ANALYSIS OF REVOLT OF ISLAM BY P.B.SHELLEY

Abstract

The Revolt of Islam is one of the most favorite narrative poems of P.B.Shelley. It may be considered his longest narrative poem. In this paper I will try to give an overview of this poem, but first it is worth pointing out the most important facts about the author himself, his life and literary work in general. However, I am going to present the plot, and the get into a detailed analysis of its themes, style, artistic values etc of The Revolt of Islam. In fact this poem had undergone some changes until its final version was published as The Revolt of Islam. Despite the title, the poem doesn’t have to do with Islam as a religion, but it talks about the struggle between the good and the bad, authorities, state, in other words, it can be considered as an ABC of morality and political education. On the other hand, I’ll give a poetical analysis, dealing with the structure, meter, rhyme, symbolism, i.e. esthetical elements of the poem. Through this poem, we can clearly notice the greatness of P.B.Shelley, his artistic mastery and the characteristics of romanticism represented in the poem. Key words: Shelley, Romanticism, Narrative poem, Politics, State, Authorities