Critical Analysis of 'Hymn to Intellectual Beauty' by P. B.

Shelley

'Hymn To Intellectual Beauty' by Shelley is a self-reminder that at the core of every essential
form or emotion whether it is love, beauty, truth or even grace, there lies a mystic element or a
spirit that can not be conceived physically but only felt. This abstract mysteriousness according
to Shelley, is an invisible power that can never be reduced to the indviual parts but is rather
greater than the whole.

In the poem Shelley deduces inspiration from natural existences, like the heavenly bodies, the
sky and the pure human relations like friendships and family. By the way of this inspiration he
tries to encapture in his verses, the spirit that lies at the heart of the universe. He states that this
spirit influences all aspects of life and life forms on Earth and is never constant but rather keeps
flowing to and fro, like something that is all encompassing and yet elusive.

Shelley's tone in the poem gradually, becomes 'wishful' as he wishes for mankind's immortality.
He believes that if only the 'spirit of beauty' had been a constant presence in the universe,
human beings like gods would have also been immortal and omnipotent.

Shelley in the poem relates to various instances from the past where this 'spirit of beauty' had
been alloted several names from time to time and was subjected to superstitious beliefs. He
condemned these beliefs and said that the natural spirit does not reside in myths or
superstitioons but rather it is the universe's 'natural phenomena'.

In his poem Shelley presents his entire life and works of art and poetry as a tribute to the fluid
natural spirit, which he calls the 'awful loveliness' from which life originates.

In the 'Hymn To Intellectual Beauty', Shelley has tried to establish a unique interpretation of the
natural spiritual energy. In a way, it can be seen as his attempt at enhancing the bleak concepts
of the church of his time. In the poem Shelley talks about the essence of beauty and how for
him there has never been a separation between his being and the inspirational essence or the
'shadow' of nature.

The structure of this poem is similar to the traditional Christian hymns but with a mystic twist that
highlights Shelley's belief that at the core of the entire universe there is an elusive natural spirit.
The spirituality that we find in the tone of the poem is perhaps reflective of Shelley's spiritual
and mystic beliefs that were not so common in his time as per the church's strict ideas about
nature. Regardless of the clear contention that can been seen between Shelley's beliefs and the
church's beleifs in the poem, it is obvious that Shelley has still employed a lot of Christan
vocabulary. Religious jargon like, hymn, grace, consecrate,vale of tears, God, heaven etc. are
in abundance in the poem and can be labelled as ironic. Through out the poem there are also a
lot of allusions to biblical incidents like the allusion to the 'inconstant wind', that have further
enhanced the ironic nature of the poem.
The rhyming scheme through out the poem is 'abbaaccbddee' and a lot of alliteration can also
be seen. Most of the end rhymes are full and the tone throughout the poem remains mystic and
spiritual.

Submitted by Hamna Latif Khan.