Compiled   by London swaminathan

swami_48@yahoo.com

Date:22 JANUARY 2019

GMT Time uploaded in London – 21-40
Post No. 5975

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Some of the admirers of the 18th century German poet Klopstock made a journey from Gottingen to Hamburg to ask him to explain a difficult passage in his works. Klopstock received them graciously, read the passage and said, 
I cannot recollect what I meant when I wrote it, but I remember it was the finest thing I ever wrote and you cannot do better than devote your lives to the discovery of its meaning.

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Erskine’s Question

John Erskine one time went to lecture at the University of Pennsylvania. The President of the university had never met Dr Erskine, and did not immediately succeed in finding him when he went to meet him on the station platform. When the two men had at last identified one another, the president of the university said 
I asked one gentleman if he were Dr Erskine, and he said emphatically, I should say not.
I asked another one and he said, I wish I were. That proves that at least one of them had read your books. 
Yes, said Erskine. But which one?

XXX

Shelley s. reading habit 

Let main pattern of Shelley s life was an alternation of sleeping and reading. He was, in fact, always fatigued from night reading, and had a habit of falling asleep by day, anywhere sudddenly, like a child. At Oxford he read about sixteen out of every twenty four hours, his eyes always in a book when eating or when walking whether in country lanes o, or on the streets …..

It was his habit at this time to read standing where possible. Trelawney that he left Shelley at ten one morning, standing at the mantel in his study reading and returning at six, found him in the same position still reading, looking pale and exhausted.

Xxxx

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY PROFILE

SHELLYEY, English Poet, Novelist and Essayist

Born August 4, 1792

Died July 8, 1822

Age at death 29

P B Shelley was one of England’s greatest Romantic poets. He was born into a wealthy noble family. He was educated at Eton college, where his radical views on politics and religion earned him a nick name ‘Mad Shelley’. While still at Eton and aged just 18, he published his first book, a gothic horror novel called Zastrozzi. In 1811 he was expelled from Oxford University for writing an anti-Christian pamphlet.

The same year 19 year old Shelley shocked his family even more by secretly marrying 16 year old Harriet Westbrook. This was the start of Shelly’s adventurous life of elopements and restless travels. Three year later Shelley eloped with Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, who became Mary Shelley and who wrote the famous novel Frankenstein. Harriet killed herself in 1816, and Shelley married his new love. Mary and Shelley moved around constantly; they travelled around Europe and lived in many different towns in England. Shelley wrote his poetry in short bursts of intense creativity. His poems such as Alastor and Ozymandias, overflow with intense emotion and radical ideas that were not always appreciated by readers of his time.

In 1818 Shelley and Mary left England to live in Italy. He completed some of his greatest poetry there, including his masterpiece Prometheus Unbound. A few years later, on a short sea voyage along the Italian coast, Shelly’s small sail boat was caught in a storm and he was drowned. He was just 29 years old, but he had written poetry hat established him as one of the greatest English poets.

Publications

1810 Zastrozzi

1813 Queen Mab

1816 Alastor

1818 The Revolt of Islam

1818 Ozymandias

1819 The Cenci

1820 Prometheus Unbound

1821 Adonais

Published after he died

1824 The Triumph of Life

Xxxxx Subham xxxx