The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-23
A POETS CENTENARY
A MONUMENT TO The MEMORY
OF PERCY BYssHE SHELLEY.
The Occasion VIII BE Moro Generali,
Observed Than Was the Centenary o.
Lord Byron In 1854 Monument De
aligned by Lady Shelley.
rspccIal Corrospondence.l

Especial Corrospondencel
ROCHESTER, n. Y, July i0.-Tbe cen
tenary of Percy Bysshe Shelley, which
comes on the 4th Of August of this year,
will be OF n different character from that
~ Lord Byron, which occurred in 1888.
Could VIC have witnessed the great popu'
larity OF which Byron was the subject dur
ing his lifetime. and then been able &c
LOOK forward and see how in less than l@
wears his fame would have so declined that
his centenary would pass without any
public Acknowledgements of II in his native
England, we would be strongly impressed
with the vanity Of all literary fame
Greece indeed honored Byron's centenary
by q public celebration, but in dong
no she honored, not the English poe',
but the patriot who went 90 help her ana
10 die in her service.
II can safely be predicted that Shelley's
centenary will cause widespread interest.
And not alone in England. America ana
Italy will Join England in paying tribute
20 the memory Of one Of the greatest poets
of this century All the strange ana sad
storv of his brief and romantic life Will DC
once more reviewed, and in sorrow over
his sudden and untimely fate the hearts OF
all will beat In sympathy
Shelley enjoyed in life none OF the popu.
larity which distinguished byron. "A.
first he longed 70 play his part in the great
political movements of the age, but ms
revolutionary and visionary ideas FOUND
little favor. Then the peculiar opinions
which were the cause Of his allegation
from his family also tended to restrict MS
social influence His great poems appeared
Mt different times, but few needed tnF
sweet and impassioned singer until the
voice grew silent, and then the woflo 20
gan by degrees TO realize what great anu
true poet IL had been neglecting so long:
The interest which began soon after his
death TO center in Shelley has been natural
" intensified by the pathetic nature OF the
tragedy which overwhelmed him at The
last. But Shelley's fame cannot be SAID te
be dependent upon either outward incident
or upon personal magnetism, or even upon
the UNIQUE qualities of his poetical work
English political and religious thought
began to assume new aspects as the years
passed. The poetry which Shelley had
written ia obscurity began to arouse en-
thusiasn1, for it expressed many OF the
ideas which were now becoming more pop
Mar. 1t Is true that many OF the social
reforms which Shelley proposed have never
been and doubtless never will be adopted
by the world. And it is well that this is
the case. But az mems minds began 10 be
emancipated more and more from bigotry,
cant and intolerance they perceived the
truth that was in Shelley, while at the
same time they could reject that which
,toiD N theories
They saw, too, that Shelley had not
written for his own age, but like the true
prophet that he was he had written fol
the future.
Then, also, the same causes which
brought England around to Wordsworth
brought ell lovers Of nature 10 trust in the
spiritual representation OF nature in The
work of Shelley; while his imaginative
grasp and fervor, his enthusiasm for high
and noble ideals and the witchery OF his
music have brought delight to constant
ly increasing number of readers.
Shelley's fame has therefore grown in
about the same proportion as that OF Byron
has declined. When In the Twentieth
century critics turn back to the Nineteenth
and review all the different phases which
it's glorious literature has assumed, 1t will
be found that Of the great men whose
work has won an abiding place in ths
world Percy Bysshe Shelley will rank
among the first.
At this centennial time Lady Shelley, by
whose proud and affectionato efforts sc
much has been done TO vindicate the poet
and to furnish his different biographers
authentic information, will feel that she
is indeed receiving the reward Of all bel
loving service when she sees how fully The
world responds to the magnetism OF the
poet who. though dead these seventy long
years, yet speaks to men and sways them
by his genius.
Though Shelley has never been honored
by place tn Westminster Abbey, there is
nevertheless fine monument to his mem
CRY on consecrated ground. In the south
of Hampshire, nearly opposite the Isle Of
Wight, is the old town of Christchurch
In its parish church, one of the finest speci