Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) was a major English Romantic poet. He is often mistakenly confused with his wife, Mary Shelley, who was also a famous English writer.
P. B. Shelley was a male writer of the Romantic Period. His wife, Mary Shelley, is best known for her famous novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
P. B. Shelley is commonly known as a revolutionary poet. He is also associated with ideas of hope, freedom, revolution, and regeneration.
Important Works of P. B. Shelley
The following works of P. B. Shelley are particularly important for competitive examinations:
- Ozymandias
- Ode to the West Wind
- Prometheus Unbound
- A Defence of Poetry
- Adonais — an elegy written on the death of John Keats
- The Cloud
- The Revolt of Islam
- Music
- The Necessity of Atheism
- The Mask of Anarchy
- When Soft Voices Die
- To a Skylark
Important Facts to Remember
- P. B. Shelley was one of the major poets of the English Romantic Period.
- Ozymandias is one of his most famous sonnets.
- Ode to the West Wind is one of Shelley’s best-known poems.
- Adonais is an elegy written by Shelley on the death of John Keats.
- Prometheus Unbound is a lyrical drama.
- A Defence of Poetry is an important prose work by Shelley.
- The Necessity of Atheism is a controversial early work associated with Shelley.
- The Mask of Anarchy was written in response to the Peterloo Massacre.
- Mary Shelley, P. B. Shelley’s wife, wrote the famous novel Frankenstein.
Important Quotations of P. B. Shelley
1. “Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.”
Source: To a Skylark
This line expresses the idea that beautiful poetry can often come from sadness and human suffering.
2. “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”
Source: Ode to the West Wind
This famous line represents hope after hardship. Winter symbolizes suffering or difficulty, while spring represents renewal and hope.
3. “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”
Source: A Defence of Poetry
This quotation reflects Shelley’s belief that poets can influence society, ideas, and human thought through their poetry.
4. “I am the daughter of Earth and Water, / And the nursling of the Sky.”
Source: The Cloud
These lines are spoken by the Cloud in Shelley’s poem The Cloud.
5. “O lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud! / I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!”
Source: Ode to the West Wind
These lines express the poet’s desire for freedom, inspiration, and renewal while describing the suffering of human life.
P. B. Shelley: Quick Revision for Exams
Full Name: Percy Bysshe Shelley
Born: 1792
Died: 1822
Literary Period: Romantic Period
Profession: Poet and writer
Wife: Mary Shelley
Famous Work of Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
Known as: Revolutionary Poet
Famous Poem: Ode to the West Wind
Elegy on John Keats: Adonais
Famous Prose Work: A Defence of Poetry
Famous Lyrical Drama: Prometheus Unbound
Famous Sonnet: Ozymandias
Important Exam Tip
Do not confuse P. B. Shelley with Mary Shelley.
- P. B. Shelley → Poet → Romantic Period → Ode to the West Wind, Ozymandias, Adonais
- Mary Shelley → Novelist → Frankenstein