+Stanza 34,+ 1. 1. _His partial moan._ The epithet 'partial' is
accounted for by what immediately follows--viz. that Shelley 'in
another's fate now wept his own.' He, like Keats, was the object of
critical virulence, and he was wont (but on very different grounds) to
anticipate an early death. See (on p. 34) the expression in a letter
from Shelley--'a writer who, however he may differ,' &c.
1. 4. _As in the accents of an unknown land He sang new sorrow._ It is
not very clear why Shelley should represent that he, as one of the
Mountain Shepherds, used a language different (as one might infer) from
that of his companions. All those whom he particularizes were his
compatriots. Perhaps however Shelley merely means that the language
(English) was that of a land unknown to the Greek deity Aphrodite
Urania. The phrase 'new sorrow' occurs in the Elegy by Moschus (p. 65).
By the use of this phrase Shelley seems to mean not merely that the
death of Keats was a recent and sorrowful event, but more especially
that it constituted a new sorrow--one more sorrow--to Shelley himself.
11. 3, 5. I reproduce the punctuation of the Pisan edition, with a colon
after 'his own,' and a semicolon after 'sorrow.' It appears to me
however that the sense would rather require either a full stop after
'his own,' and a comma after 'sorrow,' or else a comma after 'his own,'
and a full stop or colon after 'sorrow.' Yet it is possible that the
phrase, 'As in the accents,' &c., forms a separate clause by itself,
meaning, 'As _if_ in the accents of an unknown land, he sang new
sorrow.'
11. 8, 9. _Made bare his branded and ensanguined brow, Which was like
Cain's or Christ's._ Shelley represents his own brow as being branded
like Cain's--stamped with the mark of reprobation; and ensanguined like
Christ's--bleeding from a crown of thorns. This indicates the extreme
repugnance with which he was generally regarded, and in especial perhaps
the decree of the Court of Chancery which deprived him of his children
by his first marriage--and generally the troubles and sufferings which
he had undergone. The close coupling-together, in this line, of the
names of Cain and Christ, was not likely to conciliate antagonists; and
indeed one may safely surmise that it was done by Shelley more for the
rather wanton purpose of exasperating them than with any other
object.--In this stanza Urania appears for the last time.
+Stanza 35,+ 1, 1. _What softer voice is hushed over the dead?_ The
personage here referred to is Leigh Hunt. See p. 45.
1. 6. _Gentlest of the wise._ It is apparent that Shelley entertained a
very sincere affection and regard for Leigh Hunt. He dedicated to Hunt
the tragedy of _The Cenci_, using the following expressions among
others: 'Had I known a person more highly endowed than yourself with all
that it becomes a man to possess, I had solicited for this work the
ornament of his name. One more gentle, honourable, innocent, and brave;
one of more exalted toleration for all who do and think evil, and yet
himself more free from evil; one who knows better how to receive and how
to confer a benefit, though he must ever confer far more than he can
receive; one of simpler and (in the highest sense of the word) of purer
life and manners, I never knew: and I had already been fortunate in
friendships when your name was added to the list.'
1. 7. _Taught, soothed, loved, honoured, the departed one._ It has
sometimes been maintained that Hunt, whatever may have been the personal
friendship which he felt for Keats, did not, during the latter's
lifetime, champion his literary cause with so much zeal as might have
been expected from his professions. This is a point open to a good deal
of discussion from both sides. Mr. Buxton Forman, who, as Editor of
Keats, had occasion to investigate the matter attentively, pronounces
decidedly in favour of Hunt.
+Stanza 36,+ 1. 1. _Our Adonais has drunk poison._ Founded on those
lines of Moschus which appear as a motto to Shelley's Elegy. See also p.
49.
1. 2. _What deaf and viperous murderer._ Deaf, because insensible to the
beauty of Keats's verse; and viperous, because poisonous and malignant.
The juxtaposition of the two epithets may probably be also partly
dependent on that passage in the Psalms (lviii. 4, 5) which has become
proverbial: 'They are as venomous as the poison of a serpent: even like
the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears; which refuseth to hear the voice
of the charmer, charm he never so wisely.'
1. 4. _The nameless worm._ A worm, as being one of the lowest forms of
life, is constantly used as a term implying contempt; but it may be
assumed that Shelley here uses 'worm' in its original sense, that of any
crawling creature, more especially of the snake kind. There would thus
be no departure from the previous epithet 'viperous.' See the remarks as
to 'reptiles,' St. 29.
11. 5, 6. _The magic tone Whose prelude,_ &c. Shelley, it will be
perceived, here figures Keats as a minstrel striking the lyre, and
preparing to sing. He strikes the lyre in a 'magic tone'; the very
'prelude' of this was enough to command silent expectation. This prelude
is the poem of _Endymion_, to which the _Quarterly_ reviewer alone
(according to Shelley) was insensitive, owing to feelings of 'envy,
hate, and wrong.' The prelude was only an induction to the
'song,'--which was eventually poured forth in the _Lamia_ volume, and
especially (as our poet opined) in _Hyperion_. But now Keats's hand is
cold in death, and his lyre unstrung. As I have already observed--see p.
35, &c.--Shelley was mistaken in supposing that the _Quarterly Review_
had held a monopoly of 'envy, hate, and wrong'--or, as one might now
term them, detraction, spite, and unfairness--in reference to Keats.
+Stanza 37,+ 1. 4. _But be thyself, and know thyself to be!_ The precise
import of this line is not, I think, entirely plain at first sight. I
conceive that we should take the line as immediately consequent upon the
preceding words--'Live thou, live!' Premising this, one might amplify
the idea as follows; 'While Keats is dead, be it thy doom, thou his deaf
and viperous murderer, to live! But thou shalt live in thine own
degraded identity, and shalt thyself be conscious how degraded thou
art.' Another suggestion might be that the words 'But be thyself are
equivalent to 'Be but thyself.'
11. 5, 6. _And ever at thy season be thou free To spill the venom when
thy fangs o'erflow._ This keeps up the image of the 'viperous'
murderer--the viper. 'At thy season' can be understood as a reference to
the periodical issues of the _Quarterly Review_. The word 'o'erflow' is,
in the Pisan edition, printed as two words--'o'er flow.'
1. 7. _Remorse and self-contempt._ Shelley frequently dwells upon
self-contempt as one of the least tolerable of human distresses.
Thus in the _Revolt of Islam_ (Canto 8, st. 20):
'Yes, it is Hate--that shapeless fiendly thing
Of many names, all evil, some divine--
Whom self-contempt arms with a mortal sting,' &c.