The Radicalism of Shelley and Its Sources

The Radicalism of Shelley and Its Sources

The following study of the development of the religious and political views of Shelley is made with the view to help one in forming a true estimate of his work and character. That there is a real difficulty in estimating correctly the life and works of Shelley no one acquainted with the varied judgments passed upon him will deny. Professor Trent claims that there is not a more perplexing and irritating subject for study than Shelley.[2] By some our poet is regarded as an angel, a model of perfection; by others he is looked upon as a rare prodigy of crime and pollution whose look even might infect. Mr. Swinburne calls him the master singer of our modern poets, but neither Wordsworth nor Keats could appreciate his poetry. W. M. Rossetti, in an article on Shelley in the ninth edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, writes as follows: In his own day an alien in the world of mind and invention, and in our day scarcely yet a denizen of it, he appears destined to become in the long vista of years an informing presence in the innermost shrine of human thought. Matthew Arnold, on the other hand, in one of his last essays, writes: But let no one suppose that a want of humor and a self-delusion such as Shelleys have no effect upon a mans poetry. The man Shelley, in very truth, is not entirely sane, and Shelleys poetry is not entirely sane either. Views so entirely different, coming as they do from such eminent critics are surely perplexing. Nevertheless, there seems to be a light which can illuminate this difficulty, render intelligible his life and works, and help us to form a just estimate of them. This light is a comprehension of the influence which inspired him in all he did and all he wrotein a word, a comprehension of his radicalism. A great deal of the difficulty connected with the study of Shelley arises from ignorance concerning[Pg 6] radicalism itself. I shall therefore begin by giving a short description of its nature and function. To many, radicalism is suggestive only of revolution and destruction. In their eyes it is the spouse of disorder and the mother of tyranny. Its devotees are wild-eyed fanatics, and in its train are found social outcasts and the scum of humanity. To others, radicalism presents a totally different aspect. These admit that it has been unfortunate in the quality of many of its adherents, but at the same time they claim that it has proven itself the mainspring of progress in every sphere of human activity. It is depicted as the cause of all the reforms achieved in society. Without it old ideas and principles would always prevail, and stagnation would result. Conservative politicians, says Leslie Stephen, owe more than they know to the thinkers (radicals) who keep alive a faith which renders the world tolerable and puts arbitrary rulers under some moral stress of responsibility.[3] ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 35495
Author: MacDonald, Daniel J.
Release Date: Mar 6, 2011
Format: eBook
Language: English