A complete study of Shelley's Italian experience. The book covers in detail Shelley's arrival in Italy, the social & political state of the country at the time, the relationship with Lord Byron, Shelley & Mary, the various Italian friends, the death of Keats, the Shelley scandals, Italian travels & journeys, Leigh Hunt, Italian influences on Shelley, his death & the circumstances surrounding it. Illus.

Focusing on Shelley's 'Italian experience', the present study both addresses itself to the living context which nurtured Shelley's creativity, and explores a neglected but essential component of his work. The poet's four years of self-exile in Italy (1818-1822) were, in fact, the most decisive of his career. As he responded to Italy, his poetry acquired a new subtlety and complexity of vision. Endowed with remarkably keen powers of absorption, the poet imaginatively reshaped the rich cultural heritage of Italy and the vital qualities of its landscape and climate.

A fully-annotated Shelley edition containing poems inspired by the poet's last four years in Italy. As well as reliable versions of the key texts, there are summaries, notes glossing difficult words or phrases and technical notes. Each poem also comes with concise biographical information and intertexts—extracts from related works, as well as letters, influences, critical material and other texts, to deepen understanding, stimulate discussion and promote wider reading.