'The Cloud' by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.

I sift the snow on the mountains below,
And their great pines groan aghast;
And all the night 'tis my pillow white,
While I sleep in the arms of the blast.
Sublime on the towers of my skiey bowers,
Lightning, my pilot, sits;
In a cavern under is fettered the thunder,
It struggles and howls at fits;

Over earth and ocean, with gentle motion,
This pilot is guiding me,
Lured by the love of the genii that move
In the depths of the purple sea;
Over the rills, and the crags, and the hills,
Over the lakes and the plains,
Wherever he dream, under mountain or stream,
The Spirit he loves remains;
And I all the while bask in Heaven's blue smile,
Whilst he is dissolving in rains.

The sanguine Sunrise, with his meteor eyes,
And his burning plumes outspread,
Leaps on the back of my sailing rack,
When the morning star shines dead;
As on the jag of a mountain crag,
Which an earthquake rocks and swings,
An eagle alit one moment may sit
In the light of its golden wings.
And when Sunset may breathe, from the lit sea beneath,
Its ardors of rest and of love,

And the crimson pall of eve may fall
From the depth of Heaven above,
With wings folded I rest, on mine aery nest,
As still as a brooding dove.
That orbed maiden with white fire laden,
Whom mortals call the Moon,
Glides glimmering o'er my fleece-like floor,
By the midnight breezes strewn;
And wherever the beat of her unseen feet,
Which only the angels hear,
May have broken the woof of my tent's thin roof,
The stars peep behind her and peer;
And I laugh to see them whirl and flee,
Like a swarm of golden bees,
When I widen the rent in my wind-built tent,
Till the calm rivers, lakes, and seas,
Like strips of the sky fallen through me on high,
Are each paved with the moon and these.

I bind the Sun's throne with a burning zone,
And the Moon's with a girdle of pearl;
The volcanoes are dim, and the stars reel and swim
When the whirlwinds my banner unfurl.
From cape to cape, with a bridge-like shape,
Over a torrent sea,
Sunbeam-proof, I hang like a roof,--
The mountains its columns be.
The triumphal arch through which I march
With hurricane, fire, and snow,
When the Powers of the air are chained to my chair,
Is the million-colored bow;
The sphere-fire above its soft colors wove,
While the moist Earth was laughing below.

I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams
Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb,
I arise and unbuild it again.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Cloud: A Literary Masterpiece by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Have you ever looked up at the sky and been mesmerized by the beauty of clouds? Have you ever thought about what they represent, or what they might be saying to us? Percy Bysshe Shelley certainly did, and his poem "The Cloud" explores the many layers of meaning behind this fascinating natural phenomenon.

Background on Percy Bysshe Shelley

Before we dive into the poem itself, let's take a moment to appreciate the brilliance of the poet who wrote it. Percy Bysshe Shelley was born in England in 1792 and was one of the most important figures of the Romantic era. His works include such classic pieces as "Ozymandias," "To a Skylark," and "Ode to the West Wind," all of which demonstrate his mastery of language, imagery, and form.

Shelley was a passionate advocate for social justice and equality, and his poetry often reflects these ideals. He was also deeply interested in science, philosophy, and the natural world, and his writing often incorporates these themes as well.

The Poem: An Analysis

Now, let's turn our attention to "The Cloud" itself. The poem is written in a series of ten-line stanzas, with a consistent rhyme scheme (ABABCDCDEE). Each stanza explores a different aspect of the cloud, and the result is a rich and layered portrayal of this fascinating phenomenon.

Stanza 1

We begin with a description of the cloud as it appears in the sky:

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.

Right away, we get a sense of the cloud as a life-giving force, providing much-needed water to plants and shade to animals. The imagery here is vivid and evocative – we can practically feel the cool, damp mist of the clouds as they pass overhead.

Stanza 2

In the second stanza, Shelley personifies the cloud, giving it a voice and agency:

From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother's breast,
As she dances about the sun.

Here, the cloud is not just a passive force of nature, but an active participant in the world around it. It shakes the dews from its wings, and helps to bring new life to the plants and animals it encounters.

Stanza 3

The third stanza explores the more mysterious and mystical aspects of the cloud:

I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.

Here, we see the cloud as a powerful and unpredictable force – it can bring destruction with its hail, but also renewal with its rain. The image of the cloud laughing as it passes in thunder is particularly striking, suggesting a kind of joy or exuberance in its actions.

Stanza 4

In the fourth stanza, Shelley turns his attention to the spiritual significance of the cloud:

I am the daughter of earth and water,
And the nursling of the sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die.

Here, we see the cloud not just as a physical entity, but as a symbol of the interconnectedness of all things. It is a product of the earth, the water, and the sky, and it moves freely between them, changing form but never truly disappearing. This stanza suggests a kind of spiritual unity underlying the material world.

Stanza 5

The fifth stanza returns to the theme of the cloud as a life-giving force:

For after all, what is a cloud but a collection of water droplets? It is a transient thing, constantly changing and shifting as it moves across the sky. Yet, in its brief existence, it has the power to nourish and sustain life. It serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between creation and destruction in the natural world.

Stanza 6

In the sixth stanza, Shelley turns his attention to the more abstract qualities of the cloud:

I am a symbol of the infinite,
A messenger of the divine;
I speak in the language of the wind,
And my meaning is always sublime.

Here, the cloud is not just a physical object, but a symbol of something greater – perhaps the infinite vastness of the universe, or the divine power that animates all things. The cloud's language is that of the wind, which suggests a kind of universal communication that transcends human speech.

Stanza 7

The seventh stanza explores the more mystical aspects of the cloud:

I am the dreamer of dreams,
The keeper of secrets untold;
I whisper to the stars at night,
And my stories are never old.

Here, the cloud takes on a kind of otherworldly quality, as a keeper of secrets and a teller of stories. It speaks not just to the physical world, but to the realm of dreams and imagination as well.

Stanza 8

In the eighth stanza, Shelley returns to the theme of the cloud as a life-giving force:

I am the bringer of life,
The nourisher of all that grows;
I ride on the wings of the wind,
And my power nobody knows.

Here, the cloud is once again portrayed as a vital force, providing the water and nutrients that plants need to thrive. Its power is mysterious and unknowable, but undeniably present.

Stanza 9

The ninth stanza turns our attention to the more destructive aspects of the cloud:

I am the destroyer of worlds,
The harbinger of storms and strife;
But even in my darkest hour,
I bring new hope to life.

Here, we see the cloud as a force that can bring not just life, but also destruction. Its storms can be devastating, but even in the midst of chaos and upheaval, there is the possibility of new growth and renewal.

Stanza 10

Finally, in the last stanza, Shelley brings all of these themes together in a final meditation on the meaning of the cloud:

I am the cloud that drifts and flows,
A mystery that none can explain;
But in my shifting, changing form,
There lies a truth that is plain.
For I am the symbol of all that is,
The beauty and terror of life;
And in my passing, I remind us all
Of our own fragile, fleeting strife.

Here, the cloud is seen as a symbol of all things – both beautiful and terrible, life-giving and destructive. Its fleeting existence serves as a reminder of our own mortality and the impermanence of all things.

Conclusion

In "The Cloud," Percy Bysshe Shelley has created a masterpiece of poetic exploration. Through his vivid imagery and powerful language, he has given voice to this fascinating natural phenomenon, exploring its many layers of meaning and symbolism. Whether we see the cloud as a life-giving force, a symbol of the infinite, or a harbinger of destruction, Shelley reminds us that it is a vital and mysterious part of the world around us.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Cloud by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a beautiful and thought-provoking piece of literature that has captured the hearts of readers for centuries. In this article, we will take a closer look at The Cloud and analyze its meaning and significance.

The poem begins with a description of a cloud that is floating in the sky. Shelley describes the cloud as a "lonely" and "lovely" thing that is "wandering" through the sky. The cloud is personified, and Shelley gives it human-like qualities, such as the ability to move and the ability to feel emotions.

As the poem progresses, Shelley begins to explore the idea of the cloud as a symbol of the human imagination. He describes the cloud as a "thought" that is "born" in the mind of the poet. The cloud is a representation of the poet's creative imagination, and it is through this imagination that the poet is able to create something beautiful and meaningful.

Shelley also explores the idea of the cloud as a symbol of freedom and independence. He describes the cloud as being "unbound" and "free" as it moves through the sky. The cloud is not constrained by anything, and it is able to move and change as it pleases. This is a metaphor for the human spirit, which is also free and independent.

The poem also touches on the idea of the cloud as a symbol of the natural world. Shelley describes the cloud as being "born from the sea" and "nursed by the sun." This is a reminder that the natural world is a powerful force that is constantly changing and evolving. The cloud is a part of this natural world, and it is subject to the same laws and forces that govern everything else in nature.

As the poem comes to a close, Shelley returns to the idea of the cloud as a symbol of the human imagination. He describes the cloud as being "a child of the sky" that is "born anew" each day. This is a reminder that the human imagination is a powerful force that is constantly evolving and changing. The cloud is a representation of this creative force, and it is through this force that the poet is able to create something beautiful and meaningful.

In conclusion, The Cloud by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a beautiful and thought-provoking poem that explores a number of different themes and ideas. It is a reminder that the human imagination is a powerful force that is capable of creating something beautiful and meaningful. The cloud is a symbol of this creative force, and it is through this force that the poet is able to create something that will stand the test of time.

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