Percy Bysshe Shelley

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) fue, junto con Coleridge, Wordsworth, Keats y Byron, uno de los cinco grandes autores del romanticismo inglés. Perteneciente a la segunda generación del movimiento, busco, en la estela de Coleridge, una poesia que explotase al maximo el poder simbolico de la imaginacion, abogando por el lenguaje sonoro y de gran fuerza literaria que situo algunas de sus composiciones entre los clasicos indiscutibles de la poesia europea. El "Prometeo liberado" (junto con "Adonais", la hermosisima elegia dedicada en su muerte a su rival estetico, John Keats) supuso la mas alta creacion simbolica de Shelley. Escrito ante las ruinas romanas de Caracalla en 1819, se trata de un poema dramatico dividido en cuatro actos, y constituye un alegato alegorico en favor de la libertad, que era para el poeta el principal valor del mundo y los seres humanos.

A pesar de la enorme importancia de la obra poetica de Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), a quien Lord Byron definió como "el mejor y el menos egoísta de los hombres", no hay una gran antología de su obra traducida al español. El poeta, ensayista y traductor Jose Luis Rey, que ya se ha encargado de trasladar al español las poesias completas de Emily Dickinson y T. S. Eliot, asi como Harmoiun, una de las grandes obras de Wallace Stevens, ha traducido la antologia mas completa de Shelley hasta el momento en español, titulada "Donde estan los eternos". En ella se puede rastrear al Shelley idealista y plenamente convenbcido de la capacidad visionaria y liberadora de la Poesia. Suya es la frase celebre: "Los poetas son los legisladores no reconocidos del mundo".

What is love? Ask him who lives, what is life? ask him who adores, what is God?I know not the internal constitution of other men, nor even thine, whom I now address. I see that in some external attributes they resemble me, but when, misled by that appearance, I have thought to appeal to something in common, and unburthen my inmost soul to them, I have found my language misunderstood, like one in a distant and savage land. The more opportunities they have afforded me for experience, the wider has appeared the interval between us, and to a greater distance have the points of sympathy been withdrawn. With a spirit ill fitted to sustain such proof, trembling and feeble through its tenderness, I have everywhere sought sympathy and have found only repulse and disappointment.

For nearly two months after the death of Keats, 23 February, 1821, Shelley appears to have remained in ignorance of the event: he knew it on or before 19 April. The precise date when he began his Elegy does not seem to be recorded: one may suppose it to have been in the latter half of May. On 5 June he wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Gisborne: I have been engaged these last days in composing a poem on the death of Keats, which will shortly be finished; and I anticipate the pleasure of reading it to you, as some of the very few persons who will be interested in it and understand it. It is a highly wrought piece of art, and perhaps better, in point of composition, than anything I have written.

In "Adonais," Percy Bysshe Shelley crafts a poignant elegy that mourns the untimely death of his contemporary John Keats. This lyrical masterpiece is structured as a pastoral elegy, infused with profound philosophical reflections on mortality, art, and the transient nature of beauty. Shelleys rich, evocative imagery and masterful use of blank verse create an almost musical quality that resonates with the emotional depth of grief and reverence. The work is situated within the Romantic literary context, characterized by themes of individualism, emotion, and a reverence for nature, as well as the broader interplay of life and death that permeates the movements discourse. Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an ardent advocate of radical thought and social justice, found his voice amid the political turbulence of early 19th-century England. His connections with Keats and other Romantics, and his own tragic experiences with loss, profoundly influenced "Adonais." ShelleyAos reflections on temporary existence and the enduring legacy of artistic creativity were not only personal but also a wider commentary on the vulnerability of the human spirit. "Adonais" is an essential read for anyone interested in the interplay between grief and beauty, and the quest for meaning in art. Shelleys exquisite language and depth of insight invite readers to contemplate their own experiences of loss, rendering it a timeless piece that resonates across generations.

A major new anthology of Percy Bysshe Shelley's work, edited by Jack Donovan and Cian Duffy. 'My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!' Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the leading English Romantics and is critically regarded among the finest lyric poets in the English language. His major works include the long visionary poems 'Prometheus Unbound' and 'Adonais', an elegy on the death of John Keats. His shorter, classic verses include 'To a Skylark', 'Mont Blanc' and 'Ode to the West Wind'. This important new edition collects his best poetry and prose, revealing how his writings weave together the political, personal, visionary and idealistic. This Penguin Classics edition includes a fascinating introduction, notes and other materials by leading Shelley scholars, Jack Donovan and Cian Duffy.

La sensitiva (The Sensitive Plant) e un dolcissimo poemetto in quartine di versi a rima baciata, composto in Italia nel 1820 dal poeta romantico inglese Percy Bysshe Shelley. La pianta sensitiva e una specie particolare di sempreverde, che reagisce allo sfioramento delle foglie richiudendosi immediatamente su se stessa per poi tornare ad aprirsi nel giro di pochi minuti. Nel poemetto (anche musicato da Ottorino Respighi) si afferma la permanenza della bellezza di fronte alla caducita della vita. Questo libro ne offre una piu fruibile e altrettanto delicata versione in prosa, con fedele traduzione di Eugenio G. Maritano.

Murió Adonais y por su muerte lloro. Llorad por Adonais, aunque las lágrimas no deshagan la escarcha que les cubre. Y tú, su hora fatal, la que, entre todas, fuiste elegida para nuestro daño, despierta a tus oscuras compañeras, muestrales tu tristeza y di: conmigo murio Adonais, y en tanto que el futuro a olvidar al pasado no se atreva, perduraran su fama y su destino como una luz y un eco eternamente.

"Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a grotesque, sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. At the same time, it is an early example of science fiction. It has had a considerable influence in literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories, films and plays."St. Irvyne; or, The Rosicrucian" is a Gothic horror novel which retells the destiny of Wolfstein, a solitary wanderer and a disillusioned outcast from society who seeks to kill himself. After he is saved by the monks, he encounters Ginotti, an alchemist of the Rosicrucian, or Rose Cross Order who seeks to impart the secret of immortality.

St. Irvyne; or, The Rosicrucian retells the destiny of Wolfstein, a solitary wanderer and a disillusioned outcast from society who seeks to kill himself. After he is saved by the monks, he encounters Ginotti, an alchemist of the Rosicrucian, or Rose Cross Order who seeks to impart the secret of immortality.

Zastrozzi, a riveting tale of gothic horror, showcases Percy Bysshe ShelleyAos exploration of the darker facets of human nature and the struggle between passion and reason. Written in the early 19th century, this novella combines psychological depth with atmospheric tension, illustrating the dynamics of vengeance and desire. Shelley employs a haunting and lyrical prose style, interweaving elements of the sublime with a profound understanding of existential despair, which reflects the Romantic periodAos fascination with the supernatural and the macabre. The narrative delves into the psyche of its protagonists, weaving intricate character studies against a backdrop of Gothic landscapes. Percy Bysshe Shelley, a pivotal figure in the Romantic movement, was an ardent advocate for social change and individual freedom. His tumultuous life, marked by personal loss and political upheaval, deeply influenced his literary output. ShelleyAos experiences with tragedy, including the death of loved ones, resonate through Zastrozzi, which can be seen as his meditation on the destructive nature of obsession and revenge, grappling with themes that haunted him personally and culturally. Zastrozzi is a must-read for enthusiasts of gothic literature and those interested in the psychological undercurrents of the human experience. This novella not only highlights ShelleyAos prowess as a writer but also serves as a poignant reminder of the tumultuous emotions that can drive individuals to the brink. Readers seeking a nuanced and chilling exploration of the darker sides of humanity will find in Zastrozzi a compelling and thought-provoking experience.

Torn from the society of all he held dear on earth, the victim of secret enemies, and exiled from happiness, was the wretched Verezzi!All was quiet; a pitchy darkness in volved the face of things, when, urged by fiercest revenge, placed himself at the door of the inn where, undisturbed, Verezzi slept.Loudly he called the landlord. The landlord, to whom the bare name of was terrible, trembling obeyed the summons."Thou knowest Verezzi the Italian? he lodges here.""He does," answered the landlord."Him, then, have I devoted to destruction," exclaimed . "Let Ugo and Bernardo follow you to his apartment; I will be with you to prevent mischief."Cautiously they ascended--successfully they executed their revengeful purpose, and bore the sleeping Verezzi to the place, where a chariot waited to convey the vindictive s prey to the place of its destination.Ugo and Bernardo lifted the still sleeping Verezzi into the chariot. Rapidly they travelled onwards for several hours. Verezzi was still wrapped in deep sleep, from which all the movements he had undergone had been insufficient to rouse him.and Ugo were masked, as was Bernardo, who acted as postition.

Red thunder-clouds, borne on the wings of the midnight whirlwind, floated, at fits, athwart the crimson-coloured orbit of the moon; the rising fierceness of the blast sighed through the stunted shrubs, which, bending before its violence, inclined towards the rocks whereon they grew: over the blackened expanse of heaven, at intervals, was spread the blue lightnings flash; it played upon the granite heights, and, with momentary brilliancy, disclosed the terrific scenery of the Alps, whose gigantic and mishapen summits, reddened by the transitory moon-beam, were crossed by black fleeting fragments of the tempest-clouds. The rain, in big drops, began to descend, and the thunder-peals, with louder and more deafening crash, to shake the zenith, till the long-protracted war, echoing from cavern to cavern, died, in indistinct murmurs, amidst the far-extended chain of mountains. In this scene, then, at this horrible and tempestuous hour, without one existent earthy being whom he might claim as friend, without one resource to which he might fly as an asylum from the horrors of neglect and poverty, stood Wolfstein;--he gazed upon the conflicting elements; his youthful figure reclined against a jutting granite rock; he cursed his wayward destiny, and implored the Almighty of Heaven to permit the thunderbolt, with crash terrific and exterminating, to descend upon his head, that a being useless to himself and to society might no longer, by his existence, mock Him whoneer made aught in vain.