unacknowledged legislators of the world

Percy Bysshe Shelley?s A Defence of Poetry is much like the other such validations and promotions of poetry I have read. In it, Shelley defines what poetry is, who poets are and elaborates on the effects (and necessity of) poetry in society. As is typical of a ?Defence of Poetry/Poesy? Shelley makes the claim that the imaginative requirement of poetry is just as delightful and useful as the faculty of reason. While I certainly agree with him on this point, the first several passages of the defense make far too many claims of universality and of the absolute power of poetry. For instance, he repeatedly states that something or someone is the best or the greatest, claims which I found to be exceedingly melodramatic and outright untrue.

That said, there were several points in which I am in full agreement with Shelley. He postulates on the value of poetry because of the manner in which it makes people think. I disagree that poetry ?turns all things into loveliness,? however I do agree that poetry ?awakens and enlarges the mind,? making one see the ordinary as extraordinary. This is one of the true beauties and merits of good poetry. I also agreed that poetry must spring from within one?s mind, that it cannot be forced with success. There must be inspiration, often brought on by heightened emotional states (as stated by Shelley), and while I disagree that poetic composition is supposed to be easy, it should come from somewhere beyond the limits of reason. It is not viable for most people to simply sit down and in a reasonable frame of mind state that they are going to write a brilliant and time-transcending poem - and do it.

Shelley spent much of his content trying to validate poets just as he makes claims for the importance and necessity of poetry. In the final statement, he says: ?Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.? Is Shelley embarking on a poetic quest for world domination? No, in his mind they already dominate. He would most certainly be a member of the facebook.com group ?Non-humanities Majors Lack an Informed and Nuanced Outlook on Life.? As the group?s motto states: ?"An engineering student could probably design a tank, but only a liberal arts student could use it to take over the world.?