第5章

This，however，ispersonification，whereinbothCollinsandShelleybuildonSpenser:thedizzyingachievementtowhichthemodernpoetcarriedpersonificationaccountsforbutamoiety，ifalargemoiety，ofhisvivifyingpoweroverabstractions。Takethepassage（alreadyalludedto）inthatgloriouschorustellinghowtheHourscomeFromthetempleshighOfman"searandeyeRoofedoverSculptureandPoesy，

FromthoseskieytowersWhereThought"scrownedpowersSitwatchingyourdance，yehappyHours！

Ourfeetnow，everypalm，Aresandalledwithcalm，Andthedewofourwingsisarainofbalm;

AndbeyondoureyesThehumanloveliesWhichmakesallitgazesonParadise。

Anypartialexplanationwillbreakinourhandsbeforeitreachestherootofsuchapower。Theroot，wetakeit，isthis。Hehadaninstinctiveperception（immenseinrangeandfertility，astonishingforitsdelicateintuition）oftheunderlyinganalogiesthesecretsubterraneanpassages，betweenmatterandsoul;thechromaticscales，whereatwedimlyguess，bywhichtheAlmightymodulatesthroughallthekeysofcreation。Because，themoreweconsiderit，themorelikelydoesitappearthatNatureisbutanimperfectactress，whoseconstantchangesofdressneverchangehermannerandmethod，whoisthesameinallherparts。

ToShelley"setherealvisionthemostrarifiedmentalorspiritualmusictraceditsbeautifulcorrespondingformsonthesandofoutwardthings。Hestoodthusattheveryjunction—linesofthevisibleandinvisible，andcouldshiftthepointsashewilled。Histhoughtsbecameamountedinfantry，passingwithbafflingswiftnessfromhorsetofootorfoottohorse。Hecouldexpressashelistedthematerialandtheimmaterialintermsofeachother。Neverhasapoetinthepastrivalledhimasregardsthisgift，andhardlywillanypoetrivalhimasregardsitinthefuture:menarelikefirsttoseethepromiseddoomlayitshandonthetreeofheavenandshakedownthegoldenleaves。{7}

ThefinestspecimensofthisfacultyareprobablytobesoughtinthatShelleiantreasury，PrometheusUnbound。ItisunquestionablythegreatestandmostprodigalexhibitionofShelley"spowers，thisamazinglyricworld，whereimmortalclaritiessighpastintheperfumesoftheblossoms，populatethebreathingsofthebreeze，throngandtwinkleintheleavesthattwirluponthebough;wheretheverygrassisalla—rustlewithlovelyspirit—things，andaweepingmistofmusicfillstheair。ThefinalscenesespeciallyaresuchaBacchicreelandroutandrevelryofbeautyasleavesonestaggeredandgiddy;poetryisspiltlikewine，musicrunstodrunkenwaste。Thechorusessweepdownthewind，tirelessly，flightafterflight，tillthebreathlesssoulalmostcriesforrespitefromtheunrollingsplendours。Yetthesescenes，sowonderfulfromapurelypoeticalstandpointthatnoonecouldwishthemaway，are（toourhumblethinking）neverthelesstheartisticerrorofthepoem。

Abstractedly，thedevelopmentofShelley"sidearequiredthatheshouldshowtheearthlyparadisewhichwastofollowthefallofZeus。Butdramaticallywiththatfalltheactionceases，andthedramashouldhaveceasedwithit。Afinalchorus，orchoralseries，ofrejoicings（suchasdoesultimatelyendthedramawherePrometheusappearsonthescene）wouldhavebeenlegitimateenough。

Instead，however，thebewilderedreaderfindsthedramaunfoldingitselfthroughsceneafterscenewhichleavestheactionpreciselywhereitfoundit，becausethereisnolongeranactiontoadvance。

Itisasifthechoralfinaleofanoperawereprolongedthroughtwoacts。

Wehave，nevertheless，calledPrometheusShelley"sgreatestpoembecauseitisthemostcomprehensivestorehouseofhispower。WereweaskedtonamethemostPERFECTamonghislongerefforts，weshouldnamethepoeminwhichhelamentedKeats:undertheshedpetalsofhislovelyfancygivingtheslainbirdasilkenburial。

Seldomisthedeathofapoetmournedintruepoetry。Notoftenisthesingercoffinedinlaurel—wood。Amongtheveryfewexceptionstosucharule，thegreatestisAdonais。IntheEnglishlanguageonlyLycidascompeteswithit;andwhenwepreferAdonaistoLycidas，wearefollowingtheprecedentsetinthecaseofCicero:

Adonaisisthelonger。Asregardscommandoverabstraction，itisnolesscharacteristicallyShelleianthanPrometheus。Itisthroughoutaseriesofabstractionsvitalisedwithdaringexquisiteness，fromMorningwhosought:

Hereasternwatch—tower，andherhairunbound，Wetwiththetearswhichshouldadorntheground，andwhoDimmedtheaerialeyesthatkindleday，totheDreamsthatweretheflockofthedeadshepherd，theDreamsWhomnearthelivingstreamsOfhisyoungspirithefed;andwhomhetaughtThelovethatwasitsmusic;

ofwhomonesees，asshehangsmourningoverhim，Uponthesilkenfringeofhisfainteyes，Likedewuponasleepingflower，thereliesAtearsomedreamhasloosenedfromhisbrain！

LostangelofaruinedParadise！

Sheknewnot"twasherown;aswithnostainShefadedlikeacloudwhichhathoutweptitsrain。

Inthesolarspectrum，beyondtheextremeredandextremevioletrays，arewholeseriesofcolours，demonstrable，butimperceptibletogrosshumanvision。Suchwritingasthiswehavequotedrendersvisibletheinvisibilitiesofimaginativecolour。

OnethingpreventsAdonaisfrombeingideallyperfect:itslackofChristianhope。YetwerememberwellthewriterofapopularmemoironKeatsproposingas"thebestconsolationforthemindpainedbythissadrecord"Shelley"sinexpressiblysadexpositionofPantheisticimmortality:

HeisaportionofthelovelinessWhichoncehemademorelovely，etc。

Whatdesolationcanitbethatdiscernscomfortinthishope，whosewancountenanceisasthecountenanceofadespair？Whatdeepestdepthofagonyisitthatfindsconsolationinthisimmortality:animmortalitywhichthrustsyouintodeath，themawofNature，thatyourdissolvedelementsmaycirculatethroughherveins？

Yetsuch，thepoettellsme，ismysolebalmforthehurtsoflife。

Iamasthevocalbreathfloatingfromanorgan。Itooshallfadeonthewinds，acadencesoonforgotten。SoIdissolveanddie，andamlostintheearsofmen:theparticlesofmybeingtwineinnewermelodies，andfrommyonedeathariseahundredlives。Why，throughthethinpartitionofthisconsolationPantheismcanhearthegroansofitsneighbour，Pessimism。Betteralmosttheblackresignationwhichthefatalistdrawsfromhisownhopelessness，fromthefiercekissesofmiserythathissagainsthistears。

Withsomegleams，itistrue，ofmorethanmocksolace，Adonaisislighted;buttheyareobtainedbyimplicitlyassumingthepersonalimmortalitywhichthepoemexplicitlydenies;aswhen，forinstance，togreetthedeadyouth，Theinheritorsofunfulfilledrenown[thoughtRosefromtheirthrones，builtbeyondmortalFarintheunapparent。

Andagainthefinalstanzaofthepoem:

ThebreathwhosemightIhaveinvokedinsongDescendsonme;myspirit"sbarkisdrivenFarfromtheshore，farfromthetremblingthrongWhosesailswerenevertothetempestriven;