SUBMITTED BY : MUHAMMAD FURQAN ASLAM

SUBMITTED TO : PROF. IRFAN AFZAL

SUBJECT : VICTORIAN AND ROMANTIC POETRY
ROLL NO : 17531502-021( 3221)
SEMESTER : 7TH
TOPIC :” LYRICISM AND REVOUTIONARY SPIRIT IN
ODE TO WEST WIND& HYMN TO INTELLECTUAL BEAUTY’
GOVT.GORDON COLLEGE RAWALPINDI UOG

A lyric is a short poem which is spontaneous and expressive of poet’s

personal feelings and ideas. A lyric has two qualities-it is rapturous and
contains pure passions which arise straight from the poet’s heart. The
passions as well as the language is simple.
Shelley genius is essentially lyrical. He is indeed one of the greatest
lyrical poet that England has ever produced. In no other poet one comes
across such intensity of feelings ,spontaneity of expression, the roaring
heights as well as the poignant intensity of the sounds. A lyricist must be
intensely imaginative and should be of sensitive nature. Both the traits are
found in Shelley.RICKET says “Shelley exhaled verse as a flower
exhales fragrance, and just the fragrance of a blossom varies in quality
and power,so did Shelley verse vary in poetic
merit”(LITAID/SHELLEY-LYRICISM.com).The lyric-cry rises straight
from his heart and goes straight to the heart of the reader. That is why,
Swinburne has called him perfect singing God. For their emotional
ecstasy, spontaneity and music,rapture and simplicity,personal
melancholy and prophetic passion Shelley lyric have become part and
parcel of human memory. His lyrics are either personal or impersonal.
Impersonal lyrics are those in which he talks about others. These include
the lyrics of nature , of hope and of liberty. Love. Freedom and nature
constitute the main themes of his poetry. There are certain lyrics in
Shelley which are a combination of personal elements and the graphic
pictures of nature. For instance, stanzas written in Dejection is a depiction
of his own state at that moment when he was dejected and frustrated. But
there is a beautiful description of nature as well.
The sun is warm,the sky is clear
The waves are dancing fast and bright
(poem analysis/.com P.B.Shelley/dejection-near Naples)

In ode to west wind, there is a fusion of personal and impersonal. The

poet has a universal import as the poet says that destruction leads
To regeneration ,defeat to success. Hope extended to mankind is the crux
of the poem. His lyrics are marked by the spontaneity of expression and
variety of music. For example, in ode to west wind, we observe that the
ode has the impetuosity of the west wind itself which actually makes the
poet its lyre and arouses the tumult of its mighty harmonies out of his
soul. In fact, he is pushed forward by the rush of poetic energy. As far as
the variety of music is concerned, even the most pessimistic of his lyrics
produce in our mind joy and delight. His lyrics embody deep sense of
emotion. He was influenced by french revolution. It was a thing of past. It
was an era of disintegration,destruction and despair. He was not content
with the order of the day. He had a prophetic soul and he wanted to
reform society and humanity.(LITCHART/.COM).He was the pessimist
with reference to the order of the day , but was optimist with reference to
the future. He was of the view that time is no far when humanity will
regenerate and then there will be happiness and prosperity everywhere.
Time will come when evil would come to end and goodness will govern
the world, when fraud ,deception ,cruelty,wickedness, infidelity,jealousy
and all sorts of evils will end and love, freedom and liberty will dominate
the world. Shelley this optimism is called Millennium; theory of ideal
love,beauty and truth,’ode to west wind also carries this message of
Shelley.
ODE TO WEST WIND CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This ode was written in 1819 and was published in 1820 along with
Prometheus Unbound. He was living in Italy at the time. Actually, this
ode was written in a wood,near Florence on a stormy day. He has made
use of metaphorical language. Apparently, it seems a simple poem but
symbolically interpreted it reveals layers within layers of meaning. He
has personified the west wind as a living being. He calls west wind the
breath of autumn. Now wind is something which one can never see,but
one can feel its presence through its impact on the surrounding. That is
why Shelley says that we cannot see west wind but we can feel its
presence or blowing when dead leaves are withered away with it. Here
Shelley uses a beautiful simile when he says that leaves are withered
away in such a manner as ghosts run away from an exorcist or magician .
Then he gives the description of different colors of
leaves-yellow,black,pale and hectic red. The imagery used over here is
very subtle and beautiful. Shelley here describes the dual role of the west
wind as a destroyer and as well as preserver. It destroys the old,dead
leaves but also preserves the seeds into the mud and thus preserves them
for the next spring. Seeds are buried in mud where they remain dormant
till spring. And when the spring comes seedling sprout. Huge number of
buds cover the earth. The earth becomes living due to the different Colors
and smells of the flower. He delineated upon the powers of west wind.
Symbolically,west wind is the revolutionary ideas of Shelley . He wanted
to destroy the old system which was destructive and useless. He wanted
to create a new system of humanity. Thus , he personifies the west wind
which destroys as well as preserves. Old system should be destroyed like
hectic red and pale leaves. So leaves and seeds reflect the entire life. Life
is in a state of flux. It is ever changing. So it is better that old order which
has become useless and loses its efficacy should be immediately driven
away to make room for new things to jump in.
He describes the effect of west wind on sky and on sea. Here he addresses
to the Mediterranean sea which remains dull and quiet in summer but
becomes active in autumn. He also compares his own boyhood with the
west wind. He wishes that if he had been a dead leaf or a cloud he would
have been carried away with her. He would have felt her impact. He was
swift as west wind is. But now those days have become a thing of past.
Now he is helpless and needs the help of wind. He is in miserable
condition and requests the west wind to lift him up and take him away
like a dead leaf or like a cloud. He implores wind to make him his spirit
and lyre to spread his ideas across the world. To quicken the revolution
(e-notes/com,,DR ARUN KR.BISWAS..2002 paper).

Shelley rebelled against conservative and archaic norms and values. Idea
which was in conception of the revolution that back to nature.. It stresses
that man can only be happy if he spends his life in accordance with nature.
In ode to west wind , Shelley is seen rebel and he wanted to change old
order.west wind Symbolize the change,He request wind:
Oh lift me as a wave , a leaf, a cloud
I fall upon the thorns of life I bleed a heavy weight has bowed and
one too like thee tumult and and proud(text)
His ideas come from idealism because he longs for an idea world devoid
of evils. He hopes for the bright future. It shows his intense feelings. He
finds the wind fit to raise his spirit out of dejection. He says:
Drive my dead thoughts over the universe/ like withered leaves to
quicken a new birth.
Through words, he wanted to change the world for good. Free
development is possible without restraint then one can enjoy liberty.
Freedom is first thing of french revolution from external
forces(LITERATUEWISE/PBSHELLEY IDEAS)
Shelley wanted to liberate mankind from the chain of political,religious
and intellectual slavery. Shelley expresses the hope that his dead thoughts
will quicken a new birth and will therefore bring about the revolutionary
change in the social ,political and religious structure of human society.
Shelley kept rebellious attitude since from the childhood. He had a great
love for liberty and equality. He revolted against tyranny and oppression
and longed for a change because society was in grip of evils and it could
be cured only via west wind which has the power as a creative agent as
well as destroyer.(jostled/.com) wild spirit which art moving
everywhere,
Destroyer and preserver ,hear,o hear.
West wind.

The poem ends optimistically ;o wind, if winter comes ,can spring be far
behind? He says that freedom will spread everywhere in spite of the
hurdles through his words it will be spread. He knows that humanity is
still sleeping and ask wind to help him to arose them.(prof.tutun
mukherjee ,module05, university of hyderbad.)/
In a nutshell, throughout his life ,Shelley longed for a new society, a new
world, on the whole,free from tyranny and exploitation,. he was a
dreamer and was at war with the existing chaos. He led a ceaseless war
against the existing political social and economic institutions. He was a
passionate lover of revolution,his lyrics deal with the emancipation of
mankind and he hated the tyrants even against false and tyrant gods,. in
ode to west wind he implores wind as it has the power to to stir up the
things. It can spread the dead leaves and it can create a strong wave in
ocean and brings tempest. So , he asks wind to make him his instrument
to bring a change and spread his ideas in the world. He hopes for good
future. It is his belief that thoughts can bring a tremendous change. It
could mould the society. It can make them to think rationally,. he vividly
describes the qualities of the west wind. In his poetry, we find him
yearning for the unachievable desires. He is the master of lyric. His
unique instrument was his lyricism{sparknotes/com)

HYMN TO INTELLECTUAL BEAUTY:

A hymn is a lyric poem written in praise of God or a deity or a hero.

It is an eighty four line ode written in summer in 1816. the poet
appreciates the intellectual beauty which is the real intellect of humans.
He says that it has departed now. He elaborates the spirit of beauty with
awe; it is such a great power that cannot be easily grasped. This spirit has
left human in despair. Instead of focusing on the light and truth ,people
have made it something metaphysics and supernatural. Here Shelley
praises the human spirit and names it intellectual spirit. Being an atheist ,
he stresses that instead of praising absence of god , it is better to praise
the spirit of human intellect and beauty which is real beauty,.
(bratanicca.198
He further says that about it: “I vowed that I would dedicate my
powers /to thee thine-have I not kept thy vow?” he says it is not
expedient to worship departed dead:saints and he does not put his faith in
religion ,ghost and heaven. He says that the awful shadow of the unseen
power,here he means human intellect something beyond access by senses,.
he was fond of ghost and love and wanted to seek them but deep shadow
of nature reality fell upon him and he felt rapture of intellectual
knowledge. He promised to devote himself to knowledge. He wants a
social change by intellect. The real beauty that is not transient like
humans beauty which fades with the time. The knowledge provides him
calmness and love and surpass the fear,(.bachelorlandmaster/6)
To view the human mind and natural world, it also draws the platonic
tradition of seeing beauty in abstract concept(bachelorandmaster/hymn to
beauty ideas platonic)
He says awareness which lends splendour and grace and truth to both
experience itself and to the natural world here he means that the real
beauty of nature lies the human exploration of creativity and imagination.
Invisible powers which he relates to the pleasant things of nature
are:summer winds and flowers and moonbeams and harmonies of
evening note he makes use of the word like extensively. This is lyric
quality,. the unknown power too leaves him and he complains about its
departure that enchanted becomes without intellectual virtue dim full of
tears and vacant/desolate..he says intellectual beauty is passing quickly,
people have turned to religion to understand the world which he believes
as false vain endeavour. The light of intellect brings grace and truth to
life. He criticizes and says that true understanding of world will lift us
from the darkness. He talks about the childhood when we are to accept
everything as correct. Everything written is subject to change.no body has
given him the answer and it is futile to explain gods heaven and ghosts.
Shadow of unseen power which is intellectual beauty can provide us with
relief from uncertainty. As he gives the message that this spirit and
unseen power can liberate the people from oppression and tyranny. He
uses pessimistic and optimistic tone hand with hand as he defines
personal suffering and tyranny corruption his tone is pessimistic o world
oh life etc.but he also hopes that good time will come.
About the title intellectual beauty barrell is of the view that shelley meant
to convey the idea that his concept of beauty was intangible
(www.sparknotes.com/shelleysection.rhtml) he is emotional and his spirit
of beauty is personal like god of christianity. If man attain true spiritual
beauty he can also achieve the immortality and can change traditional
worship of religion to get perfection.(enotes.com) shelley rejects the
traditional beliefs instead he wants to bring change and revolution in the
minds of youth and blind adherence should be abolished. He stresses that
intellectual beauty should be worshiped/ he implores spirit to remain with
him even after life comes to end and without it life will be dark reality.
In a nutshell, he wants to convey the idea that we should be free from
superstitions and biases rather we should take work from intellect. It will
help us to free the world from all evils.
He wanted to demolish church in England who restricted the liberty. In
hymn , he stresses the beauty that can be perceived via intellect. It is
prime example of lyricism ., he questions why it departs. He laments on
loss of beauty and also hopes that it could bring changes in the people.
Shelley is a true lover of intellectual beauty.when it departs , it leaves
humans dim and empty.

References: www.litaid.com
www.enotes.com
www.bratanica.com
www.researchgate.com
Module5uoh.com
Bachelorand master.com