Rosalind and Helen by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Reunited beside Lake Como, Rosalind tells Helen how her first lover died after being revealed as her brother, and how her later husband's will forced her to leave their children. Helen recounts her love for Lionel, his imprisonment for alleged blasphemy, his death after release, and her recovery from madness to discover their son. The women live together; Rosalind's daughter eventually returns and unites with Helen's son, before Rosalind dies and is buried on a mountain, while Helen lives to old age.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Social Criticism · 14,907 words
First lines
A Modern Eclogue
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Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed verse combines the women's spoken accounts with narration of their reunion, shared home and eventual deaths.
- Social Criticism — Rosalind's husband's will separates her from her children through false accusations, while Lionel is imprisoned for alleged blasphemy.
Tags
female friendship · domestic abuse · motherhood · bereavement · religious persecution · separation from children · narrative verse
What this Textopian page supports
Rosalind and Helen 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, Social Criticism
- Length: 14,907 words
- Structure: 1 section, 56 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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