雪莱生平（1792-1822）

　　PercyByssheShelleywasbornin1792,intoawealthySussexfamilywhicheventuallyattainedminornoblerank--thepoet'sgrandfather,awealthybusinessman,receivedabaronetcyin1806.TimothyShelley,thepoet'sfather,wasamemberofParliamentandacountrygentleman.TheyoungShelleyenteredEton,aprestigiousschoolforboys,attheageoftwelve.Whilehewasthere,hediscoveredtheworksofaphilosophernamedWilliamGodwin,whichheconsumedpassionatelyandinwhichhebecameaferventbeliever;theyoungmanwholeheartedlyembracedtheidealsoflibertyandequalityespousedbytheFrenchRevolution,anddevotedhisconsiderablepassionandpersuasivepowertoconvincingothersoftherightnessofhisbeliefs.EnteringOxfordin1810,ShelleywasexpelledthefollowingspringforhispartinauthoringapamphletentitledTheNecessityofAtheism--atheismbeinganoutrageousideainreligiouslyconservativenineteenth-centuryEngland.

　　Attheageofnineteen,ShelleyelopedwithHarrietWestbrook,thesixteen-year-olddaughterofatavernkeeper,whomhemarrieddespitehisinherentdislikeforthetavern.Notlongafter,hemadethepersonalacquaintanceofWilliamGodwininLondon,andpromptlyfellinlovewithGodwin'sdaughterMaryWollstonecraft,whomhewaseventuallyabletomarry,andwhoisnowrememberedprimarilyastheauthorofFrankenstein.In1816,theShelleystraveledtoSwitzerlandtomeetLordByron,themostfamous,celebrated,andcontroversialpoetoftheera;thetwomenbecameclosefriends.Afteratime,theyformedacircleofEnglishexpatriatesinPisa,travelingthroughoutItaly;duringthistimeShelleywrotemostofhisfinestlyricpoetry,includingtheimmortal"OdetotheWestWind"and"ToaSkylark."In1822,ShelleydrownedwhilesailinginastormofftheItaliancoast.Hewasnotyetthirtyyearsold.

　　ShelleybelongstotheyoungergenerationofEnglishRomanticpoets,thegenerationthatcametoprominencewhileWilliamWordsworthandSamuelTaylorColeridgeweresettlingintomiddleage.Wheretheoldergenerationwasmarkedbysimpleidealsandareverencefornature,thepoetsoftheyoungergeneration(whichalsoincludedJohnKeatsandtheinfamousLordByron)cametobeknownfortheirsensuousaestheticism,theirexplorationsofintensepassions,theirpoliticalradicalism,andtheirtragicallyshortlives.

　　Shelleydiedwhenhewastwenty-nine,Byronwhenhewasthirty-six,andKeatswhenhewasonlytwenty-sixyearsold.Toanextent,theintensityoffeelingemphasizedbyRomanticismmeantthatthemovementwasalwaysassociatedwithyouth,andbecauseByron,Keats,andShelleydiedyoung(andneverhadtheopportunitytosinkintoconservatismandcomplacencyasWordsworthdid),theyhaveattainediconicstatusastherepresentativetragicRomanticartists.Shelley'slifeandhispoetrycertainlysupportsuchanunderstanding,butitisimportantnottoindulgeinstereotypestotheextentthattheyobscureapoet'sindividualcharacter.Shelley'sjoy,hismagnanimity,hisfaithinhumanity,andhisoptimismareuniqueamongtheRomantics;hisexpressionofthosefeelingsmakeshimoneoftheearlynineteenthcentury'smostsignificantwritersinEnglish.

　　雪莱,（PercyByssheShelley,1792～1822）英国著名民主诗人.出身乡村地主家庭,20岁入牛津大学,因写反宗教的哲学论文被学校开除.投身社会后,又因写诗歌鼓动英国人民革命及支持爱尔兰民族民主运动,而被迫于1818年迁居意大利.在意大利,他仍积极支持意大利人民的民族解放斗争,1822年渡海遇风暴不幸船沉溺