Peter Bell the Third by Percy Bysshe Shelley
After dying, Peter Bell becomes the Devil's footman in a Hell resembling London, where a guest's talk of poetry inspires him to write verse. The Devil pays reviewers to abuse Peter after he leaves his service; later, Peter's verse supports tyranny, wins their praise and earns him a tax-funded post. His prosperity is followed by an overwhelming dulness that spreads through his household and the surrounding countryside.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley · Genre: Satirical Poetry, Literary Parody, Political Satire · 9 chapters · 9,812 words
First lines
By Miching Mallecho, Esq
Is it a party in a parlour, / Crammed just as they on earth were crammed, / Some sipping punch-some sipping tea; / But, as you by their faces see, / All silent, and all-damned! / "Peter Bell", by W. WORDSWORTH.
Genres
- Satirical Poetry — Rhymed stanzas ridicule Peter's religious posturing, literary vanity and eventual dulness, which becomes a contagious curse.
- Literary Parody — A mock dedication introduces three Peter Bells, and the verse narrative turns poetic inspiration, hostile reviews and claims to literary immortality into comic episodes.
- Political Satire — Hell contains corrupt representatives, taxes and public debt; Peter gains praise and a tax-funded appointment after writing verse that supports tyranny.
Tags
literary satire · political patronage · paid reviews · religious hypocrisy · poetic inspiration · dulness
What this Textopian page supports
Peter Bell the Third 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: Satirical Poetry, Literary Parody, Political Satire
- Length: 9,812 words
- Structure: 9 chapters, 339 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Peter Bell the Third by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Contents
- Dedication
- Prologue
- Part 1: Death
- Part 2: the Devil
- Part 3: Hell
- Part 4: Sin
- Part 5: Grace
- Part 6: Damnation
- Part 7: Double Damnation