society turning. The synthesis of opposites in poetry creates a unionship between beauty and the deformed. What this causes is a level of balance. Removing the distinction between what we perceive as beautiful and deformed binds two contrasting concepts. Poetry reveals the commonality between opposites, and marries them to form a union. Shelley affirms that undressing the distinction creates a sense of equity and makes both parties equally