The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,285 pages of information about The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete.

The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,285 pages of information about The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley — Complete.

21. —­when the waves smile, As sudden earthquakes light many a volcano-isle, Thus sudden, unexpected feast was spread, etc. (6 7 8, 9; 8 1.) With Forman, Dowden, Woodberry, I substitute after isle (7 9) a comma for the full stop of editions 1818, 1839 (retained by Rossetti).  The passage is obscure:  perhaps Shelley wrote ‘lift many a volcano-isle.’  The plain becomes studded in an instant with piles of corpses, even as the smiling surface of the sea will sometimes become studded in an instant with many islands uplifted by a sudden shock of earthquake.

22. 7 7 2-6.  The editio princeps punctuates thus:—­ and words it gave Gestures and looks, such as in whirlwinds bore Which might not be withstood, whence none could save All who approached their sphere, like some calm wave Vexed into whirlpools by the chasms beneath; This punctuation is retained by Forman; Rossetti, Dowden, Woodberry, place a comma after gave (2) and Gestures (3), and—­adopting the suggestion of Mr. A.C.  Bradley—­enclose line 4 (Which might...could save) in parentheses; thus construing which might not be withstood and whence none could save as adjectival clauses qualifying whirlwinds (3), and taking bore (3) as a transitive verb governing All who approached their sphere (5).  This, which I believe to be the true construction, is perhaps indicated quite as clearly by the pointing adopted in the text—­a pointing moreover which, on metrical grounds, is, I think, preferable to that proposed by Mr. Bradley.  I have added a dash to the comma after sphere (5), to indicate that it is Cythna herself (and not All who approached, etc.) that resembles some calm wave, etc.

23.  Which dwell in lakes, when the red moon on high Pause ere it wakens tempest;—­ (7 22 6, 7.) Here when the moon Pause is clearly irregular, but it appears in editions 1818, 1839, and is undoubtedly Shelley’s phrase.  Rossetti cites a conjectural emendation by a certain ’C.D.  Campbell, Mauritius’:—­which the red moon on high Pours eve it wakens tempest; but cf.  “Julian and Maddalo”, lines 53, 54:—­ Meanwhile the sun paused ere it should alight, Over the horizon of the mountains. —­and “Prince Athanase”, lines 220, 221:—­ When the curved moon then lingering in the west Paused, in yon waves her mighty horns to wet, etc.

24. —­time imparted Such power to me—­I became fearless-hearted, etc. (7 30 4, 5.) With Woodberry I replace with a dash the comma (editio princeps) after me (5)retained by Forman, deleted by Rossetti and Dowden.  Shelley’s (and Forman’s) punctuation leaves the construction ambiguous; with Woodberry’s the two clauses are seen to be parallel—­the latter being appositive to and explanatory of the former; while with Dowden’s the clauses are placed in correlation:  time imparted such power to me that I became fearless-hearted.

25.  Of love, in that lorn solitude, etc. (7 32 7.) All editions prior to 1876 have lone solitude, etc.  The important emendation lorn was first introduced into the text by Forman, from Shelley’s revised copy of “Laon and Cythna”, where lone is found to be turned into lorn by the poet’s own hand.

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