An Essay on Shelley by Robert Browning
Browning introduces supplementary letters by Shelley, distinguishing objective from subjective poetry and arguing that a subjective poet's life helps readers understand his work. He reads the letters as evidence of sincerity and sympathy for the oppressed, attributes several reported incidents to delusion, and conjectures that Shelley would have joined the Christians had he lived. He concludes by interpreting Shelley's poetry as an effort to connect the natural world with the divine.
By Robert Browning · Genre: Literary Criticism, Essay, Aesthetic Theory · 7,858 words
First lines
An opportunity having presented itself for the acquisition of a series of unedited letters by Shelley, all more or less directly supplementary to and illustrative of the collection already published by Mr. Moxon, that gentleman has decided on securing them. They will prove an acceptable addition to a body of correspondence, the value of which, towards a right understanding of its author's purpose and work, may be said to exceed that of any similar contribution exhibiting the worldly relations of a poet whose genius has operated by a different law.
Genres
- Literary Criticism — Browning interprets Shelley's poetry through his correspondence and weighs the relationship between poetic expression and personal character.
- Essay — A sustained prose argument introduces supplementary letters, develops a distinction between two kinds of poet, and defends an interpretation of Shelley.
- Aesthetic Theory — Browning distinguishes poetry that fashions external realities from poetry that expresses the poet's inward perception and considers how these faculties interact.
Tags
literary criticism · poetic theory · correspondence · biographical evidence · religious belief · subjective poetry
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An Essay on Shelley is listed on Textopian as an essay by Robert Browning, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Robert Browning
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Criticism, Essay, Aesthetic Theory
- Length: 7,858 words
- Structure: 1 section, 29 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Confusing
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