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Adonais As A Pastoral Elegy

Adonais As A Pastoral Elegy

  Biswazit Kumar (https://www.literaturexpres.com/author/biswazit/
) 5    (https://www.literaturexpres.com/adonais-as-a-pastoral-
elegy/)Poetry (https://www.literaturexpres.com/c/poetry/ ) / Poetry
Notes (https://www.literaturexpres.com/c/poetry/poetry-notes/ )

Question: Discuss “Adonais” as a pastoral elegy.

 Introduction: An Elegy is a poem of lamentation. Pastoral

Elegy is a kind of elegy that discusses both death and idyllic
rural life. “Adonais” is a pastoral elegy, written by Percy
Bysshe Shelley
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Bysshe_Shelley) (1792-
1822), on the death of his contemporary poet John Keats. It
has some features of pastoral elegy such as mournful tone,
nature’s presence in mourning, the procession of mourners,
concerned with the poet’s own death, and consolation.

Contents [hide]

1 Adonais as a pastoral elegy

2 Click here: For all notes of poetry
3 Mournful atmosphere
 4 Mourners
5 Click here: For all notes of Adonais

Adonais As A Pastoral Elegy

Click Here: For All Notes Of Poetry
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Mournful Atmosphere
The pastoral elegy begins with a mournful tone and an
invocation to the muses. In “Adonais”, we can see that this
poem has started with an invocation and mournful tone in
which Shelley laments the death of his contemporary poet
John Keats.

Shelley Says:

“I weep for Adonais-he is dead!

O, weep for Adonais, though our tears.”

Nature and Shepherd

Nature’s participation in mourning is a significant feature of

pastoral elegy. In this poem, all-natural objects join in
mourning for Anonais death which means Keats’ death. All-
natural things lament for the poet’s death. In “Adonais”,
Shelley has shown nature’s mournful scene. We can see that
spring is wild with grief and it is throwing her flower buds
down as if she becomes Autumn who kills the buds. Poet
Says:

“Grief made the young spring wild

And she threw down Her kindling buds

 As if she Autumn were”.

Mourners
The procession of mourners is the illustrious feature of a
pastoral elegy. In “Adonais”, some mourners are presented
by Shelley such as Byron, More, Hunt, and Shelley himself.
Byron mourns the death of Keats by singing a quiet, pathetic
song. Shelley feels to be completely broken in spirit. Keats’
friend Leigh Hunt is in deep sorrow because of the death of
Keats. The poet says:

“And others came…Desire and Adoration,

Winged Persuasion and veiled Destinies

Splendours, and Gloom, and Glimmering Incarnations

Of hopes and fear and twilight Phantasies.”

Praise for the dead and consolation

Consolation and praise for the dead are the essential parts
of a pastoral elegy. Keats has been praised in this poem
widely. He has been compared in different ways such as
stars and so on. In a pastoral elegy, the poet also becomes
concerned about his own death. In “Adonais”, we can see
the poet consoles himself. We can see the poet consoles,
Keats, in the poem “Adonais”. Keats has become immortal
by his poetic genius. Keats will continue to kindle the
inspiration of the universe as long as we read his literary
works. Shelley says:
  

“Peace, peace, he is not dead,

He doth not sleep-

He hath awakened from the dream of life

He lives, he wakes- ‘tis Death is Dead not he;

Mourn not for Adonais.”

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Conclusion: To sum up, we may say that, “Adonais” fulfills

best the demanded characteristics of a pastoral elegy. There
is a procession of mourners, nature joins in mourning and
consolation. So “Adonais” is an emblem of perfect pastoral
elegy.

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