The Indian Serenade by Percy Bysshe Shelley
A speaker wakes from dreams of the beloved and reaches the beloved's chamber window beneath bright stars. Amid fading scents and birdsong, the speaker declares faintness and pleads to be lifted from the grass, kissed, and held close.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley · Genre: Love Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 233 words
First lines
1.
I arise from dreams of thee / In the first sweet sleep of night, / When the winds are breathing low, / And the stars are shining bright: / I arise from dreams of thee, / And a spirit in my feet / Hath led me-who knows how? / To thy chamber window, Sweet!
2.
The wandering airs they faint / On the dark, the silent stream- / The Champak odours fail / Like sweet thoughts in a dream; / The nightingale's complaint, / It dies upon her heart; - / As I must on thine, / Oh, beloved as thou art!
Genres
- Love Poetry — The speaker addresses the beloved directly and asks for kisses and closeness while describing overwhelming longing.
- Lyric Poetry — Three rhymed stanzas voice the speaker's dreams, sensations, and urgent appeals to the beloved.
Tags
longing · dreams · night · kisses · serenade
What this Textopian page supports
The Indian Serenade 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: Love Poetry, Lyric Poetry
- Length: 233 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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