Much of Keats' poetry deals with immortality through art, and Shelley takes a stance as well in Adonais. Shelley also invokes classical art and beginning in the 48th stanza Shelley describes how Rome lies in ruins. Then in the 52nd stanza he states, “Rome’s azure sky, / Flowers, ruins, statues, music, words, are weak / The glory they transfuse with fitting truth we speak.” Shelley argues that works of art are not lasting in and of themselves but in the way they influence other artists, as he argues in “A Defense of Poetry.” In the final stanza Shelley describes how Keats’ breath drives his bark, or his artistic voice influences his own art. It seems that in the final lines he anticipates that he will soon join the eternal and influence other artists in the same way.
I like your ideas about how the effects of art are continued because of how they influence other artists. I think similarly, the reason that Shelley reacted so strongly to the reviews about Keats was because those too influence readers in the future. Criticism will always be in circulation, either promoting or discouraging a work. While Keats can escape these negative comments not that he is in a better place, his works will forever be affected by them and paired with them.
ReplyDeleteI think it's also interesting to note Shelley's conflicted opinions on Rome as a city known for its arts and culture. On the one hand, he discounts the value of its physical nature, that is, the ruins, etc. since the ideas they inhabit are what will actually live on and prove immortal. However, in the 49th stanza, he instructs the reader, "Go thou to Rome" and brood until "like an infant's smile, over the dead,/ A light of laughing flowers along the grass is spread." The contrast between the infant and the dead here suggests some sort of rebirth that is possible even in such an antiquated city like Rome. This idea brilliantly captures Keats' immortality as Shelley perceives it, in that he gives a fresh approach to the classics, which will continue to inspire over and over again in the future.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty bold claim to say that your own work will live on in infamy like that of Keats. I think that is definitely what Shelley is hoping for with this poem. That's a great Romantic idea that your life comes and goes, but the words you write can live on forever if they are worthy.
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