Exhausted (Prose Poem)

Everybody’s walking on glass. Thick-hard glass. Glass so thick you could never even tell it was there. We walk, on and on and on, till we can barely tell were walking anymore. Why do we walk?

Cause they said so.

We listen to them. Listen hard and good. Listen cause they said too, but not because we want to hear. We hear words. Pointless, dirty words. Money, greed, fast, now, him, her, me. How can a dictionary print thousands of words in black and white, but the only one we see are the bright red “yes” and the yellow “more”. It feels like it’s all we know anymore.

As we mature, we start to run. We run on the thick-hard glass. Glass so thick you could never even tell it was there. Run fast, hard and long, or they’ll pass us and they’ll leave us behind. “Catch up or get lost” they’ll say. If you can’t hang with the best, then you’re just not worth it.

Our legs are growing tired now, we’re running out of time. Slowly but surely running out of time. They always told us we had all the time in the World. Who knew the world was so small? We try to sit but our legs are stiff. Stiff from years of running. Running because they said so.

For the first time, we can start to see ourselves in the glass. The thick-hard glass. Glass so thick you could never even tell it was there. We look tired. Legs shaking and ears aching, can’t we just stop running? There’s going to come a point where we become tired of walking and tired of running, tired of listening and tired of trying. Our legs will collapse and so will the glass. The thick-hard glass.


-Kailee Phillips

High Five For This Blog!

Want to know more about Samuel Coleridge?
Check out this blog made by Karly, Michelle, Alana & Mikayla!
"Coleridge Comberbache, the Man of Two Names"
http://samueltaylorcoleridge.blogspot.com/

As I scrolled through the page full of student blogs, I found one that really caught my attention. Mr. Turner's Per. 1 blog group, consisting of Karly Tarsia, Mikayla Hull, Michelle Dong, and Alana Bogh really rocked this blog assignment. The first thing that really stood out to me was the name. Not only was it intrigiung, and made me wonder what else was in the blog, but it was to straight to the point and original. As I clicked into their blog website, I immidiately liked the simplicity of their page. The dark background contrasting with white letters looked great, and eliminated the prospect of the "I can't even read this mumbo-jumbo" problem. Everything was very organized and alligned. Spelling was great and punctuations were in check. Out of all the romantic poets I studied, I probably remember the least about Coleridge (which is one of my other reasons for choosing this blog). It was really helpful that this group posted a biography about his life. The biography not only informed me about his childhood life and his madult hood, but educated me on some of his famous works, such as Christabel and Kubla Khan. I also leanred he was addicted to opium. Uh oh. This blog had a really great post called "Quotes and Explanations". This section consisted of two famous Coleridge quotes and the bloggers thought on what they meant. It was really cool to see how the person interpreted the quotes and comparing their opinion to mine. This group, along with mine, used the "About Me" section of their blog website. It was nice to read a little bit about the creators of the blog, and there intrests. Unlike the other blogs, that I merely clicked open and closed quickly, this blogsite kept my attention (which is a very hard task..)I would most definitely recommend this blog to anybody loving literature, English history, romanticism, Coleridge, student projects or opiate addiction?

Kuddos to you ladies,
Kailee Phillips

Ode To The West Wind

Click Here to Open Poem

Another classic, "Ode To The West Wind", is yet another complex piece of art created (1820) by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This poem is broken down into five different parts, each containing five stanzas. In Part One, Shelley introduces the wind, calling it "thou breath of Autumn's being". As I continued reading through Part One, I found myself reading a certain line again and again. Shelley calls the wind the "destroyer and preserver", making the wind obtain a very contradictory meaning. Shelley labels the wind a destroyer, because its harsh, swift movement. The wind can destroy the most complex of things, yet do it in one of the simplest gestures imaginable. In this case, the writer is referring to the sweeping away of dying leaves from their home on the trees. As the leaves are whisked away, they eventually find the cushion of the ground. Though the leaves may not be alive enough to continue on the tree, they are able to sustain life to the ground. The leaves may decompose, leaving new soil for life to flourish in or may deposit a seed, granting a chance for new life. With the destroying of the leaves from the trees, comes the preserving of new found life. As the reader moves into Part Two, Shelley compares the clouds to the falling leaves. This comparison allows the reader to understand just how untamed the clouds are, along with the leaves. (Note: Shelley likely included this comparison, to show yet another object the wind has control over.) Part Three goes on to explain in depth the effects that the wind has on water, specifically the Mediterranean. In Part Four, the subject of the poem shifts to the narrator, and is no longer focusing on the wind. As I read through Part Four, I could not help but feel that the narrator was unhappy with his life. He asks the wind to make him a leaf or a cloud. Both of the objects both mentioned were portrayed earlier in the poem to be wild and untamed. The last line of the section ends with the narrator asking for death by saying "I fall upon the thorns of life. I bleed!" As you progress towards the last and final section, the narrator is no longer asking to be with the wind but demanding to do so. Shelley makes this clear in line 57, where he says "make my thy lyre" (a stringed Greek musical instrument.) Shelly ends the poem with the line, "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?" This line not only signifies the changing of seasons, but solidifies my thought that with death of one thing comes new life to another.

- Kailee Phillips

Reading Response #3

In Joan Reiss Wry's "Panoptic Perspectives in Shelley's Mont Blanc: Collapsed Distance and the Alpine Sublime" describes and breaks down in great detail about this appealing poem. At the beginning, it starts with what most of the romantic poets share in common, Edmund Burke's requisite passion for astonishment. Having great sublime while thinking to the power of human reason. Although when Shelley wrote Mont Blanc, his astonishment hold a diverse experience compare to his contemporaries and the romantic poets. The reason was due to the fact that generally the romantic poets stood at a distance from the natural object that inspired them while trying to understand what it contained. Contrast to that, Percy Shelley offers a close range perspective of Mont Blanc, by imaginatively placing himself there. Which results to Shelley having striking dark and disorienting to the surface features, the power of the human mind. In the first stanza it "presents an ambiguous scene of fluid movement" using words like flow, roll, and rapid. That later revels in the second stanza, this scene is taking place at the Arve River. Demonstrating what Shelley sees up close. But he later acknowledges, no matter how close we get, it extends even further. Once the second stanza begins, Shelley gives you a wider view to provide the mountain features, but "still maintaining the effect of a collapsed distance." Doing this, gives the reader a glimpse on what Shelley is thinking, his creative power. Not only does it do this, it also explains how "the universe of things participates in unremitting interchange with the poet's mind." Meaning gathering everything around us and processing it through our unique minds. As Shelley decreases distance between him and Mont Blanc, he feels an threatening sublime towards the topography mountain by saying "the eagle brings some hunter's bone and the wolf tracks her there." Therefore it starts making him wonder if he is awake or just dreaming. Eventually, Shelley notices that destruction provides things in order to keep up with the cycle of life. Examples were the glaciers that move like snakes. Finally at the end of the poem, Shelley tells you what Mont Blanc represents. Mont Blanc illustrates our mind, that shows many forms and thoughts that gives meaning and existence to objects. And seeing the mountain, gets us thinking, clarifying many things. But Shelley still has doubt because there is still many unanswered closing questions; therefore his outstanding imagination balances the silence and solitude in Mont Blanc.

At the end of the article, I truly felt like I understood Shelley's Mont Blanc. Joan break down what every stanza meant and why Percy Shelley wrote that. When I first read the poem, I thought Mont Blanc represented just our thoughts. But in the article, the mountain demonstrates our mind overall. Which has many formations, thoughts that are express, and gives being. Showing that our minds are very powerful if we use them correctly, because explains many everyday things. For an example, nature. Another thing I realized about Shelley and the romantic poets, was each them think that nature holds many answers and some things in nature also acts as our minds. In both the article and Shelley's poem, Mont Blanc is a figure of our mind. Although the article was more helpful because we get to see how Shelley really thinks and why he decided to get closer to the object to get inspiration. It shows, Shelley doesn't always do everything like the other romantic poets, especially in this poem. The idea of the collapsed distance provides more details about the mountain and its true beauty. But Shelley gives a wider view of Mont Blanc as well, so we can understand more. Though something the article didn't mention were the pine trees. I thought the pine trees in the poem were helpful to distinguish us and the mountain. The pine trees in the poem meant "a symbol of the persistence in human values in the face of obstacles." Then once the poem included the "glaciers creep like snakes that watch their prey," it explained to me that we are the pine trees and we are the prey of the glaciers. If we don't use the power nature, we might get crush during a face of an obstacle. Overall the article expressed everything clearly about Percy Shelley's Mont Blanc.

Reading Reponse #3

Shelley and the Utility or the Arts
Tom O' Brien

Tom O’ Brien introduces Percy Bysshe Shelley as a romantic poet who is not entirely sane. Shelley had ideas of defending the arts against narrow minded utilitarianism, meaning people who no longer care about what nature has to offer. The utilitarianism's care about big business and money and only look at gross domestic product. Shelley’s prose poem “The Defense of Poetry” states his ideas about mixing education and art together. He strongly believed that art was one of the greatest things a child could know. Schools began teaching children science and math to promote factories and business, while the schools stopped promoting the creativity. Educators asked “Do the arts have to offer of comparable educational value?” To Shelley the answer was yes, but to modern day engineers and educators the answer was no. Even though Shelley appreciated art, he did take science seriously to a certain extent. After his wife created the horror story “Frankenstein” they realized that science could also be very destructive to mankind. Science could literally create a monster. A friend of Percy Shelley claimed there was two cycles in the history of the arts. The “bronze” age was a time where literature was in a more primitive form. Then there was Neoclassicism in literature, which was a way to create visual arts. After the neoclassicism period, a new age of literature was made. Romanticism was claimed as the new age of “brass”. Shelley explained that art contributes to society and social progress. It lets other see a different view point and learn in new ways. He claimed that whatever purified the affections and adds spirit to sense is very useful. “Arts are supremely useful because they can perhaps heal the disconnect between technical and human process” Percy Shelley quoted. He strongly believed that there was a gap growing between human beings and the natural world. He claimed that science and industrialization did not match for the social well being for all. Shelley’s rhetoric questions are still relevant to this day, such as “smart growth” in our time. He is talking about the movements in environmental science and life quality.

I believe that O’ Brien added the rhetoric question about “smart growth” because it’s still relevant to this day. Shelley worried about the destiny of mankind in his day, and the future. Has our social growth gone downhill since Percy Shelley’s time? If Shelley was able to see our society’s growth, I think that he would have mixed emotions. Our society has continued to use machines, but our factories are better managed. In our modern day, we have the science to create Eco-friendly products, bio degradable bags and better cars. Shelley would probably be more satisfied with our new inventions, but the contradicting part is that science helped innovate our new products. When budgets cuts hit a school, the first things to go are sports, music and art programs. Just like Shelley, I also disagree with that fact that schools are cutting programs that help children express themselves. A educational system should never have to cut any programs. While children are in school every day forced to learn about the Pythagorean Theorem or the Vietnam War, students have nothing to look forward to except another day learning something that has absolutely no interest to them. With any kind of sport or art program, a child has the chance to be free and just be themselves. When an educator asked if art had the same education value as other subjects, Percy agreed. I like that O’ Brien added this quote because it shows Percy Shelley’s true feelings toward the educational system. O’ Brien wrote a great article that reflects Shelley’s views in an interesting way because he used quotes that explained his personality well. Though he mainly talked about Shelley’s views on art, he also explained a little bit on his positive views of science. It showed me that even thought he was a Romantic poet; he knew that science was needed to an extent. Science is an important part of society, and it always will be, but so is art and literature. Tom O’ Brien portrayed Percy Bysshe Shelley ‘s view’s in a respectable way that shows why he was such a great poet of his time and till this day.

-Lauryn Hartung

A Prose Poem; The Greed and Fear

The Greed and Fear

Greed and Fear were brothers whose parents were mankind. Mankind had raised them early on, only then to find that these two specters had in them greedy appetites for spreading lies and hurting family and giving them the frights. At first they did not run the world, as they do today for people were much simpler then and had more time for play. As time went by they got on well with priests and knights and kings but still to most of common folk they were but little things. Then came a time when man matured and put off simple ways he sailed away to foreign country with Greed and Fear. Into the ocean haze, they came to an unspoiled land with people brave and true. They killed them like animals and left them black and blue. Killing all in their path, Greed and Fear brought on a nation to be formed. A nation home of the free, a nation that lives in lies and secrecy. The brothers did great things for those who liked them, and those who did were treated with dignity. The followers of the brothers were told to kill all in their path and they would climb to the top and rule the world. They did as they were told and a new government was formed. A government where the finest of people were rich and dirtiest were poor. Where art and there language were the least important things and the children were force feed information and had to regurgitate it every day. This was what the brothers had always been looking for. Something they could control and anyone who opposed would never be found again. Greed and Fear had good intentions when they were first born, but their minds were slowly corrupted and did that same thing to anyone who disagreed.

-Lauryn Hartung

Get To Know Percy Shelley Even More!

Besides our blog, I find another interesting one that talks about the same romantic poet, Percy Shelley. The name of their blog is called "Time to meet Percy Bysshe Shelley AKA Alyck" by Chrisy Vo, Jacky Bertholomey, and McKenize DeWitt. Which I thought they had a very creative title because it totally grabs your attention. Not only does this blog hold an interesting title, but it also provides a whole bunch of information that might of not been included in ours. What I liked best, was the fact that they hold different poems than ours. They even give you a good summary explaining the poem in their own words. My favorite poem out of all the ones they included was "Love's Philosophy," because their font color was different, they had a pretty picture, and not to mention the poem was short. At first I didn't get the poem, but after reading their review, I understood it! Although we do have some similar things like poems or videos, their reviews were different from us. So if you need a better understanding of a similar item, then I recommend visiting their blog. And everything they have written is very easy to read and to understand. Even if you don't know much or nothing about romanticism, this blog will give you a general idea about what is romanticism. But it will especially teach you more about Percy Shelley. For example, it will teach you on what Shelley thinks of nature, imagination, religion, etc. Which I find the biggest help from this blog because it provides more depth details about Shelley. One other thing I forgot to mention was the introduction they wrote was great as well. It really describes Percy Shelley's life. From the schools he went to his relationships. Also in their introduction, it gives some positive and negative things that occur in Shelley's life. With this you find out how Shelley grew up and what he faced. Overall "Time to meet Percy Bysshe Shelley AKA Alyck" is a wonderful blog to get more information and his famous poems by Percy Shelley.

More Than One Way (Prose Poem)

I never seem to understand this feeling. Even with experience, I don't understand.
Every time I encounter it, I feel like I'm in a new world full of mysteries. Almost like traveling in the depths of the unknown blue oceans.
Happiness always seems to tag along with this unexplainable motion.
Yet you go through a process of several emotions just by being with one person.
When you ask somebody what is happening?
They all give you the same response. But asking for the meaning, you get a different results.
Your mind then starts swirling like a tornado trying to solve the puzzle in order to continue this feeling.
Not only does this feeling bring happiness, it also brings pleasures and subsides the lonely feeling inside.
Some might say that this feeling so powerful that nothing can bring you down.
Its so powerful that nothing seems important but them.
You start losing focus and what really matters.
Although just like anything else, there's a dark side.
When this feeling can no longer continue, all hope seems to be lost.
The loneliness then re-steps to your soul. Its almost as if the world has stopped moving.
You asked yourself what went wrong?
No one seems to know the answer.
That's when you hear the winds roaring your name and the sun beaming at you.
Suddenly you feel refreshment entering your mind and body as if your smelling a mint flower during spring.
You finally realize that stepping out of your world and entering the untainted world outside, you see things clearly.
You starting feeling happiness refill you like crystal clear water rushing into a dried out river.
And for the first time, you notice the force of nature and its beauty.
Who knew that love wasn't the only thing that brought all this excitement in you.

-Dulce Roque

Shelley's Early Life

Percy Bysshe Shelley was born in 1792, the sixth of six children to a prominent and wealthy English family. Growing up, Shelley was tutored and taught at home by Rev. Even Edwards, who not only educated young Shelley but taught him the religion of Christianity as well. In 1804, Shelley left the comfort of his home and headed to Elton College. Shelley not only did horribly at Elton, but was tormented and ridiculed by his classmates daily. Due to the tormenting of his fellow class-mates, Percy Shelley soon left Elton college, and became a student at the prominent school, Oxford (1810). While attending Oxford, Shelley published his first piece of literature, a Gothic novel, Zastrozzi.(This novel was actually written when Shelley was just seventeen years old, attending Elton College, but was not published until his attendance at Oxford.) This novel touched upon the subjects of selfishness, revenge, and self-indulgence. This early Shelley novel got favorable reviews, but was not immensely well-known within the literary world. Following 1810, Shelley wrote the highly debated pamphlet named The Nessecity of Atheism. Despite his christian up bringing, this piece of work criticized the religoious world and stated that one's beliefs are involuntary; therefore, atheists should not be persecuted for not believe in God. The writings in the pamphlet were so controversial and frowned upon, that the Necesscity of Atheism immediately caught the attention of Oxford staff. Soon after publication, Shelley was called to appear in front of several Oxford staff, including the current dean, George Rowley. Shelley refused to recant his statements; therefore, resulting in his expulsion from Oxford University on March 25, 1811 ( fellow writer Thomas Jefferson Hogg was also expelled due to involvement.)Due to the prominence of Shelley's father, Sir Timothy Shelley, Percy was told he could enroll once more at Oxford if he agreed to withdraw his statements. Sticking to his beliefs and thoughts, he refused, permanently expelling him from the University and creating a falling-out with his Father. This rebellious act set way for Percy Shelley's outrageous and controversial poetry, which along with other well known poets (William Blake, Lord Byron, William Wordsworth etc..) inspired the genre of poetry we now call Romanticism.

- Kailee Phillips

Time Long Past

Like the ghost of a dear friend dead
Is Time long past.
A tone which is now forever fled,
A hope which is now forever past,
A love so sweet it could not last,
Was Time long past.

There were sweet dreams in the night
Of Time long past:
And, was it sadness or delight,
Each day a shadow onward cast
Which made us wish it yet might last-
That Time long past

There is regret, almost remorse
For Time long past.
'Tis like a child's beloved corse
A father watches, till at last
Beauty is like remembrance, cast
From Time long past.

As the title suggest "time long past" we know this is going to be the theme of the poem because it continuous repeats itself through out the poem. In the first paragraph it basically talks about how things can't always last forever, no matter how much we want it to. Shelley also uses these keywords: forever and death, which both mean something of the past and they can't ever return to the present time. Once he includes "a love so sweet it could not last," Shelley explains about his own experiences. But in this part he's talking about his relationship that seemed to be perfect at the time. Afterwards Shelley starts talking about sadness or delight in the second paragraph, this tells us that Shelley experienced something terrible that made him wish it could be part of the past. At the end of this paragraph, it teaches us that the things in the past aren't always pleasant. There's at least something in the past we didn't wish for. As for the third paragraph, you indicate that Shelley feels bad because he wishes that he could relive some of those events even if they weren't the best. In contrast to that wish, there's nothing that can be done. Despite that I understand what Shelley is talking about and where his point of view is coming from, because I have moments in my life that I wish to relive; although its impossible unless there's a time machine. But further on this paragraph it starts mentioning small hints about Shelley's childhood past with his parents. Which is a common thing we experience with our parents as we grow up. Then it goes talking about beauty, which beauty does change as time passes by. The word "beauty" also suggests that it also belongs to the flow of time. After finally finishing the poem, it made me realize that the long past can be treasured, because those are memories that can't be relived, which Shelley clearly explains. In a way this poem is kind of saying to enjoy the things your doing now because they will eventually be part of the long past. A past that can't be changed. It also makes me feel grateful for all the events that occur in my life. From spending time with my family to meeting new people. Nobody knows what's going to happen in a couple years, but we sure can live it now. And when we look back on it, there won't be regret or remorse.

-Dulce Roque

Percy Shelley; A Closer Look

The video above was chosen by me because it provided many details about Percy Shelley. It included information about his life to the major things he has accomplished. In the beginning of the the video, many words start popping up. Which I think describe the writing style of Percy Shelley. Then it translate to one of his famous poems, "ozymandias." Although I don't know why this poem was chosen instead of his other works, I came to conclusion that it was chosen because it shows you what type of romantic poet Percy Shelley was. But as you pay more attention to the poem, you realize that the word "ozymandias" is another word for Ramesses the great. This also indicates that Shelley was interested in famous events or people in the past. Afterwards you get a more in depth knowledge about Shelley. From where he attended school to his personal relationships. Then the speaker reports to you how this famous romantic poet passed away at a young age. But once he passed away, it explains the impact that Shelley had on citizens. To me this shows what a great poet Percy Shelley was back in his day. And even though he's no longer here, his work is still being used to teach lessons. As you get further into the video, it starts describing how Shelley was buried and what they did with his heart. In the beginning I was shock because I never thought people would do such a thing; yet there was good purpose for doing such interesting action. In the video it tells you what Percy Shelley's heart symbolizes. And even though I find it odd, I think it will inspire new upcoming romantic poets. Not only does Shelley's heart represent something, Shelley himself also represents an artistic vision. Once it starts talking about this, he is now compared to William Blake. The speaker compares the different ideas that Blake and Shelley have about imagination and how religion inspires them. Religion is also a big topic that surrounds Shelley because he's idea about it are very complex. Which people thought he took many risks when he talked about atheism. At the end Shelley was very determine about his ideas about romanticism. Overall I think this video is great to view!

-Dulce Roque

"The Sensitive Plant"

Click Here to Open Poem

In Percy Shelly's, "The Sensitive Plant" Shelley has separated his poem into three separate parts and a conclusion. In the first part of the poem, Shelley portrays a wondrous, beautiful garden, full of life and luminosity. Shelley uses several realistic depictions of flowers and plants to provide the reader with a detailed insight into the garden. These stanzas full of details helped me picture the garden that Shelley so beautifully illustrated through his words and helped me understand what he was writing about. As part one continues, Shelley introduces a contradiction into the garden, The Sensitive Plant. Unlike the other flowers, this floweret is not vivid in color or shape, and lacks the beautiful odor flowers are characterized for. Percy Shelley goes on to say The Sensitive Plant

"loves, even like Love, its deep heart is full,
It desires what it has not, the Beautiful!"

(lines 76 and 77)

These two lines allowed The Sensitive Plant to take on a human like quality, envy to want what those surrounding you have. As the poem enters Part two, Shelley introduces a mother like woman into the picture. The woman was lovely, and took care of the garden as if it were her own children. This woman took the role as a mother like care-taker to the plants

" She lifted their heads with her tender hands,
And sustained them with rods and osier-bands;
If the flowers had been her own infants, she
Could never have nursed them more tenderly"

(lines 150-154)

She sustained life to the garden, helping them flourish and grow, and provided security to the plants, diminishing harmful insects that may harm her kin. The loving matriarch of the lush garden soon passes away as the season changes from Summer to Fall and the wind grows crisp, changing the leaves colors. The poem now continues onto Part three, where the garden is still flourishing for three days after their care-takers death. On the fourth day after her death, The Sensitive Plant hears the mourning of the humans passing by. The mourners pass through the garden, whose ground was once walked on lightly and with care, with heavy and slow foot steps. With the coming of winter and the loss of their mother, the garden takes a dramatic plunge towards death. The essence of the garden dwindles and no longer has an enchanting affect.

" The garden, once fair, became cold and foul,
Like the corpse of her who had been its soul,
Which at first was lovely as if in sleep,
Then slowly changed, till it grew a heap
To make men tremble who never weep. "

(Lines 191-195)

As the once beautiful plant life slowly fades away, many plants, that are often referred to as contrary to beautiful, start to invade the garden. Shelley uses plant species that are often frowned upon(fungi, mold, weeds) to symbolize death taking over in the garden. After the change from life to death, Shelley continues on to the conclusion. Shelley states that though the woman may not be there in mortal form; somewhere, her essence and soul continues to preside in the garden. At first glance, this poem may not be understood. At second glance, the poem may be thought of as an expression of human feelings. But when you look harder and longer this poem illustrates the human life cycle. In Part 1, Summer time depicts birth, lush life is everywhere and thriving. The woman in the poem indeed is like a mother, nurturing her young in the beginning of their lives. As the season changes, the care-taker dies, releasing the garden from her protection, and ultimately her security and safety. Just like a mother, the woman is no longer there to take care of the garden as she did in Spring and Summer time. Just like a child, the flowers struggle to survive independently. Winter symbolizes death, and the end of the garden, symbolizing the end of a life.

-Kailee Phillips

Percy Bysshe Shelley's The Moon

ND, like a dying lady lean and pale,

Who totters forth, wrapp'd in a gauzy veil,

Out of her chamber, led by the insane

And feeble wanderings of her fading brain,

The moon arose up in the murky east

A white and shapeless mass.

II.

Art thou pale for weariness

Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth,

Wandering companionless

Among the stars that have a different birth,

And ever changing, like a joyless eye

That finds no object worth its constancy?

This video clip explains a little bit about Percy Shelley’s life and some of his greatest accomplishments. It also gives examples of his best work, such as "To a Skylark", "Ozymandias", and "The Revolt of Islam". The poem is comparing the moon's characteristics to an old dying woman. Shelley compares the moon's pale coloring to the color of the old woman’s skin tone. Stanza one says; who totters forth, wrapp'd in a gauzy veil.” Stanza three states; “And feeble wanderings of her fading brain,”A gauzy veil is representing a cloudy night. The veil is covering over the moon, making it unclear. Just like the woman’s brain is fading and is becoming uncertain. The moon is arising from the murky east. I believe that the murky East is representing the woman’s insanity. Murky is a good example to explain an unclear situation. I think that Shelley is trying to portray the moon in a human related way. Every night millions of human beings see the moon; large and bright in the sky. They do not know the moon’s true emotions. It lies in the starry night, with the other stars, but they all have different births, different destinies and a different purpose for why there were created. The poem mentions that that moon is lonely and companion less. The woman who is dying may be joyful because she is going on to a better life, but she is doing it alone. The fragile woman is talking on a new afterlife alone without her family. The feeling of loneliness is taking over. The moon is having the same emotions way every night. He is surrounded by his familiar stars, but they are not facing the same struggles. The moon is become weary and pale while it sits lonely in the million starry night. He can either gaze the beauties of heaven above, or view the hells of earth below him. His joyless eye is watching the changes of earth and the faithfulness of heaven. The moon and the dying women are extremely similar. Shelley is showing that even something so well known and strong, such as the moon, can feel as lonely and weak as a dying woman.

-Lauryn Hartung