A Defence of Poetry and Other Essays by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5428.html.images 213 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5428.epub3.images 152 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5428.epub.images 154 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5428.epub.noimages 140 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5428.kf8.images 309 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5428.kindle.images 293 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5428.txt.utf-8 188 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5428/pg5428-h.zip 150 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 1792-1822
Title A Defence of Poetry and Other Essays
Note Reading ease score: 48.4 (College-level). Difficult to read.
Contents On love -- On life -- On a future state -- On the punishment of death -- Speculations on metaphysics -- Speculations on morals -- On the literature, the arts, and the manners of the Athenians -- On the Symposium, or preface to the Banquet of Plato -- A defence of poetry.
Credits Text file produced by Steve Harris, Charles Franks and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team
HTML file produced by David Widger
Summary "A Defence of Poetry and Other Essays" by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a collection of philosophical writings composed in the early 19th century. The essays delve into various topics, including love, the nature of existence, metaphysics, ethics, and the artistic expressions of humanity. Shelley's prose serves to articulate his defense of poetry as an essential vehicle for human emotion and imagination, reinforcing its significance in culture and society. The opening of the work presents a deep exploration of the concept of love, articulating it as a powerful force that connects individuals with one another and with the world around them. Shelley reflects on the complexity of human emotions, emphasizing the yearning for understanding and communion with others, which often leads to disappointment when such connections fall short. He suggests that love is not only a passion but also a fundamental aspect of our existence, driving humanity to seek beauty in all forms of life. Through a lyrical and philosophical approach, Shelley sets the stage for a profound discourse on the interconnectedness of human experience, laying a philosophical foundation for his defense of poetry as a transformative art form. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections
Subject Poetry
Subject English essays
Category Text
EBook-No. 5428
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Jun 16, 2013
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 1185 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!