Percy Shelley (1792-1822)
Percy Shelley (1792—1822)
Lecture outline 1.Appreciation: Ode to West Wind 2. Shelley's criticism in China 3. Shelly,'s life and major works 4. Shelly's literary status
Lecture outline • 1.Appreciation: Ode to West Wind • 2. Shelley’s criticism in China • 3. Shelly’s life and Major works • 4. Shelly’s literary status
Poem appreciation Ode to West wind What is ode? an elaborately formal lyric poem, often in the form of a lengthy ceremonious address to a person or abstract entity, always serious and elevated in tone Oxford concise dictionary of literary terms
Poem appreciation • Ode to West Wind • What is ode? an elaborately formal lyric poem, often in the form of a lengthy ceremonious address to a person or abstract entity, always serious and elevated in tone. -----Oxford concise dictionary of literary terms
Brief introduction 歌)
Brief introduction • Position among Shelley's major works one of the most celebrated works 1) Lyric poem: Ode to the west wind 2) Lyric poem: To a skylark “the youngest, freshest, gladdest paean(赞歌) of the pure spirit of freedom
3Sonnet: Ozymandias 4)Lyric drama: Prometheus unbound Ozymandias was the Greek name for Rameses l of Egypt 13th century B C four-act play Shattered statue
3) Sonnet: Ozymandias 4) Lyric drama: Prometheus unbound Ozymandias was the Greek name for Rameses II of Egypt, 13th century B. C. Shattered statue four-act play
Ode to the west wind 性汉》为 typically reveals Ode fa the West wind Shelleys views of life ay O Rvu and politics: to enjoy freedom and to fight against tyranny
Ode to the west wind typically reveals Shelley’s views of life and politics: to enjoy freedom and to fight against tyranny
Background of the writing written on a day when the weather was unpredictable and wind
• Background of the writing • written on a day when the weather was unpredictable and windy
Shelley's notes This poem was chiefly written in a wood that skirts the Arno, near florence and on a day when that tempestuous wind, whose temperature is at once mild and animating was collecting the vapors which pour down the autumnal rains. They began, as I foresaw, at sunset with a violent tempest of hail and rain, attended by that magnificent thunder and lightning peculiar to the Cisalpine regions Florence was the home of dante creator of terza rima, the form of his Divine Comedy
Shelley’s notes “This poem was chiefly written in a wood that skirts the Arno, near Florence, and on a day when that tempestuous wind, whose temperature is at once mild and animating, was collecting the vapors which pour down the autumnal rains. They began, as I foresaw, at sunset with a violent tempest of hail and rain, attended by that magnificent thunder and lightning peculiar to the Cisalpine regions.” • Florence was the home of Dante, creator of terza rima, the form of his Divine Comedy
Close reading
Close reading
Stanza O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumns being Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red Pestilence-stricken multitudes: o thou Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low, Each like a corpse within its grave, until Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth, and fill Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air) With living hues and odors plain and hill Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere; Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh, hear
• O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being, • Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead • Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing, • Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red, • Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou, • Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed • The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low, • Each like a corpse within its grave, until • Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow • Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth, and fill • (Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air) • With living hues and odors plain and hill: • Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere; • Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh, hear! Stanza I