"Adonais"
Poetry
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Percy Bysshe Shelley
Adonais Full Poem
Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats
By Percy Bysshe Shelley
I
I weep for Adonais—he is dead!
Oh, weep for Adonais! though our tears
Thaw not the frost which binds so dear a head!
And thou, sad Hour, selected from all years
To mourn our loss, rouse thy obscure compeers,
And teach them thine own sorrow, say: "With me
Died Adonais; till the Future dares
Forget the Past, his fate and fame sha...
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Adonais Themes
The Relationship Between Man and Nature: In “Adonais,” Shelley shows a deep connection between man and nature. When Keats dies, all of nature becomes sad. The sea, the winds, the mountains, the flowers, and even the spring season. Shelley writes that the spring season is so sad and full of grief that she is throwing its flower buds down. Nature loved Keats because he loved and wrote about nature i...
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"Adonais" Literary Device
Apostrophe: Apostrophe means directly talking to someone who is not present or cannot reply. In Adonais, Shelley talks to Keats, who is dead. He also talks to Urania, a goddess. These direct addresses show deep emotion. They help express grief, anger, and love. This device makes the poem more personal and powerful.
Personification: Personification means giving human qualities to non-human things....
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"Adonais" Quotes
“No more let life divide what death can join together.”
Explanation: Shelley says this when he wishes to be reunited with Keats after death. He feels that life has separated them, but death can bring them back together. This line shows Shelley’s deep love and longing. It also shows that he no longer fears death. Instead, he sees it as a way to return to his dear friend forever.
“Life, like a dom...
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"Adonais" Characters
Adonais (Protagonist) Adonais is a reference to John Keats, the central figure of the poem. In Greek mythology, Adonis was a handsome youth loved by Aphrodite (Venus), and Shelley uses this myth to symbolize Keats's beauty and poetic talent.
Urania: Urania, the Muse of Astronomy, is invoked at the beginning of the poem as a source of inspiration and guidance for the poet.
Aphrodite: Greek Goddess...
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"Adonais" Summary
Shelley Begins to Mourn: Shelley starts the poem with deep sadness. He cries that Adonais (John Keats) is dead. He feels broken and hopeless. He calls everyone to mourn with him. Shelley also asks the "sad Hour" to join in the mourning. In the second stanza, he calls on Urania. She is a goddess and the symbolic mother of Keats. He asks her where she was when Keats died. He is angry because she did...
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Notes
Explore 9 detailed notes related to "Adonais". Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.