1. In Shelley’s “A Defence of Poetry,” he states that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the World.” What do you think he means by this?
2. Compare Shelley’s attitude toward nature with that of Wordsworth. What do these two Romantic poets seem to share and where do they differ in their relationships with the natural world?
3. “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?,” the concluding line of “Ode to the West Wind” is one of Shelley’s most frequently quoted lines. What do you think it means?
“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?,” the concluding line of “Ode to the West Wind” is one of Shelley’s most frequently quoted lines. What do you think it means?
The poem speaks about the dead leaf and its experience of the wind. Spring represents a rebirth or a renewing of things that have “died”. He is saying that though things may be dead now, spring isn’t far behind and will ring life with it.
Compare Shelley’s attitude toward nature with that of Wordsworth. What do these two Romantic poets seem to share and where do they differ in their relationships with the natural world?
Both Shelley and Wordsworth include nature in their poetry. Shelley uses nature as a way to show the human life cycle through written about seasons and comparing himself to certain parts of nature. Wordsworth uses nature to show how it provides him tranquility and gives him life. While both poets show an appreciation for nature, Shelly seems to compare himself to nature and sees it as a force that holds beauty but untamed. Wordsworth connects peace, tranquility, memories and periods of his life to nature.
In Shelley’s “A Defence of Poetry,” he states that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the World.” What do you think he means by this?
I believe Shelley thinks of poets as people who have great influence over the lives of people and important decisions that are made. Because to be a legislator, this person possess the power to make laws and exert some kind of control over the citizens of a nation. Similarly to this trait, poets are able to influence people through emotional and mental aspects by impacting the minds of their audience. They have the power to create their own twist on a perspective and shed a new and unique light on topics we face throughout our lifetime.
2. Compare Shelley’s attitude toward nature with that of Wordsworth. What do these two Romantic poets seem to share and where do they differ in their relationships with the natural world?
Wordsworth describes nature to be your closest interaction with a divine force. He describes nature to be a place of tranquility which can be used in memory to remind oneself of a happier time. Nature reminds Shelly of everything wrong in his life. Shelly longs for the appreciation that nature and the day receive. Both writers use powerful imagery to create a beautiful image of nature in the reader’s mind.
In Shelley’s “A Defence of Poetry,” he states that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the World.” What do you think he means by this?
At the ending of “A Defence of Poetry,” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Shelley states that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Through this statement I believe Shelley is trying to say that authors hold a large amount of power, somewhat comparable to that of a legislator. Delving in further, Shelley is trying to exemplify that through writing, an author can influence its readers in a myriad of ways. This compares to legislators in the way that they pass bills and influence the publics’ opinion of politics to sway them towards their personal opinion. Shelley refers to writers as the unacknowledged version of legislators because they are more in the spot light when it comes to politics and influence, while authors are behind the scenes influencers of their readers.
“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?,” the concluding line of “Ode to the West Wind” is one of Shelley’s most frequently quoted lines. What do you think it means?
I believe that it is about the hope. Winter is commonly use in the poem as a figure of “death” or “despair” , while spring is referred as “life” or “hope” . Though winter is long and cold, the hope will come eventually. Through stating the hope and the bright future at the end, Shelly encourages people to fight for their right in revolution.
In Shelley’s “A Defence of Poetry,” he states that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the World.” What do you think he means by this?
I believe that great literature is able to change history and shape civilizations. Many revolutions have started from statements, essays, letters, etc… and this includes poems. Shakespeare was hailed for being ahead of his time because of his poetry and plays. He expressed ideas about gender, sex, love, and relationships that are still relevant today. In this way, Shelley, Shakespeare, and many other poets are able to change society. In the present time, there are many artists who are questioning politics and the role that the government plays in our everyday lives. These “poems” spark ideas and change the way people see life. In return, they may go on to change the way society functions.
“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?,” the concluding line of “Ode to the West Wind” is one of Shelley’s most frequently quoted lines. What do you think it means?
The concluding line expresses optimism about the story- even if it seems like his poems will die and be ignored (winter) there will still be a spring where his poems will help create new (intellectual or spiritual) life among people.
3. “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?,” the concluding line of “Ode to the West Wind” is one of Shelley’s most frequently quoted lines. What do you think it means?
I think this means that life is always going on. Just because the cold is coming does not mean its the end it just means life is moving on. After the cold will come warmth and after sadness happiness will be around the corner. In other words if sadness comes can happiness really be that far behind is what the quote means to me.