Percy Bysshe Shelley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Percy Bysshe Shelley
A portrait of Shelley, by Alfred Clint (1829)
Born	Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-08-04)4 August 1792 Field Place, Warnham, West Sussex, England
Died	8 July 1822(1822-07-08) (aged 29) Gulf of La Spezia, Kingdom of Sardinia (now Italy)
Occupation	Poet playwright essayist novelist
Alma mater	University College, Oxford
Literary movement	Romanticism
Spouse	Harriet Westbrook ​ ​ (m. 1811; died 1816)​ Mary Shelley ​ (m. 1816)​
Children	6 (including Percy Florence Shelley)
Parents	Timothy Shelley Elizabeth Pilfold
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Percy Bysshe Shelley (born August 4, 1792 – died July 8, 1822) was a very important Romantic poet from England. He had strong, new ideas in his poems and about politics and society. Shelley wasn't famous when he was alive. But after he died, more and more people recognized his amazing poetry. He greatly influenced later poets like Robert Browning and W. B. Yeats.

Experts describe him as a "superb craftsman." He was a fantastic lyric poet and a very thoughtful person. Some of his most famous works include "Ozymandias" (1818) and "Ode to the West Wind" (1819). He also wrote "To a Skylark" (1820). He wrote a philosophical essay called "The Necessity of Atheism" with his friend T. J. Hogg (1811). Another well-known work is the political song "The Mask of Anarchy" (1819).

Other important works include the play The Cenci (1819). He also wrote long poems like Alastor, or The Spirit of Solitude (1815) and Julian and Maddalo (1819). His poem Adonais (1821) is also famous. Many consider Prometheus Unbound (1820) his best work. He also wrote Hellas (1822) and his last, unfinished poem, The Triumph of Life (1822).

Shelley also wrote stories and many essays. These essays were about politics, society, and deep ideas. Much of his writing was not published while he was alive. This was because he risked being charged for his political and religious ideas. After the 1820s, his poems became popular with groups who wanted social change. Famous people like Karl Marx and Mahatma Gandhi admired his work.

Shelley's life had many challenges. He often faced health issues. People also reacted strongly to his different beliefs and his new ideas about society. In 1818, he moved to Italy and lived there permanently. For the next four years, he wrote some of his best poems. His second wife, Mary Shelley, wrote the famous book Frankenstein. Shelley died in a boating accident in 1822 when he was only 29 years old.

Shelley's Early Life and School Days

Shelley was born on August 4, 1792. His family lived at Field Place in Warnham, England. He was the oldest son of Sir Timothy Shelley. His father was a Member of Parliament. His mother was Elizabeth Pilfold. Percy had four younger sisters and one much younger brother.

Shelley's early childhood was mostly happy. He was very close to his sisters and his mother. They encouraged him to enjoy outdoor activities. When he was six, he went to a local day school. There, he showed a great memory and a talent for languages.

School Experiences and Interests

In 1802, Shelley went to Syon House Academy in Brentford. His cousin Thomas Medwin was also a student there. Shelley was unhappy and often bullied at this school. Sometimes, he would get very angry. He also started having nightmares and seeing things that weren't there. These problems affected him throughout his life.

Shelley became very interested in science. He also loved reading mystery and supernatural stories. During school holidays, he would experiment with gunpowder and electricity. His sisters were often scared by these experiments. At school, he even blew up a fence with gunpowder.

In 1804, Shelley went to Eton College. He hated his time there. He was severely bullied by other students. This bullying was called "Shelley-baits." Many people thought he was bullied because he was different. He didn't fit in and refused to take part in certain traditions. His unusual ways and angry outbursts earned him the nickname "Mad Shelley."

He continued his interest in science and the supernatural. He reportedly gave an electric shock to a teacher. He also blew up a tree stump with gunpowder. He even tried to summon spirits. In his last years at Eton, a teacher named Dr James Lind encouraged his interests. Dr Lind introduced him to new, radical writers. Shelley also started studying Plato and his ideas. By the time he left Eton, he was known as a smart student. He was also known as a bit of an eccentric.

First Writings and University Life

In his last term at Eton, Shelley's first novel, Zastrozzi, was published. He also gained some followers among his classmates. Before going to University College, Oxford in October 1810, he wrote more. He completed Original Poetry by Victor and Cazire with his sister Elizabeth. He also wrote a play called The Wandering Jew. His gothic novel St. Irvine; or, The Rosicrucian: A Romance was published in 1811.

At Oxford, Shelley didn't attend many lectures. Instead, he spent hours reading. He also set up a science lab in his room for experiments. He met Thomas Jefferson Hogg, who became his closest friend. Shelley became more interested in politics under Hogg's influence. He developed strong, new ideas that were different from common beliefs. These ideas were risky during a time of war with France. Shelley's father warned him about Hogg's influence.

In 1810–1811, Shelley published some anonymous political writings. These included Posthumous Fragments of Margaret Nicholson and The Necessity of Atheism. He wrote The Necessity of Atheism with Hogg. Shelley sent this pamphlet to all the bishops and college heads at Oxford. He was called to explain himself to the college leaders. He refused to answer their questions about the pamphlet. Because of this, he and Hogg were expelled from Oxford on March 25, 1811. Shelley's father threatened to cut ties with him. He wanted Shelley to return home and study with tutors. Shelley refused, leading to a disagreement with his father.

Shelley's Relationships and Travels

In late 1810, Shelley met Harriet Westbrook. She was a student at the same school as his sisters. They wrote to each other often. Shelley shared his new ideas about politics, religion, and marriage with Harriet. They both felt she was being controlled by her father and school. Shelley became very fond of Harriet after his expulsion from Oxford. He was going through a tough time with his family. He also felt sad about a broken romance with his cousin.

Harriet's older sister, Eliza, encouraged Harriet's relationship with Shelley. Their letters became more frequent in July. Harriet asked for his help, so he returned to London in August. He put aside his own ideas about marriage. On August 25, 1811, he and Harriet, who was sixteen, went to Edinburgh and got married on August 28.

Life with Harriet and Eliza

Harriet's father and Shelley's father stopped their allowances. Shelley's father thought Harriet was not from a good enough family. Shelley and Harriet lived on borrowed money in Edinburgh for a month. Hogg also lived with them. In October, they moved to York. Shelley went to Sussex to try and sort things out with his father. He left Harriet with Hogg. When he returned, Eliza had moved in with Harriet and Hogg. Soon, Shelley, Harriet, and Eliza moved to Keswick in the Lake District. Hogg stayed in York.

At this time, Shelley was also close friends with Elizabeth Hitchener. She was a 28-year-old teacher with advanced ideas. Shelley called her his "sister of my soul." She became his trusted friend. They discussed his ideas on politics, religion, and relationships. Shelley suggested they all live together and share everything.

The Shelleys and Eliza spent time in Keswick. Shelley visited Robert Southey, a poet he admired. Southey liked Shelley, even though their political ideas were very different. Southey believed Shelley would become a great poet. Southey also told Shelley that William Godwin was still alive. Godwin wrote Political Justice, a book Shelley admired. Shelley wrote to Godwin, offering to be his devoted student. Godwin advised Shelley to make up with his father. He also told him to study more before publishing anything else. He also told him to stop his plans for political action in Ireland.

Meanwhile, Shelley met his father's friend, Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk. This friend helped Shelley get his allowance back. Harriet's allowance was also restored. Shelley now had money for his plans in Ireland. They left for Ireland because their landlord and neighbors were upset. They didn't like Shelley's science experiments and his political ideas. Shelley claimed he was attacked at home by ruffians. This might have been real or a stressful delusion. This was one of several times Shelley claimed attacks during tough periods.

Political Actions and New Writings

In early 1812, Shelley wrote and published three political pamphlets in Dublin. He gave them out himself. He also gave a speech at a meeting. He called for more rights for Catholics. He also wanted to end the oppression of the Irish poor. Reports of Shelley's activities were sent to the government.

After Ireland, the Shelley household traveled to Wales, then Devon. They were watched by the government again for sharing their ideas. Elizabeth Hitchener joined them in Devon. But a few months later, she left after a disagreement.

The Shelleys settled in Tremadog, Wales, in September 1812. There, Shelley worked on Queen Mab. This poem was published the next year in a small edition. Few copies were given out at first. This was because of the risk of being charged for his political and religious ideas.

In February 1813, Shelley claimed he was attacked at home at night. This incident might have been real. It could also have been a stress-induced hallucination. Or it might have been a trick by Shelley to escape government watch. The Shelleys and Eliza fled to Ireland, then London.

Back in England, Shelley's money problems grew. He tried to get money from his father but failed. On June 23, Harriet gave birth to a girl, Eliza Ianthe Shelley. In the following months, Shelley's relationship with Harriet got worse. Shelley didn't like Harriet's sister's influence. Harriet was upset by Shelley's close friendship with another woman. After Ianthe's birth, the Shelleys moved often. They tried to escape money problems and find a home.

In March 1814, Shelley and Harriet remarried in London. This was to make sure their first wedding was legal. It also secured their child's rights. However, they lived apart for most of the next few months. Shelley felt sad about his "rash & heartless union with Harriet."

A portrait of Mary Shelley in later life by Richard Rothwell. It was shown in 1840.

Meeting Mary Godwin

In May 1814, Shelley started visiting his mentor, Godwin, almost every day. Soon, he fell in love with Mary. She was sixteen and the daughter of Godwin and the late writer Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley and Mary told each other they were in love. This happened at her mother's grave on June 26. When Shelley told Godwin he planned to leave Harriet for Mary, Godwin was angry. He told Shelley to leave and forbade Mary from seeing him.

Shelley and Mary ran away to Europe on July 28. Mary's step-sister, Claire Clairmont, went with them. Before leaving, Shelley got a loan. He left most of the money for Godwin and Harriet, who was pregnant. This money arrangement led to rumors. Some thought Godwin had sold his daughters to Shelley.

Shelley, Mary, and Claire traveled through France. Shelley wrote to Harriet, asking her to meet them in Switzerland. He wanted her to bring the money he left for her. They heard nothing from Harriet in Switzerland. They also couldn't get enough money or a good place to stay. The three traveled to Germany and Holland. They returned to England on September 13.

Shelley spent the next few months trying to get loans. He also tried to avoid people he owed money to. Mary was pregnant, lonely, and sick. Her mood got worse when she heard Harriet had given birth. On November 30, Harriet had a son, Charles Bysshe Shelley. He was the heir to the Shelley family fortune. In January 1815, Shelley's grandfather died. He left a large estate. But it took until April of the next year to sort out the money.

Routes of Shelley's trips to Europe in 1814 and 1816

In February 1815, Mary gave birth early to a baby girl. The baby died ten days later. This made Mary even more sad. In the following weeks, Mary became close to Hogg. He moved in with them for a short time. In May, Claire left the household at Mary's request. She went to live in Lynmouth.

In August, Shelley and Mary moved to Bishopsgate. Shelley worked on Alastor. This was a long poem about the myth of Narcissus. Alastor was published in early 1816. It sold poorly and got mostly bad reviews from conservative newspapers.

On January 24, 1816, Mary gave birth to William Shelley. Shelley was happy to have another son. But he was stressed by long money talks with his father, Harriet, and William Godwin. Shelley showed signs of strange behavior. He was thinking about escaping to Europe.

Meeting Lord Byron

Claire arranged for Byron to meet Shelley, Mary, and her in Geneva in 1816. Shelley admired Byron's poems. He had sent him Queen Mab and other poems. Shelley's group arrived in Geneva in May. They rented a house near Villa Diodati, where Byron was staying. There, Shelley, Byron, and others talked about books, science, and different ideas.

One night, Byron was reading a poem. Shelley had a severe panic attack and saw things that weren't real. The night before, Mary had a dream that inspired her novel Frankenstein.

Shelley and Byron then took a boat trip around Lake Geneva. This inspired Shelley to write "Hymn to Intellectual Beauty." This was his first important poem since Alastor. A trip to Chamonix in the French Alps inspired "Mont Blanc." This poem is seen as Shelley's response to another poet's work. During this trip, Shelley often wrote in guest books that he did not believe in God. Other British tourists saw these notes. This made people back home dislike Shelley even more.

Relations between Byron and Shelley's group became difficult. Byron learned that Claire was pregnant with his child. Shelley, Mary, and Claire left Switzerland in late August. The plans for the baby were still unclear. However, Shelley made sure Claire and the baby would be cared for in his will. In January 1817, Claire gave birth to Byron's daughter. She named her Alba, but Byron later renamed her Allegra.

Marriage to Mary Godwin

Shelley and Mary returned to England in September 1816. In early October, they heard that Mary's half-sister Fanny Imlay had died. Godwin believed Fanny was in love with Shelley. Shelley himself felt sad and guilty about her death. More sadness followed in December. Shelley's first wife, Harriet, drowned in the Serpentine river.

Shelley married Mary Godwin on December 30. He had some personal disagreements with the idea of marriage. After a long legal fight, a court decided that Shelley and Harriet's children should live with foster parents. This was because Shelley had left his first wife for Mary. Also, he had different religious beliefs.

In March 1817, the Shelleys moved to Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Shelley's friend Thomas Love Peacock lived there. The Shelley household included Claire and her baby Allegra. Mary was not happy about their presence. Shelley's generosity with money and growing debts also caused stress. Godwin often asked for money, adding to their financial problems.

On September 2, Mary gave birth to a daughter, Clara Everina Shelley. Soon after, Shelley went to London with Claire. This made Mary even more upset with her step-sister. Shelley was arrested for two days in London because of money he owed. Lawyers visited Mary in Marlowe about Shelley's debts.

Shelley joined a group of writers and politicians around Leigh Hunt. During this time, he met William Hazlitt and John Keats. Shelley's main work then was Laon and Cythna. It was quickly taken off sale after being published. People feared he would be charged for his religious ideas. It was rewritten and reissued as The Revolt of Islam in January 1818. Shelley also published two political pamphlets using a fake name. In December, he wrote "Ozymandias." This is considered one of his best poems. He wrote it as part of a friendly competition with his poet friend Horace Smith.

Life in Italy

A painting of Shelley writing Prometheus Unbound in Italy, by Joseph Severn, 1845

On March 12, 1818, the Shelleys and Claire left England. They wanted to escape what they called its "tyranny." A doctor also suggested Shelley go to Italy for his lung problem. Shelley had arranged to take Claire's daughter, Allegra, to her father Byron in Venice.

After traveling through France and Italy for some months, Shelley left Mary and baby Clara at Bagni di Lucca. He traveled with Claire to Venice to see Byron. Byron invited the Shelleys to stay at his summer home. Shelley urged Mary to meet him there. Clara became very ill on the journey. She died on September 24 in Venice. After Clara's death, Mary became very sad. She also felt distant from Shelley for a long time.

The Shelleys moved to Naples on December 1. They stayed there for three months. During this time, Shelley was ill and sad. This mood is shown in his poem "Stanzas written in Dejection – December 1818, Near Naples."

In Rome, Shelley was still not well. He was probably suffering from a kidney problem. But he made great progress on three major works. These were Julian and Maddalo, Prometheus Unbound, and The Cenci. Julian and Maddalo is a poem about Shelley's own life. It explores his relationship with Byron. It also looks at Shelley's personal challenges from 1818 and 1819. The poem was finished in the summer of 1819. But it was not published while Shelley was alive.

Prometheus Unbound is a long play in verse. It was inspired by an old Greek story. It was finished in late 1819 and published in 1820. The Cenci is a play based on a Renaissance story. Shelley finished the play in September. The first edition was published that year. It became one of his most popular works. It was the only one to have two authorized editions during his lifetime.

Shelley's three-year-old son, William, died in June. He probably died of malaria. This new sadness made Shelley's health worse. It also made Mary's sadness deeper. On August 4, Mary wrote: "We have now lived five years together; and if all the events of the five years were blotted out, I might be happy." The Shelleys were living in Livorno. In September, Shelley heard about the Peterloo Massacre. This was when peaceful protesters were attacked in Manchester. Within two weeks, he finished one of his most famous political poems. It was The Mask of Anarchy. He sent it to Leigh Hunt for publication. However, Hunt decided not to publish it. He feared being charged for his ideas. The poem was only officially published in 1832.

The Shelleys moved to Florence in October. There, Shelley read a very harsh review of The Revolt of Islam. It was in a conservative magazine. Shelley was angry about the personal attack. He wrongly thought Southey had written it. His bitterness about this review lasted for the rest of his life.

On November 12, Mary gave birth to a boy, Percy Florence Shelley. Around this time, the Shelleys met Sophia Stacey. She was a talented musician. She became friends with Shelley while Mary was busy with her newborn son. Shelley wrote at least five love poems for Sophia.

The Shelleys moved to Pisa in January 1820. They went there to see a doctor. There, they became friends with Margaret Mason. She was an Irish republican. Mrs. Mason inspired Shelley's poem "The Sensitive Plant." Shelley's talks with Mason influenced his political ideas.

In March, Shelley wrote to friends that Mary was sad and distant. Shelley also had money worries. People he owed money to in England were pressing him for payment. He also had to make secret payments for a child he had registered in Naples.

Meanwhile, Shelley was writing A Philosophical View of Reform. This was a political essay he started in Rome. The unfinished essay was not published in Shelley's lifetime. It has been called "one of the most advanced and sophisticated documents of political philosophy in the nineteenth century."

In July, Shelley heard that John Keats was very ill in England. Shelley wrote to the poet, inviting him to stay in Pisa. Keats hoped to see him. But instead, arrangements were made for Keats to travel to Rome. After Keats died in 1821, Shelley wrote Adonais. This poem is considered a major tribute. The poem was published in Pisa in July 1821. But it sold few copies.

In early July 1820, Shelley heard that the baby Elena had died on June 9. In the months after this, relations between Mary and Claire got worse. Claire spent most of the next two years living separately from the Shelleys. She mainly lived in Florence.

That December, Shelley met Teresa (Emilia) Viviani. She was 19 years old. She was living in a convent, waiting for a suitable marriage. Shelley visited her many times. They started writing passionate letters. This stopped after her marriage the next September. Emilia inspired Shelley's major poem Epipsychidion.

In March 1821, Shelley finished "A Defence of Poetry." This was a response to Peacock's article "The Four Ages of Poetry". Shelley's essay, with its famous ending "Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world," was not published during his lifetime.

Shelley went alone to Ravenna in early August to see Byron. He made a stop in Livorno to meet Claire. Shelley stayed with Byron for two weeks. He invited Byron to spend the winter in Pisa. After Shelley heard Byron read his new poem, he wrote to Mary: "I despair of rivalling Byron."

In November, Byron moved into Villa Lanfranchi in Pisa. It was just across the river from the Shelleys. Byron became the center of a group of friends in Pisa. This group included Shelley and others.

In early 1822, Shelley became very close to Jane Williams. She was living with her partner Edward Williams in the same building as the Shelleys. Shelley wrote several love poems for Jane. Shelley's clear affection for Jane caused growing tension. This was between Shelley, Edward Williams, and Mary.

Claire arrived in Pisa in April. Soon after, they heard that her daughter Allegra had died. The Shelleys and Claire then moved to Villa Magni. It was near Lerici on the shores of the Gulf of La Spezia. Shelley helped Claire and Byron with arrangements for their daughter's burial. The added stress led to Shelley having some strange visions.

Mary almost died from a health issue on June 16. Shelley's quick help saved her life. Two days later, Shelley wrote to a friend. He said there was no connection between Mary and him. He wished he could forget the past and future. He said he would be happy in his boat with Jane and her guitar.

During this time, Shelley was writing his last major poem. It was the unfinished The Triumph of Life. Some experts call it "the most despairing poem he wrote."

Shelley's Death and Burial

On July 1, 1822, Shelley and Edward Williams sailed in Shelley's new boat, the Don Juan. They went to Livorno. There, Shelley met Leigh Hunt and Byron. They were making plans for a new magazine. After the meeting, on July 8, Shelley, Williams, and their boat boy sailed from Livorno to Lerici. A few hours later, the Don Juan and its crew were lost in a storm. The boat was custom-built for Shelley. Mary Shelley later said the design had a flaw. She said the boat was never safe for the sea. However, the boat was too tall. The sinking was due to a severe storm and the men's poor sailing skills.

Shelley's body washed ashore at Viareggio ten days later. Trelawny identified him from his clothes. A copy of Keats's Lamia was in his jacket pocket. On August 16, his body was cremated on a beach near Viareggio. His ashes were buried in the Protestant Cemetery of Rome.

Shelley's gravestone in the Cimitero Acattolico in Rome. It has words from "Ariel's Song" by Shakespeare.

Shelley's ashes were reburied in a different spot at the cemetery in 1823. His grave has a Latin phrase: Cor Cordium. This means "Heart of Hearts." It also has a few lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest:

Shelley's Family

Shelley was the oldest of several children. His younger siblings were John, Margaret, Hellen, and Mary. He also had a sister named Elizabeth.

Shelley had two children with his first wife, Harriet. They were Eliza Ianthe Shelley (born 1813) and Charles Bysshe Shelley (born 1814). He had four children with his second wife, Mary. An unnamed daughter was born in 1815 but only lived ten days. William Shelley was born in 1816 and died in 1819. Clara Everina Shelley was born in 1817 and died in 1818. Percy Florence Shelley was born in 1819. He became the Third Baronet in 1844. Shelley also said he was the father of Elena Adelaide Shelley (born 1818). She might have been an adopted daughter.

Shelley's Beliefs and Ideas

His Political Views

Shelley was a political radical. This means he wanted big changes in society. He was influenced by thinkers like Rousseau and Godwin. He supported many ideas. He wanted Catholics to have more rights. He believed in a republic, not a monarchy. He wanted to change Parliament and let more people vote. He also believed in freedom of speech and peaceful gatherings. He wanted to end special privileges for rich people and religious leaders. He also wanted a fairer distribution of money and wealth.

His published ideas were often milder than his private ones. This was because he risked being charged for his political views. He also didn't want to upset his friends who had more moderate views. Still, his writings and actions got the attention of the government. He was watched at different times.

Shelley's most important political work after his death was the poem Queen Mab. It had many notes on political topics. This work was published many times. It became popular with groups who wanted social change. His longest political essay, A Philosophical View of Reform, was written in 1820. But it wasn't published until 1920.

Belief in Nonviolence

Shelley believed in peaceful resistance. He thought about the French Revolution and Napoleon's rise. He believed that violent protests could lead to military rule. He supported Irish independence. But he did not support violent rebellion. In his early pamphlet An Address, to the Irish People (1812), he wrote: "I do not wish to see things changed now, because it cannot be done without violence."

In his later essay A Philosophical View of Reform, Shelley did say that force might be needed sometimes. This would be if armed force was used against the will of the people. Shelley supported the 1820 armed rebellion in Spain. He also supported the 1821 Greek uprising against Ottoman rule.

Shelley's poem "The Mask of Anarchy" (written in 1819) is very important. It has been called "perhaps the first modern statement of the principle of nonviolent resistance." Mahatma Gandhi knew about the poem. It's possible Shelley influenced Gandhi through Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience.

His Religious Views

Shelley openly said he did not believe in God. He was influenced by the ideas of Holbach. His views were a key part of his political ideas. He saw organized religion as connected to social control. His open and implied views in his works were risky. He could be charged for his religious ideas. His early pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism was quickly taken off sale. This happened after a priest complained. His poem Queen Mab attacked religious leaders and religion. It was prosecuted twice in 1821. Many of his other works were changed before publication. This was to lower the risk of legal trouble.

His Vegetarianism

Shelley became a vegetarian in early March 1812. He mostly stayed vegetarian for the rest of his life. His vegetarianism was influenced by ancient writers. But he was more directly influenced by John Frank Newton. Newton wrote The Return to Nature, or, A Defence of the Vegetable Regimen (1811). Shelley wrote two essays on vegetarianism.

Experts say Shelley's ideas about vegetarianism were very modern. He talked about its health benefits. He also spoke about reducing animal suffering. He noted that raising animals for food used land inefficiently. He also discussed how it led to economic inequality. Shelley's life and works inspired the founding of the Vegetarian Society in England (1847). He also directly influenced George Bernard Shaw and perhaps Gandhi to become vegetarian.

Shelley's Lasting Influence

Keats–Shelley Memorial House, on the right with a red sign by the Spanish Steps, Rome

When Shelley died, many of his works were unfinished or unpublished. Others were published with changes or errors. Recently, there have been projects to create accurate versions of his writings.

Some people have argued that Shelley helped Mary Shelley write Frankenstein. They believe he should be considered a co-author. However, other experts disagree. They say his changes were more like what an editor would do today.

The Keats–Shelley Memorial Association was founded in 1903. It supports the Keats–Shelley House in Rome. This is a museum and library dedicated to Romantic writers. These writers had strong connections to Italy. The association also takes care of Percy Bysshe Shelley's grave in Rome. The association publishes a scholarly review. It also runs annual writing prizes.

Selected Works by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Here are some of Shelley's works, listed by when he probably wrote them. The year they were first published is also given if it's different.

Poetry, Stories, and Plays

Short Prose Works

• "The Assassins, A Fragment of a Romance" (1814)
• "The Coliseum, A Fragment" (1817)
• "The Elysian Fields: A Lucianic Fragment" (1818)
• "Una Favola (A Fable)" (1819, originally in Italian)

Essays and Other Writings

Chapbooks

• Wolfstein; or, The Mysterious Bandit (1822)
• Wolfstein, The Murderer; or, The Secrets of a Robber's Cave (1830)

Translations

• The Banquet (or The Symposium) of Plato (1818)
• Ion of Plato (1821)

Works with Mary Shelley

• (1817) History of a Six Weeks' Tour
• (1820) Proserpine
• (1820) Midas

See also

In Spanish: Percy Bysshe Shelley para niños