How does Shelley treat nature in the poem “Adonais”?
Or, discuss Shelley’s treatment of nature in the pastoral elegy “Adonais”.
Introduction
Nature is the soul of Romantic Poetry. All the romantic poets are purely passionate lovers of nature but P. B. Shelley (1792-1822) is somewhat different in the case of treatment of nature. His treatment of nature is the perfect mingling of sensuousness, symbolism, and myths. The most striking and famous poem “Adonais” is no exception to Shelley’s creative attitude to nature.
Shelley treats nature
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The kinship between nature and poet
Shelley shows a relationship between nature and the poet but not exactly akin to Wordsworth. The sensuous quality of nature means that the images of the poem “Adonais” are found in abundance. We can cite a quotation for the convenience of our illustration.
“Grief made the young spring wild, and she threw down
Her kindling buds, as if she Autumn were,
Or they dead leaves; since her delight is flown,”
Shelley uses personified nature to mourn the premature death of John Keats. Spring is deeply affected by the death of the poet as though she has seemed Autumn that is the symbol of fall or death in literature. Such beautiful communication with nature could only be possible by a creative genius like Shelley.
Nature a true companion
Shelley considers Nature to be a true friend that can solace a suffering human heart. He often personifies the objects of Nature and talks and listens to them. In the very poem “Adonais”, Nature comes forward to share the agony of the poet over the premature death of Keats. Here Shelley surpasses the romantic poets.
The symbolic perspective of nature
The symbolic perspective of nature is common in poetry but Shelley as a revolutionary master gives concrete shape to his abstract thoughts and emotions by the dint of the symbolic perspective of nature. In “Adonais”, ‘pansies’ are the symbols of the fate of poetry, and ‘violets’ symbolize modesty and innocence. Besides, the objects of nature symbolically signify immortality that is also found in this poem.
“He is made one with Nature: there is heard
His voice in all her music, from the moan
Of thunder, to the song of night’s sweet bird;”
Thus, Shelley has eternalized Keats with the powerful and vast symbolic source of nature.
Myth-making power
Another aspect of nature in Shelley’s poetry is his myth-making power. It is evident in “Adonais” too. Morning, thunder, ocean, winds, echo, spring, and other objects of nature have been personified for two purposes. One is to mourn for the premature death of Keats and another is to establish a bond between nature and mankind. Thus, Shelley has the capacity to feel Nature and its phenomena as the source of power. He can detach himself from the past and the present and go on creating fresh and new nature myths at will.
Platonism and pantheism
Shelley has shown two dimensions of Nature at the same time. Like Plato, he believes that Everything in nature has a spiritual power or dimension. The spirit of nature is essentially the spirit of love. From a pantheistic perspective, he believes that every aspect of Nature only a manifestation of one invisible soul or spirit. And after death, everything will be reunited with that one soul.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that Shelley’s treatment of nature is unique. Nature is the pure shelter for the sufferers and a vast source of spiritual power. There is no limitation of the source of myths and symbols in Nature. And the direct connection of nature with human beings has made Shelley a praiseworthy poet of nature.
