P. B. Shelley's Defence of Poetry: Summary and Analysis

P. B. Shelley (1792 - 1822) is one of the most brilliant stars in the galaxy of English poetry during the period of romantic revival. We find his critical remarks scattered in his letters, prefaces to his poems and in his prose essays. But Shelley's reputation as a critic mainly rests on his critical essay 'Defence of Poetry' (1821) which was published posthumously in 1840. In this essay, Shelley attempts to save poetry from the charges laid down by peacock, an English novelist.

PEACOCK’S CHARGES AGAINST POETRY:

Thomas Love Peacock published ‘Four Ages Poetry’ in 1820 where he attacked poets and poetry. He divided all poetic productions into four stages - the Iron Age, the Golden age, the Silver age, and the Brass age. According to him, poetry originates in the Iron Age and the best poetic productions are found during the Golden age. The Silver age produces the artificial poetry and we find decline and decay of poetry in the Brass age. He considers his own age (romantic revival - 1798 to 1830) as the Brass age and attacks the poor kind of poetry written during his times. He writes about the poets of his age:

 

"A poet in our times is the semi-barbarian 

in a civilized community."

Thus, Peacock considers the poets as barbarians and comments further:

 "The march of his (poet's) intellect is like 

that of a crab, backward."

He believed that writing poetry is a useless activity. He remarks:

 "While the historian and the philosopher are advancing in, 

and accelerating, the progress of knowledge, the poet 

is wallowing in the rubbish of departed ignorance, 

and raking up the ashes of dead savages to find gewgaws 

and rattles for the grown babies of the age."

Peacock links the philosopher and historian with reason, and the poet with superstition and backwardness. For him, the historian and the philosopher promote “civilizing” projects while poets are barbarians who indulge in useless activity. Thus, poetry, according to him, wastes time. He further comments:

"It can never make a philosopher, nor a statesman, 

nor in any class of life a useful or a rational man."

 

SHELLEY’S 'DEFENCE OF POETRY':

Shelley himself being a lover and devotee of poetry could not tolerate Peacock's charges against contemporary poets and poetry. Shelley tries to establish the nobility and dignity of poetry by writing his famous critical essay 'Defence of Poetry'. He presented the following arguments:

 

1. POETRY BETTER THAN NATURE:

According to Shelley, writing poetry is the highest of all human powers because it is more creative than any other art. All arts and sciences depend upon nature, but the poet goes beyond nature and creates something more than nature with his power of imagination. Sidney too in his 'An Apology for Poetry' released the same idea:

"Nature's world is brassen; the poets deliver a golden one."

Shelley believes that writing poetry alone is the best profession. It comes from the “happiest minds”. Mark his words:

“Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments 

of the happiest minds … Poetry, thus, makes immortal 

all that best and most beautiful in the world.”

2. MORALITY IN POETRY:

Shelley considers poetry as utilitarian or useful. According to him, poetry awakens and enlarges human understanding: He writes that poetry brings civilization by:

“… awaken(ing) and enlarge(ing) the mind itself by 

rendering it the receptacle of a thousand unapprehended

 combinations of thought. Poetry lifts the veil from 

the hidden beauty of the world.”

Shelley makes a survey of drama and the critical history of poetry through the ages. He examines the classical period, the Christian period, and the middle ages. He also cites examples of divine poetry of his own times and pronounces the worth of poets and poetry as “indeed divine”. He believes that the poets play significant role in moulding the civilization and concludes, “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”

3. RHYME AND METER:

Shelley defines poetry as “the expression of imagination” and denies the necessity of rhyme and meter. Important elements in poetry are nobility of though and language. He writes:

“It is not rhyming and versing that maketh poesie. 

One may be a poet without versifying and a versifier 

without poetry.”

Shelley says that rhythm is necessary in poetry and it does not necessarily come from versification or meters. Rhythm comes from the nobility of though and language and hence there is no essential difference between the prose writer and the poet. Shelley considers Plato and Bacon as poets in this regard.

CONCLUSION:

Thus, Shelley’s ‘Defence of Poetry’ is not only a reply to Peacock’s charges against poets and poetry, but it is also a record of Shelley’s high regard and respect for all fine arts. Poetry, according to him, shapes human civilization and leads to morality. He places poets on the highest platform and says that they are “the legislators of the world.” W. B. Yeats calls this essay as “the profoundest essay on the foundation of poetry in English.” Wilson Knight also calls it as “the most important, original prose document in our language.”

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