Page 39 - DENG202_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_III

Elective English—III Jayatee Bhattacharya, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 4: Ode to the West Wind by P B Shelley

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction

4.1 About the Author
4.2 Themes, Motifs and Symbols
4.2.1 Themes

4.2.2 Motifs
4.2.3 Symbols
4.3 Analysis
4.4 Ode to the West Wind – Poem
4.5 Summary of the Poem

4.6 Explanation
4.7 Form
4.8 Commentary

4.9 Critical Analysis
4.10 Summary
4.11 Keywords
4.12 Review Questions
4.13 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Know about the life and times of P B Shelley
Analyse the themes, motifs and symbols in Shelley's writing
Understand and critically analyse the poem ‘Ode to the West Wind’

Introduction

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was an ostensible romantic poet, who taught the English
literature with his original and impeccable works. His immaculate writings are example of his
greatness and mastery in writing poetry. Therefore, his works reflected an great rejection for
oppression and injustice in the society with the help of his revolutionary forms. Thus, he is
“grown up with violently revolutionary ideas, which contrasted with those of his fathers.”
Shelley’s realisation of life was very mature since his early years of schooling. From a young
age, he was in a favour of justice and human rights. Therefore, he “saw the petty tyranny of
school masters and schoolmate as representative of man’s general inhumanity to man, and
dedicated his life to a war against all injustice and oppression.”

34 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY