Peter Bell The Third

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

This satirical work by Percy Bysshe Shelley was written in response to a poem by William Wordsworth, and is probably his most accessible work in verse. With biting wit and criticism, the poem depicts a society where selfishness and greed reign supreme, leading to a lack of empathy and human connection. The main character, Peter, is taken to Hell (or London, it's hard to tell the difference) to become the Devil's factotum, and even his attempts at poetry are met with negative reviews and accusations of incest and adultery. The poem ends with a haunting depiction of a world drained of vitality and spirit.

Presents a biography of English poet William Wordsworth along with critical views of his work.

Stimulated by new editions of Shelley's writings and the evidence of notebooks, the editors have assembled an outstanding group of international Shelley scholars to work through the implications of recent advances in scholarship. With particular attention to texts that have been neglected or underestimated, the contributors consider many important aspects of Shelley's prolific and remarkably diverse output, including the verse letter, plays, prose essays, satire, pamphlets, political verse, romance, prefaces, translations from the Greek, prose style, artistic representations, fragments and early writings. Revaluations of Shelley's youthful works, often criticized for their over-exuberance, pay dividends as they reveal Shelley's early maturation as a writer and also shed light on his later achievement. Taken as a whole, the collection makes evident that Shelley's reputation has been based largely on surprisingly imperfect and incomplete edited publications, driven by Victorian taste and culture. A writer very different from the one we thought we knew emerges from these essays, which are sure to inspire more reappraisals of Shelley's work.

The Devil, I safely can aver, Has neither hoof, nor tail, nor sting; Nor is he, as some sages swear, A spirit, neither here nor there, In nothing--yet in everything.