Percy Shelley's Poetry

During Percy Shelley’s lifetime, he was not a well respected writer, but later he became a model for Romantic Poets. The society during his time period did not appreciate his views because they went against what was expected. He was not afraid to express his beliefs with the fear of society 's rejection. Although he had many criticisms, he still had influential factors in his life that contributed to the themes and stylistic elements of his poetry; the relationships he developed throughout his life were a major contributor to his writings. Shelley was born in August of 1972 and died in a sailing incident in 1822 (Bio Editors). His parents were Sir Timothy Shelley and Elizabeth Pilfold. Shelley was their first child and after him they had …show more content…
Shelley’s Poem “Love’s Philosophy”, meaning is about how everything in nature is designed to have a partner (“Love’s Philosophy). This poem was influenced by his love life with Mary. The poem reflects the time when Shelley was trying to convince Mary’s father into approving Mary and Shelley’s relationship. In the poem Mary is the one Shelley wishes to be with. The title of the poem shows the reader that the poem is going to be based on the meaning of love. In the first stanza it describes how the things in nature have partners or something they are compatible with. Shelley is claiming that everything in the world has someone that is meant for them, so why can 't he have someone for his own? In the second stanza Shelley continues to compare more things in nature being together, to him and his lover as to why they should be together. Furthermore, he is saying everything has a match so his lover should be with him, because if they are not together what is the point in everything in nature having a pair too? Shelley uses rhetorical devices like imagery, rhetorical questions, personification, to aid in the understanding of his poem. An example of imagery used is “the fountains mingle with the river, and the rivers with the ocean” (“Love’s Philosophy” 1-2) it demonstrates to the audience how everything in nature has something it relates to. Shelley uses the rhetorical questions, “why not I with thine?”(“Love’s Philosophy” 8) and “If thou kiss not me?” (“Love’s Philosophy” 16) to explain that he believes that he should have a partner just like all the things in nature. Shelley uses personification too to provide detail and to help the audience understand the point he is trying to make. Some examples used would be “mountains kiss high heaven,” “waves clasp one another,” and “ sunlight clasps the earth and the moonbeams kiss the sea” (“Love’s