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Percy Bysshe Shelley Research Paper

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The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Near Horsham, Sussex, England, Percy Bysshe Shelley was born on August 4th, 1792, to Timothy and Elizabeth Shelley. Being the first born of 7 children, two of which passed away at birth, Shelly was to inherit his grandfather’s estate and a seat in Parliament. Through his semi-abnormal childhood and education, Romantic beliefs, and works of literature, Percy Bysshe Shelley has become a well known Romantic Poet.
In the meadows surrounding his home, Shelley grew up learning to fish and hunt, but at the age of ten, in 1802, he left home to study at Syon House Academy. Two years later, in 1804, he attended Eton College, a boy’s boarding school. However, during his education, he was physically and mentally bullied causing him to live more in his imagination than in reality, as an introvert. During his time at Eton, …show more content…

Beginning with his first publications, Shelley was looked down upon due to his shared beliefs on religion. For example, claiming god’s existence was unproven and there was no physical proof or reason. Against religion, as well, he questioned marriage and its purpose believing it was unnecessary if two were actually in love. This thought also supports the Romantic belief of individualism. Shelley believed the world could not be seem in completeness therefore requiring imagination. Romantics believed the power of the mind is a creative force, the mind is god-like, and each person has the power of imagination. In his poetry, Shelley used descriptive words representing how people think of things in many different ways using our imagination, not just thinking one way. The Romantics believed poetry should be about feelings and emotion not rigid and artificial thoughts. Shelley supported this belief, for example, by writing about love and the women in his life. The use of these beliefs in his literature allowed Shelley to create many famous

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The Romantics believed that imagination was the highest embodiment possible (Arpin 141). Amongst the Romantics it was said that imagination was able to discover truths that the rational minds could not reach(Arpin 141). They believed that being creative enough and having imagination would help solve their problems. The Romantics believed in this so much they thought the spiritual realm was real and that spirits would help find beauty and truth (Arpin 143). To the Romantics it was important that they didn't get so caught up in discovering through rational means.

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The meaning of some literary works often alludes to myths, the bible, or other works of literature to help enhance the purpose or theme of the work. Such sustained works as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she alludes to Paradise Lost and the Genesis by paralleling Frankenstein to God, Adam, Eve and the Fallen Angel. Mary Shelley illustrates how the pursuit of knowledge beyond our reach leads to unforeseen consequences and regret.

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Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, being confined to her home, spent a lot of time in her family library. She read many philosophers that still hold present ideals today, including: Burke, Descartes, Locke, Blake and Wordsworth. These readings that Shelley did influenced her writing; the ideals of the aforementioned philosophers are all evident throughout the work of Frankenstein and her larger question of whether or not humans should deal with something they don’t entirely understand, in this case science. The story of Frankenstein, being one of the first gothic novels, is inherently sublime. Throughout the romanticist period, there was a trend about going back to nature through artistic medians.

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The creature becomes excluded from society, and tries to humanize himself through knowledge of language. Reading and writing is what makes the creature able to communicate with others. One could conclude that Shelley is using this to tell us that our ability to communicate through the written word is what makes us human. Great amounts of technology and human body parts were used to put together and animate the creature, however they are unable to make him truly "human." He has the desire to converse with people and be a part of their society.

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He says that he “collected bones from charnel-houses and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame. In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase, I kept my workshop of filthy creation; my eyeballs were starting from their sockets in attending to the details of my employment. The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials; and often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion.” (Shelley

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