"Adonais," Percy Bysshe Shelley's elegy mourning the death of fellow poet John Keats, stands as a monumental work within the English pastoral elegy tradition. Drawing from a legacy that spans back to the classical laments of Greek poets such as Bion and Moschus, Shelley weaves a narrative of profound loss and existential tragedy. Like Milton's "Lycidas," "Adonais" reflects on the broader implications of losing a gifted poet, whose absence leaves the world impoverished of its most significant resource: creative genius.

The Pastoral Elegy Tradition

The pastoral elegy follows a set of conventions, often portraying the deceased as a shepherd and incorporating elements of pagan mythology. It typically includes the lament of nature, a procession of mourners, and a juxtaposition of spring's renewal against death's finality, ultimately praising immortality. While Shelley adheres to these traditional components, he infuses the poem with his unique voice, culminating in a final strophe that ascends into a Platonic vision of transcendence. Throughout, Shelley employs the Spenserian stanza, known for its intricate rhyme scheme of ababbcbcc, crafting a lyrical and meditative rhythm.

Shelley and Keats: A Brief Connection

Shelley and Keats's acquaintance was brief and not particularly intimate. Despite this, Shelley extended an invitation for Keats to join him in Italy upon learning of his illness, an arrangement that sadly never materialized. It was four months later, after Keats's passing, that Shelley composed "Adonais."

The Poet's Role and the Critic's Impact

In "Adonais," Shelley lays part of the blame for Keats's death at the feet of hostile literary critics, reflecting a theme that runs through his own often overlooked works—the destructive effects of societal disdain for genius. Shelley portrays Keats as a shepherd tending to "quick Dreams . . . passion-wingèd Ministers of thought," lamenting that after his death, these dreams will never regain their strength or find sanctuary again. The poem opens with a call to mourn for Adonais, for "he is dead." The name cleverly alludes to Adonis, the beautiful youth mourned by Venus after his untimely death, and resonates with "Adonai," a sacred name used to address the divine.

Nature's Grief

The natural world joins the lament, shedding tears so abundant they could cleanse Adonais's body with celestial dew. Spring, usually a symbol of renewal, casts away its budding hopes, consumed by sorrow. Shelley encapsulates this tragedy with the poignant statement, "Ah, woe is me! Winter is come and gone,/ But grief returns with the revolving year." Here, the cycles of nature starkly contrast with the irreversible loss of a creative mind, which, unlike nature, does not experience rebirth.

A Procession of Mourners

Amid the grieving, a solemn procession unfolds, featuring mountain shepherds and Keats's fellow poets, including notable figures like Byron—"the famous Pilgrim of Eternity"—and Leigh Hunt, "gentlest of the wise." Shelley counts himself among these mourners, described in vivid, haunting imagery:

     one frail Form,A phantom among men; companionlessAs the last cloud of an expiring storm. . . . . . . . . . . . . .A pardlike Spirit beautiful and swift—A Love in desolation masked;—a PowerGirt round with weakness.

The Critics' Scorn

Notably, Shelley does not spare the critics, who are present but depicted as sinister figures—snakes, wolves, and vultures. He wishes for "Hot Shame" to mark them, reflecting his anger at their role in the poet's demise.

Transcending Death

The elegy's final seventeen stanzas mark a transition in tone. Shelley urges readers to cease their mourning, for Adonais is not dead; rather, he has awakened from the dream of life. In death, he becomes one with nature, transforming into a star, an eternal beacon of beauty. Shelley contrasts this eternal illumination with the transient nature of life, represented by a dome of many-colored glass that distorts pure light until death shatters it. Even though the light of ordinary existence may overshadow the brilliance of genius, death ultimately liberates the spirit, allowing it to unite with the eternal and discover perfect beauty and love. In Shelley's mythic vision, a life thwarted by earthly struggles achieves an everlasting triumph in death.