Anarchy's Demise

Percy Blysshe Shelley is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the romantic age. He blended the writing styles of the romantic age and the reformation to create unique poetry that is structured and polished, yet contains romantic elements such as nature and supernatural ideas. In 1819, while residing in Italy, Shelley heard of a massacre in the English city of Manchester. In her notes on The Mask of Anarchy, Mary Shelley stated about the event: "It roused in him violent emotions of indignation and compassion" (Mary Shelley 373). This event roused the spirit of his youth, when he attempted to excite his countrymen to fight the power of the ruling class. Inspired by these feelings, Shelley wrote a satire, The Mask of Anarchy in a purposefully lax and familiar measure so that the common people would understand the meaning. The Mask of Anarchy is an...