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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Adonais. An Elegy on the Death of John Keats

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
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Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. This great elegy was prompted by the news of the death of John Keats in Rome, and by Shelley's belief that Keats's illness was caused by the hostile notices his work had been given in the Quarterly Review.
Shelley had the poem printed in Pisa under his own supervision, thereby ensuring its speedy appearance and its textual accuracy.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
People
Jordan Saxby
Keywords
Percy Bysshe Shelley
poetry
literature
shelley's ghost
elegy
mary shelley
John Keats
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:08:20

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Opening lines of 'The Triumph of Life'

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
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Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley worked on 'The Triumph of Life', a dark and visionary poem, while living at the Villa Magni.
At the time of his death it was still in a very incomplete state but despite this it is generally considered one of his major poetic achievements. Life is envisioned as a remorseless triumphal procession: a chariot is driven blindly through a madly dancing crowd, taking with it 'a captive multitude ... all those who had grown old in power, Or misery'. 'The Triumph of Life' caused Shelley considerable trouble. Most of the manuscript is heavily revised, and the page shown here is his fourth attempt at the opening lines. He wrote in terza rima, an Italian verse form used by Dante in the Divine Comedy, and by Petrarch in his Trionfi (Triumphs). Both these poems were sources for 'The Triumph of Life', but the triple rhyme scheme of terza rima is exceedingly difficult to sustain in English.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
People
Hoare Nairne
Keywords
Percy Bysshe Shelley
poetry
triumph of life
literature
shelley's ghost
#greatwriters
mary shelley
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:02:02

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Opening lines of 'The Triumph of Life'

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
Embed
Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley worked on 'The Triumph of Life', a dark and visionary poem, while living at the Villa Magni.
At the time of his death it was still in a very incomplete state but despite this it is generally considered one of his major poetic achievements. Life is envisioned as a remorseless triumphal procession: a chariot is driven blindly through a madly dancing crowd, taking with it 'a captive multitude ... all those who had grown old in power, Or misery'. 'The Triumph of Life' caused Shelley considerable trouble. Most of the manuscript is heavily revised, and the page shown here is his fourth attempt at the opening lines. He wrote in terza rima, an Italian verse form used by Dante in the Divine Comedy, and by Petrarch in his Trionfi (Triumphs). Both these poems were sources for 'The Triumph of Life', but the triple rhyme scheme of terza rima is exceedingly difficult to sustain in English.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
People
Hoare Nairne
Keywords
Percy Bysshe Shelley
poetry
triumph of life
literature
shelley's ghost
mary shelley
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:02:02

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Dedication fair copy of 'With a guitar. To Jane'

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
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Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley presented this light-hearted poem, copied out in his best hand, with the guitar he gave to Jane Williams in 1822.
Taking his cue, perhaps, from the Shakespearean Christian name of the guitar's maker, Ferdinando, he casts himself and the Williamses as characters from The Tempest: they are the lovers Miranda and Ferdinand, he is Ariel, the spirit of fire and air. The wood of the guitar is from a tree that 'Died in sleep, and felt no pain, To live in happier form again'. Only the most skilful hands can release the harmonies of nature preserved in the instrument, and 'It keeps its highest holiest tone / For our beloved Jane alone'.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
People
Jordan Saxby
Keywords
with a guitar to jane
#greatwriters
literature shelley's ghost
poetry
mary shelley. percy bysshe shelley
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:03:42

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Dedication fair copy of 'With a guitar. To Jane'

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
Embed
Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley presented this light-hearted poem, copied out in his best hand, with the guitar he gave to Jane Williams in 1822.
Taking his cue, perhaps, from the Shakespearean Christian name of the guitar's maker, Ferdinando, he casts himself and the Williamses as characters from The Tempest: they are the lovers Miranda and Ferdinand, he is Ariel, the spirit of fire and air. The wood of the guitar is from a tree that 'Died in sleep, and felt no pain, To live in happier form again'. Only the most skilful hands can release the harmonies of nature preserved in the instrument, and 'It keeps its highest holiest tone / For our beloved Jane alone'.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
People
Jordan Saxby
Keywords
with a guitar to jane
literature shelley's ghost
poetry
mary shelley. percy bysshe shelley
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:03:42

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Fair copy of Ode to the West Wind

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
Embed
Part of the Shelly's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley's best-known poem was written in Florence in late 1819.
Technically it is a series of four sonnets written in 'terza rima', the verse-form Shelley would use again, with similar fluency, in his final poem, The Triumph of Life. The west wind is an agent of change: with seasonal rejuvenation comes a personal rebirth which will, in turn, inspire the 'unawakened Earth'.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
People
Christopher Adams
Keywords
literature shelley's ghost
#greatwriters
Ode to West Wind
poetry
mary shelley. percy bysshe shelley
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:03:51

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Fair copy of Ode to the West Wind

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
Embed
Part of the Shelly's Ghost Exhibition. Shelley's best-known poem was written in Florence in late 1819.
Technically it is a series of four sonnets written in 'terza rima', the verse-form Shelley would use again, with similar fluency, in his final poem, The Triumph of Life. The west wind is an agent of change: with seasonal rejuvenation comes a personal rebirth which will, in turn, inspire the 'unawakened Earth'.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
People
Christopher Adams
Keywords
literature shelley's ghost
Ode to West Wind
poetry
mary shelley. percy bysshe shelley
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:03:51

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Draft of 'Ozymandias'

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
Embed
Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. 'Ozymandias' is the Greek name for Ramses II, who ruled Egypt for sixty-seven years from 1279 to 1213 BC.
Ramses II was a military conqueror and a great builder, but Shelley's sonnet describes how the achievements of even the mightiest tyrants are obliterated by time. Only the Pharaoh's arrogant passions, as expressed in the ruined statue, have survived, outliving both the sculptor ('The hand that mocked them') and Ramses himself ('the heart that fed'). His many monuments have reverted to 'The lone and level sands'.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
People
Christopher Adams
Keywords
Ozymandias
egypt
journal
#greatwriters
shelley's ghost
mary shelley. percy bysshe shelley
Ramses
history
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:00:51

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Percy Bysshe Shelley - Draft of 'Ozymandias'

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
Embed
Part of the Shelley's Ghost Exhibition. 'Ozymandias' is the Greek name for Ramses II, who ruled Egypt for sixty-seven years from 1279 to 1213 BC.
Ramses II was a military conqueror and a great builder, but Shelley's sonnet describes how the achievements of even the mightiest tyrants are obliterated by time. Only the Pharaoh's arrogant passions, as expressed in the ruined statue, have survived, outliving both the sculptor ('The hand that mocked them') and Ramses himself ('the heart that fed'). His many monuments have reverted to 'The lone and level sands'.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
Shelley's Ghost: Reshaping the Image of a Literary Family
People
Christopher Adams
Keywords
Ozymandias
egypt
journal
shelley's ghost
mary shelley. percy bysshe shelley
Ramses
history
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:00:51

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Mary Shelley (with Percy Bysshe Shelley) - Draft of Frankenstein

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
Embed
Mary Shelley drafted Frankenstein in two tall notebooks. The first notebook was probably purchased in Geneva, the second several months later in England.
They were later disbound, and now exist as single sheets. Shown here is an original opening from the Geneva notebook, containing Mary's draft of the turning-point in the novel: the moment when Frankenstein's Creature comes to life.
Creative Commons Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK (BY-NC-SA): England & Wales; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Episode Information

Series
The Bodleian Libraries (BODcasts)
People
Christopher Adams
Keywords
#greatwriters
journal
shelley's ghost
mary shelley. percy bysshe shelley
frankenstein
history
Department: Bodleian Libraries
Date Added: 02/12/2010
Duration: 00:04:23

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