The Normal Record. September 1902

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THE NORMAL   RECORD.
expulsion from school soon after. He was
certainly treated unkindly and unjustiy in
this matter, for it should have been borne in
mind that he was a mere youth, and if he did
really have a wrong view of the matter he
should have received wise consultation and
advise, instead of harsh treatment.
Love was the light of Shelley's existence.
"For love and life in him were  twins
Born at one birth.
That to know him was to love him, was
shown by the number of his devoted friends.
Among all of his friends, however, he never
found any one who fully came up to his ideal.
He had a most loving nature, and at least a
kindly feeling for every one whether high or
low in origin. Any one in trouble app?aled
most strongly to his sympathies, and in many
cases his sympathy has amounted to love.
His close friendship with Leigh Hunt, and
his first marriage with Harriet Westbrook
may be thus accounted for. We see by the
widely differentiated characters of his dearest friends, that he could love anybody who
sympathized with him and sought his friendship. He caused a lasting blemish to rest
upon his name by deserting his first wife for
Mary Godwin. In the eyes of the world it
was a great misdemeanor, but in his sense of
right he was justified. Love, to him was
a holy thing and the customary marriage
rites seemed only a farce and could rightly
be dispensed with. •' The high estimate and
pure feeling he had for womanhood was a
marked'point in his character. He was • a
subject of admiration of all women who knew
him. Seveal openly declare'd their love for
him, and that he should cause any one sorrow
through loving him, made him very unhappy.
Shelley lacked almost all sense of humor.
Things that people would ordinarily laugh at
would perhaps call forth a feeling of tender
sympathy in him. Any jest that was course,
immodest or uncleanly told in his presence
would e-.ause him to be very indignant, while
he delighted to hear pleasant innocent  jests.
Shelley possessed a great dislike for
society. He cared for the company only of
those he loved. Oftentimes when greatly
depressed he wished te be entirely secluded
from every one and commune with nature
alone.    He has been known  to  say  "Where
two or three are gathered together, the
devil is among them." During all his travels
he made few acquaintances, becouse of his
love of seclusion. He limited his acquaintances usually to the poor and suffering. To
such people he gave freely his services and
means regardless of himself. In fact he
never thought of himself or his own comfort,
but was ever thoughtful of the pleasure of
others. When in company he talked freely
and fluently to any one or every one. Scarce-
ever was he seen without an open book in his
hand, and he read wherever he was, whether
in a secluded corner of a library or on the
most crowded thoroughfare of London. .
His appetite was the least of his troubles.
He has remarked "I cannot understand how
anyone can want more than bread." He
dined very irregularly, which fact together
with his carelessness of diet, no doubt accounts for much of his ill health. Many times
when on a city street with his book he would
suddenly become hungry, whereupon he
would enter the nearest bakery and soon re
appear with a loaf of bread under his arm
which soon appeased his appetite.
In this short sketch I have attempted to
deal with Shelley as a man. I have not done
him full justice, but I have tried to give a
small insight into the character of the man,
which is the keynote to his poetry.
Let us now regard him as a poet, and after
sudying his poetry, we can better understand
him as a man. Shelley furnished some of the
best lyrics, drama, and translations of the
nineteenth century. Indeed, it has been
said that he "outsang all poets on record, but
some two or three throughout time." He
contributed to English literature, the quality
of freedon, idealism, and a particular type of
spirituality. His poems are but the expression
of his various feelings, and are marked by a
spontaneity of style. They well express his
ideals, which were above the realistic, thus
showing how the poet's mind soared above
the earth. He, himself, once said "You
might as well go to a ginger shop for a leg
of mutton as expect anything human or earthly of me." Most of his poems have a certain
indefiniteness and slight incoherence like
bursts of song. They lack for the most part
the narrative element and details. Shelley
saw the beauty and grandeur of a scene as a