Prince Athanase by Percy Bysshe Shelley
A generous young prince suffers an unexplained grief that neither learning nor helping others relieves. Fragments recount Athanase's education and friendship with the aged Zonoras, who attributes his sorrow to love, and his crossing of the snowy Alps. Other passages address Love, contrast inward anguish with soothing tears, and describe an unnamed woman's brown hair and eyes.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Melancholic Poetry · 3,757 words
First lines
A Fragment
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Linked verse fragments recount Athanase's suffering, childhood instruction, friendship with Zonoras, and passage through the Alps.
- Philosophical Poetry — Athanase and Zonoras share ancient learning and discuss Plato, while the narrator questions others' explanations of the prince's grief.
- Melancholic Poetry — Athanase's unexplained sorrow exhausts him, resists consolation, and remains concealed despite his friends' questioning.
Tags
unexplained grief · friendship · philosophical education · generosity · Alps · love · verse fragments
What this Textopian page supports
Prince Athanase 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: Narrative Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Melancholic Poetry
- Length: 3,757 words
- Structure: 1 section, 115 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Prince Athanase by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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