First published 2021
This collection gathers the final poetic works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, written in his last years before drowning off the Italian coast. The poems reveal a mind grappling with political upheaval, personal loss, and artistic vision. Shelley's radical politics surface in verses that challenge authority and champion human liberation. His complex relationships with Mary Shelley and others echo through intimate lyrics that explore love's contradictions. Nature imagery weaves through the collection as Shelley confronts mortality and seeks transcendence through art. These late works capture a poet at the height of his powers, wrestling with the gap between idealistic dreams and harsh reality. The verses pulse with the urgency of someone who sensed his time was running short.
Genres: poetry, 19th-century
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: exploring-mortality, grappling-with-ideals
Setting: Italy
Period: 19th-century
112 pages · Hardcover · Legare Street Press