Fragment: ‘such Hope, as is the Sick Despair of
The fragment likens hope to despair of good and fear to certainty of ill, while doubt turns expectation's nourishment into poison when will and spirit are powerless.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley · Genre: Poetry, Melancholic Poetry · 59 words
First lines
Such hope, as is the sick despair of good, / Such fear, as is the certainty of ill, / Such doubt, as is pale Expectation's food / Turned while she tastes to poison, when the will / Is powerless, and the spirit...
Genres
- Poetry — Five verse lines connect hope, fear and doubt through parallel phrasing and the image of expectation tasting poison.
- Melancholic Poetry — Hope is entangled with despair, and poisoned expectation accompanies the powerlessness of will and spirit.
Tags
hope · despair · fear · doubt · powerlessness · poetic fragment
What this Textopian page supports
Fragment: ‘such Hope, as is the Sick Despair of Good' is listed on Textopian as a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Melancholic Poetry
- Length: 59 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Fragment: ‘such Hope, as is the Sick Despair of Good' by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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