Shelley, Percy Bysshe. The defence of poetry is as much a part of its history as its achievement. It was left to Shelley and to Percy Bysshe Shelley to enliven what had been a rather dull affair by their angry words. They argued about everything from the importance of poetry in society to the precise meaning of the word "poetical". Shelley outdid them all when he defended poetry as "the language of feeling" and prophesied that one day "a poet will be revered as the friend and minister of the gods". Shelley's speech has often been quoted because it was considered remarkable for its time. He was able to argue so persuasively for poetry because he himself was a great poet who knew how important his art was for humanity. His brother Percy took offense at this display of elitism and attacked Shelley's arguments head-on in a series of letters titled "A Reply to Mr. Shelley's Speech". The quarrel was finally settled when Percy published his response under the name "Defence of Poetry".