Percy Bysshe Shelley
On a summer day in 1804, Percy Bysshe Shelley stood before the wooden paling fence at Eton College. He held a bag of gunpowder he had stolen from the school laboratory. The boy was only twelve years old when he decided to test his new explosive mixture on the school property. The resulting explosion shattered the fence and sent splinters flying into the faces of passing students.
This act of destruction marked the beginning of a pattern that would define his early life. Shelley spent hours conducting dangerous experiments with acids and electricity while his sisters watched in terror. His teachers called him Mad Shelley because of his violent rages and refusal to follow rules. The headmaster tried to expel him multiple times but could not find enough evidence to remove him permanently.
His classmates developed their own nickname for him after witnessing these incidents. They called him Shelley-baits because they enjoyed tormenting him during school hours. The bullying intensified as Shelley grew older and more isolated from other boys. He responded by retreating further into books about science and the occult instead of trying to make friends.
By 1810, Shelley had gained a reputation as both a classical scholar and an eccentric troublemaker among his peers. He published his first novel Zastrozzi while still attending Eton. The book featured dark themes and supernatural elements that reflected his growing interest in forbidden knowledge. Other students began reading his work despite the warnings from faculty members.
In late December 1810, Percy Bysshe Shelley met Harriet Westbrook at a boarding school where his younger sisters studied. The sixteen-year-old girl became the object of his intense attention within weeks of their meeting. They corresponded frequently throughout the winter months following his expulsion from Oxford University.
Shelley convinced Harriet that her father oppressed her through strict control over her life choices. He argued that marriage would liberate them from societal constraints and allow them to live according to radical principles. On the 25th of August 1811, he left with Harriet for Edinburgh where they married on the 28th of August without parental consent.
Harriet's father John Westbrook immediately cut off all financial support after learning of the elopement. Shelley's own father Sir Timothy also withdrew his allowance because he believed his son had married beneath him socially. The couple survived on borrowed money while living in Edinburgh for one month before moving to York.
Financial pressure mounted as Shelley tried to maintain his lifestyle without family backing. His relationship with Harriet deteriorated rapidly under these circumstances. She felt abandoned when he traveled alone to Sussex to negotiate with his father. During this absence, Harriet confessed that Thomas Jefferson Hogg had attempted to seduce her while Shelley was away.
On the 12th of March 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Godwin left England permanently to escape what they called civil and religious tyranny. A doctor recommended Italy for Shelley's chronic lung complaint which had worsened during their travels across Europe. They took Claire Clairmont along with them despite Mary's reservations about her presence.
Shelley wrote Prometheus Unbound during a period of intense illness in Naples. The poem drew inspiration from ancient Greek mythology while expressing radical political ideas about freedom and resistance against oppression. He completed Julian and Maddalo in Rome where he explored themes of personal crisis and friendship through dialogue between two characters.
Mary experienced deep depression after their daughter Clara died in Venice on the 24th of September 1819. Her grief intensified when another child Elena Adelaide disappeared shortly after birth in Naples. Biographers have never conclusively determined whether Elena was adopted or born out of wedlock to Shelley himself.
Despite these tragedies, Shelley produced some of the finest poetry of the Romantic period during his three years in Italy. His works included The Cenci, a verse drama based on a Renaissance story of rape and murder that became one of his most popular plays. The poem Queen Mab gained popularity among Owenist and Chartist circles even though it remained largely unpublished during his lifetime.
In early March 1812, Percy Bysshe Shelley converted to a vegetable diet and maintained this practice for the rest of his life. His vegetarianism stemmed from influences including ancient authors like Hesiod and Pythagoras as well as modern thinkers such as John Frank Newton. Shelley wrote essays defending natural diets while arguing against animal husbandry practices.
Shelley advocated Catholic emancipation and parliamentary reform throughout his political writings. He called for an end to aristocratic privilege and redistribution of wealth through peaceful means rather than violent rebellion. In An Address to the Irish People he stated clearly that force should not be employed unless absolutely necessary for change.
His pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism caused controversy when distributed to bishops and college heads at Oxford University. The work led directly to his expulsion from the institution along with Thomas Jefferson Hogg who co-authored parts of it. Shelley refused to answer questions about authorship despite pressure from college authorities.
Later in life he developed ideas about free love based on Mary Wollstonecraft's earlier feminist arguments. He believed sexual relationships should remain free between consenting adults without legal restrictions imposed by marriage institutions. This philosophy created tension within his own marriages and contributed to social isolation from mainstream society.
On the 8th of July 1822, Percy Bysshe Shelley sailed out of Livorno aboard a small boat named Don Juan with Edward Williams and their boat boy. A few hours later the vessel disappeared into stormy waters off the coast of Italy. The open boat had been custom-built in Genoa but proved unseaworthy during severe weather conditions.
Shelley's decomposed body washed ashore at Viareggio ten days after the accident. Edward Trelawny identified him through clothing details and a copy of Keats's Lamia found in a jacket pocket. Authorities cremated his remains on a beach near Viareggio on the 16th of August 1822 before burying ashes in Rome's Protestant Cemetery.
During the cremation process something unusual occurred that would become legendary among biographers. His heart resisted burning completely despite intense heat applied over several hours. Trelawny retrieved the scorched organ which may have been calcified due to earlier tubercular infection or possibly his liver instead.
Leigh Hunt preserved the heart in spirits of wine for many years before eventually returning it to Mary Shelley. Some accounts suggest the jawbone was also recovered and later given to the Shelley-Keats Memorial in Rome. These relics became symbols of devotion between friends who refused to let go of their lost companion.
Most of Percy Bysshe Shelley's poetry sold poorly during his lifetime with editions limited to only 250 copies each. The Cenci received an authorized second edition while alive but Byron's Corsair sold out its first print run of 10,000 copies within one day. Reviewers often launched personal attacks against Shelley's private life rather than focusing on literary merit alone.
Matthew Arnold described him as beautiful yet ineffectual after his death when mainstream critics began evaluating Romantic poets more seriously. Twentieth-century figures like Eliot and Leavis criticized his work for immature sensibility and repellent ideas about religion and politics. These assessments dominated academic discourse until the 1960s when new generations rediscovered his contributions.
Since then scholars have recognized Shelley as a superb craftsman whose lyrical gifts remain unmatched among English poets. Harold Bloom called him one of the most advanced skeptical intellects ever to write poetry despite earlier dismissals from conservative reviewers. His influence extended across centuries affecting writers ranging from Robert Browning to W.B. Yeats.
Modern projects continue establishing reliable editions of his manuscripts through extensive archival research at institutions like Oxford University. The Bodleian Library houses thousands of pages containing corrections visible in Frankenstein notebooks that suggest significant collaboration between Percy and Mary Shelley.
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Common questions
When did Percy Bysshe Shelley die and how old was he?
Percy Bysshe Shelley died on the 8th of July 1822 at the age of twenty-nine. His body washed ashore at Viareggio ten days after his boat disappeared in stormy waters off the coast of Italy.
What nickname did classmates give to Percy Bysshe Shelley during school?
Classmates called him Shelley-baits because they enjoyed tormenting him during school hours. Teachers also referred to him as Mad Shelley due to his violent rages and refusal to follow rules.
Why was Percy Bysshe Shelley expelled from Oxford University?
Percy Bysshe Shelley was expelled from Oxford University because he distributed a pamphlet titled The Necessity of Atheism. He refused to answer questions about authorship despite pressure from college authorities.
Who married Percy Bysshe Shelley on the 25th of August 1811?
Harriet Westbrook married Percy Bysshe Shelley on the 28th of August 1811 without parental consent. They left for Edinburgh together shortly before their marriage took place.
Where is the heart of Percy Bysshe Shelley located today?
Leigh Hunt preserved the heart of Percy Bysshe Shelley in spirits of wine for many years before returning it to Mary Shelley. Some accounts suggest the jawbone was also recovered and given to the Shelley-Keats Memorial in Rome.