The Selected Poetry and Prose of Shelley (Wordsworth Poetry) (Wordsworth Poetry Library) [Paperback]

I would recommend this volume for all casual students and readers of Shelley. It is inexpensively priced, and I believe it contains all the pieces printed in Mary Shelley's 1839 version of her husband's "complete works," along with their corresponding prefaces (rarely provided in more insipid 'best of' collections of Shelley). However, I am unable to award this book a higher rating because it is plagued by some very glaring typographical errors and misprints (example: "and if the spark with which Heaven lit my spirit/Had been with purer nutriment supplied" from "The Triumph of Life" is presented as "purer sentiment" in the Wordsworth edition). Nevertheless, at less than 5 bucks, this book is a great introduction to the unjustly neglected poetic achievement of Shelley, in my opinion the supreme genius of the great triad of the younger Romantics.

Everyone inevitably has a favorite among the young English Romantic poets - Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Keats -, but all three are among the language's best and have individual strengths. Shelley is second to Keats in pure beauty and second to Byron in sheer readability and humor but excels both in intellectual vigor and is also arguably the most original and the best craftsman. Even most of the greatest poets find it hard to match beauty and craft with depth; only Alexander Pope and Thomas Hardy among English poets rival Shelley here. He wrote some of the greatest philosophical poems, focusing specifically on theology as well as other weighty subjects, yet manages to remain nearly always readable. However, he is not limited to this, also writing more than a few of the most blazingly beautiful love lyrics in English and as some of the most poignant paeans to nature and other forms of transcendence. Perhaps most impressively, may be the all-time greatest English political poet; his unabashed liberalism may turn off some, but the very quality of his political verse is nothing short of incredible. Though fervent in his beliefs and extremely extroverted, he never forgets that he is an artist; he was never didactic or preachy after Queen Mab, his somewhat heavy-handed debut poem, published when he was only twenty. His political works are engaging - and, above all, readable - without forgetting the importance of form. Whatever one thinks of Shelley's views, these poems are remarkable for showing just how far ahead of his time he was. Few people have ever been so radical for their era; it is hardly hyperbolic to say he would be a radical even now, two centuries later. Yet he was no mindless liberal but always ready and more than willing to justify his views intellectually and practically; his poems reflect this and are the better for it. Finally, Shelley's diversity and greatness showed themselves not least in his astonishing variety of poetic forms, several of which he introduced or pioneered. Few poets have contributed as much in this area, especially in such a brief career. A work like Prometheus Unbound has more variety than most poets manage in a lifetime, and Shelley was a master of forms ranging from the sonnet, which he pushed in new directions, to the mini epic. Suffice it to say that anyone even remotely serious about English poetry needs to own Shelley's poems.

As for this edition, it is ideal for most but will fall short for some. The main complaint is that, unlike many Wordsworth editions, it is incomplete. It has nearly all Shelley's poetry, but the long works Laon and Cythna, more famously republished as The Revolt of Islam, and Peter Bell the Third are here only in extracts. This will not be a problem for most, as they are not Shelley's best works. Some fans value Laon highly, but it is overlong and drags in parts. Those who like it here will be encouraged to seek out the whole, but the excisions will serve most readers well. Peter is near-universally considered one of Shelley's least significant works; a generally unsuccessful march on Byron's mock-epic territory that attacks William Wordsworth, whose conservative conversion both poets detested, it tries almost painfully hard to be funny but rarely is. Few will bemoan its loss.

There are several compensations even for those who will miss these works. Most importantly, several pieces not often included in such collections are here. Perhaps the most notable is The Cenci, Shelley's brilliant play. It is one of the most underrated English dramas and a great treat. His famous closet drama Prometheus Unbound is of course also included. Additionally, in contrast to most Wordsworth poetry editions, there is a generous prose selection. Here we see another area where Shelley outshined his fellow young Romantics and, indeed, nearly all other poets. It is a true compliment to his prose to say that it is nearly as good as his poetry. He wrote a significant amount of prose covering many topics, and this has six offerings aside from the various prefaces and notes to his poems, including the legendary ones for Queen Mab. The selection is by no means complete, about one hundred pages compared to 550 for the poetry, but is quite representative and will make the interested seek out the rest - no small accomplishment. "A Declaration of Rights" summarizes his case for Irish independence, a compelling argument and very far ahead of its time. "A Letter to Lord Ellenborough" concisely summarizes some of his arguments for freedom of the press as well as much of his articulate religious criticism. Shelley's outspokenness about this last was incredible for its era and unfortunately harmed him in several ways, but he is a leading light for skeptics to this day. Few religion critics have been as articulate and, indeed, convincing. "A Vindication of Natural Diet" is even more interesting, if less valuable in the wide sense. A vegetarian manifesto, it again shows Shelley well ahead of the proverbial curve. Even today, vegans would be very hard-pressed to find a more forceful and well-written justification; the arguments are very interesting, even if some - such as the claim that eating meat leads to violence - now seem overly novel or even naïve. "An Address to the People on the Death of Princess Charlotte" and "A Philosophical View of Reform" are probably Shelley's most thorough and important political prose writings. One gets from them a good sense of his views and comes away with admiration of his clear and persuasive writing, however much one agrees with the content. The latter is particularly comprehensive and impressive, especially since it is unfinished - not to mention that it was so progressive that it went unpublished for a century. Despite the title and like the other work, it has much practical content and is still very relevant. The book closes with "A Defense of Poetry," Shelley's most famous prose piece. It clearly shows that, on top of everything else, he was an immaculate critic. This magnificent work not only brilliantly and convincingly espouses Shelley's poetics but also makes one of the most compelling cases ever for poetry's usefulness - aesthetically as well as practically. It is of course somewhat self-serving, but even those who violently disagree will surely come away with a new appreciation of the subject and increased respect for Shelley's intellect and writing.

As for supplementary material, this has a surprising amount that will certainly be enough for most but will leave diehards dry. Unlike many Wordsworth poetry editions, there is an extensive introduction providing an overview of Shelley's life and thought, including a timeline, and an overview of each poem with some critical commentary. Also unlike most Wordsworth poetry volumes, there are footnotes; they are surprisingly extensive, clearing up nearly everything likely to elude but avoiding dense commentary. Title and first line indices make browsing easy and, again unlike some titles in the series, the print is quite large. Lack of line numbers will go unnoticed by many, but some readers will be annoyed, especially with the long poems. Finally, while not on par with more expensive editions', the binding is quite good; my copy has held up well over years of frequent browsing. All told, anyone looking for a near-comprehensive look at Shelley's poems and/or much of his prose while trying to avoid spending a lot of money could not do better. Those wanting a more concise introduction may be better off with a volume containing only his best work, though the inexpensiveness of this edition and the fact that it has prose mean one might as well go for it. Only those looking for complete and/or deluxe editions of the poems should look elsewhere, though the generous prose selections may entice even them.

Personally, I thought the Poetry itself wasn't too bad. Unfortunately the print was way too small, making reading difficult. For that reason, it didn't hold my interest too well. I hope to return to the book again later, once I get my new prescription specs.