But I incline to think that Shelley, in this stanza, refers not
to himself but to Moore. Moore was termed a 'lyrist,' and here we are
told about his lyre. The latter would naturally be the Irish harp, and
therefore 'of unaccustomed shape': the concluding reference to
'ever-during green' might again glance at the 'Emerald Isle.' As to
Shelley, he was stated in st. 33 to be carrying 'a light spear': if he
was constantly sweeping a lyre as well, he must have had his hands
rather full.
1. 3. _Now like the ... of impetuous fire_, &c. Shelley compares
the strains of the lyre--the spirit of the poetry--to two things:
(1) to a conflagration in a forest; and (2) to the rustling of wind
among the trees. The former image may be understood to apply
principally to the revolutionary audacity and fervour of the ideas
expressed; the latter, to those qualities of imagination, fantasy,
beauty, and melody, which characterise the verse. Of course all
this would be more genuinely appropriate to Shelley himself than
to Moore: still it would admit of _some_ application to Moore, of
whom our poet spoke highly more than once elsewhere.
Pages:
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244