To Death by Percy Bysshe Shelley
The speaker challenges Death, setting rulers' slaughter beside a personal victory found in release from ambition, envy and life's cares, with Love excepted from destruction. The closing stanzas warn the proud and conquerors that suffering and devastation will lead them to their fate.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley · Genre: Romantic Poetry, Political Poetry · 488 words
First lines
Death! where is thy victory? / To triumph whilst I die, / To triumph whilst thine ebon wing / Enfolds my shuddering soul? / O Death! where is thy sting? / Not when the tides of murder roll, / When nations groan, that kings may bask in bliss, / Death! canst thou boast a victory such as this- / When in his hour of pomp and power / His blow the mightiest murderer gave, / Mid Nature's cries the sacrifice / Of millions to glut the grave; / When sunk the Tyrant Desolation's slave; / Or Freedom's life-blood streamed upon thy shrine; / Stern Tyrant, couldst thou boast a victory such as mine?
Genres
- Romantic Poetry — The speaker addresses Death as a winged presence and personifies ambition, pride and envy while asserting a personal triumph over worldly passions.
- Political Poetry — The verse condemns kings whose comfort depends on nations' suffering and directly warns conquerors who command war over peaceful land.
Tags
death · tyranny · ambition · envy · war · love · apostrophe
What this Textopian page supports
To Death 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: Romantic Poetry, Political Poetry
- Length: 488 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for To Death by Percy Bysshe Shelley
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