Studies and thinking about Natural image in Shelley’s poetry

Yang Yawei

【Abstract】Shelley has deep affection for nature.Natural image in his poems is a reflection of Shelleys disposition，thought and literature idea.The forms of natural image in his poetry are various，from which we can learn his ecological awareness and philosophic thinking.

【Keywords】Shelley； poetry； natural images； ecological awareness； philosophic thinking

【摘要】诗人雪莱的诗歌中自然景物是典型的意象，反映了诗人的性格，思想和文学理念。本文主要分析雪莱诗歌中，丰富的自然景物所展现出的生态意识和哲学思考。

【关键词】雪莱 诗 自然景物 生态意识 哲学

It can be seen that nowadays landscape，once a major theme of literature，is fading away and even disappearing from literature，while English romantic poets worships nature and believes the union of nature and human heart.Shelley showed his admiration for nature：“The delight of love and friendship，the ecstasy of the admiration of nature，the joy of the perception and still more of the creation of poetry，is often wholly unalloyed”[1]and created many famous poems about nature，like Ode to the west wind，The cloud，and To a skylark，in which the natural image is various and profound.We can see ecological awareness and philosophy in natural image from those poems.

1.ecological awareness in natural image

In 19th century，the environment was polluted because of industrialization and urbanization.However，we can find Shelleys ecological awareness through the beautiful natural image he described.There are many beautiful and pure natural images in his poems，like the happy skylark-blithe spirit，a cloud of fire，the blue and golden lightning，the arrows of that silver sphere，the moon raining out her beans，overflowed heaven，a glow-worm golden，a dell of dew，twinkling grass and rain-awakened flowers described in To A Skylark.In the poem-Ode To The West Wind，Shelley expresses his deep affection for nature，praises the west wind for its spirit of destroying old things and being pregnant with new things.All of these ordinary images in our life become so beautiful and special because of Shelleys vivid description and beautiful language with love and feelings，which also make us obsessed with nature.

Shelley thinks “poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted，” and “Poetry turns all things to loveliness； it exalts the beauty of that which is most beautiful，and it adds beauty to that which is most deformed； it marries exultation and horror，grief and pleasure，eternity and change.”[1]He makes the nature eternal beauty in his poem，which also shows his great love for nature.Only man who loves nature will cherish and protect the environment.There，the natural image shows his ecological awareness.

2.philosophy in natural image

In Ode To The West Wind，Shelley address the west wind as both destroyer and preserver.It is the breath of autumns being，which gives life to autumn and drives the dead leaves and carries and spreads seeds into earth，and the west wind in spring shall blow her clarion to awaken the earth which is sleeping and dreaming，and fill plain and hill with flashing colors and fragrant smells。[2]the well-known sentence “if winter comes，can spring be far behind？” shows the poets hope for future.The rebirth of the seasons inspires Shelley and shows the philosophy that life is always changing and new things will replace old things.

Philosophy is also showed in another poem-Loves Philosophy.Shelley finds that “The fountains mingle with the river and the rivers with the ocean，The winds of heaven mix forever with a sweet emotion.” from which，he gets to a conclusion that “all things by a law divine in one spirit meet and mingle” everything in the nature is collected to each other，thats the philosophy that nature tells us.

From natural images in Shelleys poem，we can find his ecological awareness as well as his thinking on philosophy，which also inspires us to protect the beautiful nature.Nowadays，being confined to cities，contemporary writers are alienated from nature and their capacity of apprehending nature is accordingly declining.On the other hand，“the aesthetic relationship of human beings and nature has become a relationship of consumption because of industrialization and urbanization.”[3]Faced with beautiful scenery，many people just take a photo rather than stop to embrace and admire the beauty of nature.Maybe we need more poems or writers like Shelley to awake our ecological consciousness.

Reference：

[1]Percy Bysshe Shelley（1904）.A Defence of Poetry.The Bobbs-Merrill Company.

[2]（英）雪莱.雪莱抒情诗选.查良铮译.人民文学出版社.1990.

[3]樊波.雪莱诗作中的自然景象探讨.芒种.2013.

作者简介：杨亚维，1994.8.25出生，女，湖北人，北京师范大学外国语言文学学院英语专业2012级本科生。