An Exhortation Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley
An Exhortation
Chameleons feed on light and air:
Poets' food is love and fame:
If in this wide world of care
Poets could but find the same
With as little toil as they,
Would they ever change their hue
As the light chameleons do,
Suiting it to every ray
Twenty times a day?
Poets are on this cold earth,
As chameleons might be,
Hidden from their early birth
In a cave beneath the sea;
Where light is, chameleons change:
Where love is not, poets do:
Fame is love disguised: if few
Find either, never think it strange
That poets range.
Yet dare not stain with wealth or power
A poet's free and heavenly mind:
If bright chameleons should devour
Any food but beams and wind,
They would grow as earthly soon
As their brother lizards are.
Children of a sunnier star,
Spirits from beyond the moon,
O, refuse the boon!
Poets are chameleons! Children of a sunnier star! I will take that as a compliment!
ONE: A playful but complex poem that sheds light on the poet's romantic ideal. In this piece, Shelley draws an analogy between poets and chameleons, emphasizing their vulnerability and adaptability.
TWO: The poem suggests that poets, like chameleons, are sensitive to their environment. Just as chameleons depend on light and air for their sustenance, poets depend on love and fame.
THREE: The ever-changing nature of both creatures is emphasized: chameleons change color with the light, while poets change their hues in search of recognition and acclaim. s.
I love to give long and complete responses, therefore I am not only poetess, but also critic like Margaret Atwood.
NINE: CONGRATULATIONS to the closest relatives to be chosen by POEM HUNTER and TEAM as the Classic Poem Of The Day! Truly beautiful classic poem!
EIGHT: "Oh, refuse the blessing! " - a plea to poets to keep their heavenly spirit and resist the pull of earthly care. Beautiful poem, TOP Marks
SEVEN: Poets, like chameleons, thrive when they stay attuned to their environment and embrace their ever-changing roles.
SIX: This poem invites poets to be versatile, adaptable, and perhaps even reversible, echoing the Romantic idea of living in the present moment and seizing the beauty of life.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/26/2024 6:03:06 AM # 1.0.0.1119
A poet's free and heavenly mind, i see this well................