Shelley's views of Poetry and the Poet - "A Defence of Poetry"

The creative process

The inspiration comes independently from the poet's will and it is impossible to foresee how long it will last or what it will develop like. The only thing the poet can do is to catch this inspiration as soon as possible despite the fact that composition begins when inspiration is already fading.

The poet's identity

The poet is clearly a superior mind from Shelley's point of view. The poet is characterised by the most delicate sensibility and the biggest and widest imagination. Besides poetry is all about the poet or, to put it better, it regards the growth of the poet who is present in each reasoning.

The poet's task

The poet's task is to send the capture of the best and most beautiful things in the world straight to mankind in order to make people enjoy them.

The definition of poetry

Poetry makes immortal all what is best and most beautiful in the world. Besides the best and most beautiful things are the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds, who are obviously the poets from Shelley's point of view.

The Shelley's view of poetry and the poet in the text

Shelley's conveys the idea of the poet as the man who is over the others and who is better in all the ways that are possible to say. Thus poetry develops all around the poet, it is the tool of the poet. The poet has actually nothing to learn from others or from nature, even if he cares a lot about nature and poetry. All what matters is what he feels and records, all the other people must just sit and listen to him, he is the ruler.