ADONAISbySHELLEY edited |
CONTENTS. ADONAIS: ITS COMPOSITION AND BIBLIOGRAPHY |
PREFACE.Adonais is the first writing by Shelley which has been included in theClarendon Press Series. It is a poem of convenient length for such apurpose, being neither short nor decidedly long; and—leaving out ofcount some of the short poems—is the one by this author whichapproaches nearest to being 'popular.' It is elevated in sentiment,classical in form,—in substance, biographical in relation to Keats, andin some minor degree autobiographical for Shelley himself. On thesegrounds it claimed a reasonable preference over all his other poems, forthe present method of treatment; although some students of Shelley,myself included, might be disposed to maintain that, in point ofabsolute intrinsic beauty and achievement, and of the qualities mostespecially characteristic of its author, it is not superior, or indeedis but barely equal, to some of his other compositions. To take, forinstance, two poems not very different in length from Adonais—TheWitch of Atlas is more original, and Epipsychidion more abstract inideal. I have endeavoured to present in my introductory matter a comprehensiveaccount of all particulars relevant to Adonais itself, and to Keats asits subject, and Shelley as its author. The accounts here given of boththese great poets are of course meagre, but I assume them to be notinsufficient for our immediate and restricted purpose. There are manyother books which the reader can profitably consult as to the life andworks of Shelley; and three or four (at least) as to the life and worksof Keats. My concluding notes are, I suppose, ample in scale: if theyare excessive, that is an involuntary error on my part. My aim in themhas been to illustrate and elucidate the poem in its details, yetwithout travelling far afield in search of remote analogies ordiscursive comment—my wish being rather to 'stick to my text': wherevera difficulty presents itself, I have essayed to define it, and clear itup—but not always to my own satisfaction. I have seldom had to discussthe opinions of previo ... BU KİTABI OKUMAK İÇİN ÜYE OLUN VEYA GİRİŞ YAPIN!Sitemize Üyelik ÜCRETSİZDİR! |