Love's Philosophy

Love's Philosophy Analysis

Love's Philosophy is considered to be very different from Shelley's other poetry. This is because it is not radical or political in nature, but is instead quite simple and playful. The speaker uses simplistic imagery about companionship in the natural world in order to secure the affections of an unknown woman. We learn that his affections are most likely unrequited, and therefore this poem is an attempt to persuade her.

Interestingly, this poem is positive about religion, which is surprising considering that Shelley is known to have had radical religious views. For example, Shelley suggests that companionship in nature is the result of divine law, and also alludes to Noah's Ark in his suggestion that everything in nature has a pair. As such, he is persuading his lover that their companionship is not only natural but is divinely right. Later in the poem, he uses the phrases "And the sunlight clasps the earth/ And the moonbeams kiss the sea," with the use of "And" at the beginning of the lines sounding biblical.

We can consider this poem to be a typical poem of the Romantic movement. It is concerned with love, religion, nature and human emotions, which are all key themes of Romantic poetry. This poem is focused on the personal experience of emotions, and various aspects such as the flowing fountains represent the rush of human emotions.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.