Nothing in the world is single,
All things by a law divine
In one spirit meet and mingle -
Why not I with thine?
See the mountains kiss high Heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea -
What are all these kissings worth
If thou kiss not me?
~ Percy Bysshe Shelley
Today is the birthday of one of the most famous romantic and controversial poets in world history, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Born on August 4, 1792, Shelley led a full and dynamic life - though a short one. At the age of 29, the gifted poet and political activist drowned in a boating accident off the coast of Italy.
Though his writings and accomplishments are too numerous to account in full, it is important to note that one of Shelley’s wives was the famous author Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein and was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft - author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Interestingly, Percy was recently credited as the co-author of Frankenstein in a 2008 edition of the novel.
Besides being one of the most talented lyric poets, Percy is remembered for his friendships and collaborations with other famous writers, including Lord Byron, John Keats and William Wordsworth. He even dedicated some of his poems to them.
Shelley was infamous for his strong idealism, atheism and outspoken nature, as well as some poor choices in his personal life – all things that made him a controversial figure in his lifetime. He would never know the full extent of his influence, especially considering that a lot of his material was suppressed on publication.
He would go on to heavily influence a number of the world’s most famous poets in the years to come, including Oscar Wilde, Karl Marx, Thomas Hardy, William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Bertrand Russell, to name a few. In fact, Ghandi was also supposedly inspired by Shelley’s non-violent political actions.
To read about Shelley’s famous mother-in-law and the instrumental affect she had on the rights of women, click here!
