Percy Bysshe Shelley

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Who Was Percy Bysshe Shelley?

Percy Bysshe Shelley, born on August 4, 1792, is regarded as one of the most influential poets of the 19th century, celebrated for his revolutionary ideas and profound literary contributions. Best known for works like Ode to the West Wind and The Masque of Anarchy, Shelley also made his mark with longer pieces such as Queen Mab and Alastor. His adventurous spirit was shared with his second wife, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, with whom he embarked on many intellectual and personal journeys.

Early Life

Shelley was born into a well-established family in Broadbridge Heath, a village near West Sussex, England. He grew up in the English countryside, where he spent his early years exploring the outdoors with his cousin and lifelong friend, Thomas Medwin. His father, Timothy Shelley, was a member of Parliament, and his mother, Elizabeth Pilfold, hailed from a respected lineage. As the eldest of seven children, Percy left home at age 10 to attend Syon House Academy, followed by Eton College. During his time at Eton, Shelley endured severe bullying, which led him to retreat into his imagination, fueling his early creative works. By his late teens, he had already published several pieces, including the novel St. Irvyne and Posthumous Fragments of Margaret Nicholson.

In 1810, Shelley entered University College, Oxford, where his radical ideas began to flourish. He co-authored The Necessity of Atheism with his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg, a pamphlet that challenged religious orthodoxy. The controversial content led to their expulsion after Shelley refused to either confirm or deny authorship. This incident further strained his relationship with his family, as they disapproved of his unconventional views on religion, politics, and lifestyle.

Personal Life and Major Works

In 1811, Shelley eloped with Harriet Westbrook, a 16-year-old his family had forbidden him to marry. Initially motivated by a desire to rescue her from despair, Shelley soon grew disillusioned with the marriage. His attention shifted to Elizabeth Hitchener, a schoolteacher who inspired his first major poem, Queen Mab. This poem, drawing on Shakespeare’s fairy from Romeo and Juliet, imagined a utopian world free from corruption.

Shelley’s writings were not limited to poetry; he also produced politically charged pamphlets, which he distributed using creative methods like hot air balloons and glass bottles. His radical views attracted the admiration of William Godwin, a political philosopher and one of Shelley’s intellectual idols. Their meeting in 1812 marked the beginning of Shelley’s engagement with broader social and political issues, influencing the themes of justice, freedom, and reform that permeated his later works.

Shelley’s life, though tragically cut short at the age of 29, remains a testament to his relentless pursuit of truth, social change, and artistic innovation. His legacy endures in the realms of both literature and political thought.

Shelley’s Relationships with Harriet and Mary

Despite the troubled nature of his marriage to Harriet, Shelley fathered two children with her. Their daughter, Elizabeth Ianthe, was born in June 1813 when Shelley was just 21. However, before the birth of their second child, Shelley abandoned Harriet and began a relationship with Mary, the well-educated and precocious daughter of his mentor, William Godwin, and Mary Wollstonecraft, the renowned feminist author. Contrary to Shelley’s expectations, Godwin disapproved of his involvement with Mary, resulting in a strained relationship that lasted for three years. Undeterred, Shelley and Mary fled to Paris, accompanied by Mary’s sister, Jane. The trio traveled across France, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland, bonding over readings of Shakespeare and Rousseau.

Upon their return to England, Mary discovered she was pregnant, while Shelley’s wife, Harriet, was also expecting. The news of Mary’s pregnancy led Harriet to seek a divorce and file for alimony and full custody of their children. Shelley’s second child with Harriet, Charles, was born in November 1814. Meanwhile, Mary gave birth to a daughter, who tragically passed away just weeks later. In 1816, Mary gave birth to their son, William.

During this period, Shelley, a committed vegetarian, wrote several works on the subject, including A Vindication of Natural Diet (1813). In 1815, he penned Alastor, or The Spirit of Solitude, a 720-line poem now recognized as his first major work. That same year, following the death of his grandfather, Shelley began receiving an annual allowance of £1,000.

Friendship with Lord Byron

In 1816, Mary’s stepsister, Claire Clairmont, invited Shelley and Mary on a trip to Switzerland, where Clairmont sought to introduce them to her new romantic interest, the famed poet Lord Byron. Though Byron’s interest in Clairmont waned by the time of their arrival, the group spent the summer in Switzerland. Shelley rented a house on Lake Geneva near Byron’s, and the two poets quickly developed a close friendship. Shelley wrote prolifically during this time, including his Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, which was inspired by a day of boating with Byron. A later excursion through the French Alps with Byron led Shelley to compose Mont Blanc, a reflection on the relationship between humanity and nature.

Harriet’s Death and Shelley’s Second Marriage

Upon returning to England in the fall of 1816, Shelley and Mary were confronted with two tragic deaths. Mary’s half-sister, Fanny Imlay, had committed suicide, and, shortly after, Harriet was found drowned in the Serpentine River in Hyde Park, London. Following Harriet’s death, Shelley and Mary married. Mary’s father, Godwin, was overjoyed and welcomed his daughter back into the family. However, Shelley’s joy was tempered by the legal battle that ensued after Harriet’s death. The courts ruled that Shelley was unfit to care for his children, awarding custody to foster parents.

After settling these legal matters, Shelley and Mary moved to the village of Marlow in Buckinghamshire, where Shelley formed friendships with fellow poets John Keats and Leigh Hunt. These relationships nurtured his literary ambitions, and in 1817, he wrote Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City, though the publishers requested edits due to its controversial subject matter. Shelley revised the work, publishing it in 1818 as The Revolt of Islam. Despite the title, the poem explored religion and politics more broadly, incorporating socialist themes.

Life in Italy

Following the publication of The Revolt of Islam, Shelley, Mary, and Claire Clairmont left for Italy. Byron, who was living in Venice at the time, was the primary reason for the trip, as Clairmont sought to introduce their daughter, Allegra, to her father. Over the next few years, the Shelleys moved frequently within Italy. During their time in Venice, their infant daughter, Clara Everina, died, and a year later, their son William passed away. In response to these losses, Shelley turned to his writing, producing Prometheus Unbound. While residing in Livorno in 1819, he also wrote The Cenci and The Masque of Anarchy.

Death and Legacy

On July 8, 1822, just shy of his 30th birthday, Shelley tragically drowned while sailing back to Lerici from Livorno after a meeting with Leigh Hunt about their new journal, The Liberal. Although many reports labeled the drowning an accident, some speculated foul play due to Shelley’s controversial political views.

Shelley’s body was found washed ashore and cremated on the beach in Viareggio. His ashes were interred in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome. Though Mary, in accordance with societal customs, did not attend the funeral, Shelley was honored posthumously. Over a century later, he was memorialized in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey, solidifying his legacy as one of the most important figures of the Romantic era.