"The Devil's Walk: A Ballad" was a major poetical work published as a broadside by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1812.[1] The poem consisted of seven irregular ballad stanzas of 49 lines.[2] The poem was a satirical attack and criticism of the British government. Satan is depicted meeting with key members of the British government.[2] The poem was modelled on and meant as a continuation of "The Devil's Thoughts" of 1799 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey.[3] The work is important in Shelley's development and evolution of writings that castigate and criticise the British government to achieve political and economic reform.[2]
The poem was written in 1812 by Shelley to protest the actions of the British government and harsh economic conditions in the country at the time. The poem emerged after the food riots in Devon where Shelley lived at that time. Prices for grain were at their highest level in 1812, there were shortages of food, and prices were inflated.[4] Shelley attacked "a brainless King" and the "princely paunch" and "each brawny haunch" of the Prince Regent.[5] The members of both houses of Parliament and the Church were also castigated.[5] Political leaders and the wealthy were also attacked. The British war in Spain was similarly criticised.
Plotedit
The devil, Beelzebub, awoke and dressed in his Sunday clothes. He puts on boots to hide his hooves and gloves to hide his claws. He wears a three-cornered hat, a bras chapeau, to hide his horns.
He went to London where he discussed religion and scandals with a friend. He went to St. James’s Court and St. Paul’s Church. He was “an agriculturist” and took care of his farm and his live-stock.
The devil then sat next to a priest at prayestates that without the Devil, the priest would have no job.
He then observed “a brainless King” with his attendants.
He observes that political leaders thrive from war and conflict and human misery. He castigates British policy in Ireland and the British military engagement in Spain against France. He attacks Lord Castlereagh. He attacks the Prince as being fat and having a “maudlin brain”. He observes that the Devil, sometimes called Nature, supports “men of power” and privilege.
He next observed a lawyer kill a “viper” which climbed up the leg of the table. The Devil hums “a hellish song”, comparing himself to a “yeoman” who surveys his lands contemplating his profits and gains.
He noted how the wealthy plunder and impoverish the poor. He castigates Bishops and Lawyers for their greed and pomp.
He next encounters a statesman to whom he reveals himself. The hell-hounds Murder, Want, and Woe, flocked around them. He castigates the carnage in Spain.
The devil is joyful. Monarchs prosper in war and turmoil and depredation.
Reason, however, will ultimately prevail. Those with reason, “the sons of Reason”, understand that as reason prevails, the rule of tyrants will be short-lived and they will eventually be overthrown
Forman, Harry Buxton. The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. London: Reeves and Turner, 1877.
Chewning, Harris. "William Michael Rossetti and the Shelley Renaissance." Keats-Shelley Journal, Vol. 4, (Winter 1955).
McCarthy, Denis Florence. Shelly's Early Life From Original Sources. London: Hotten, 1872.
Jones, Frederick L., ed. The Letters Of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964.
Duff, David. Romance And Revolution: Shelley And The Politics Of A Genre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Cameron, Kenneth. The Young Shelley: Genesis Of A Radical. New York: Macmillan, 1950.
Keach, William. "Early Shelley: Vulgarisms, Politics, and Fractals: Young Shelley." Romantic Circles.
Stuart Curran, University of Pennsylvania, "On Devils, and the Devil; or Vice's Versus". Romantic Circles. Electronic resource, University of Maryland.
Adriana Craciun, Loyola University Chicago, "Heavenly Medicine in Hellish Songs: Diabolical Hypertext". Romantic Circles Electronic Resource.
Neil Fraistat, "The 'Devil' to Edit: Time, Space and Hypertextuality", University of Maryland. Romantic Circles.
Robert Griffin, Tel Aviv University, "The Mode of Existence of Shelley's 'The Devil's Walk'". Romantic Circles.
Terence Hoagwood, Texas A&M University, "Meaning and the Mode of Existence of 'Works': A Response to Robert J. Griffin, "The Mode of Existence of Shelley's 'The Devil's Walk'". Romantic Circles.
Michael O'Neill, University of Durham, UK, "'A Hellish Song': Shelley's 'The Devil's Walk'". Romantic Circles.
Andrew Stauffer, University of Virginia, Response. Romantic Circles.
Morton Paley, University of California, Berkeley, "'The Devil's Walk' and 'The Devil's Thoughts'". Romantic Circles.
Bruce Graver, Providence College, Response. Romantic Circles.
Don Reiman, University of Delaware, "Shelley and Popular Culture: 'The Devil's Walk'"
Michael Scrivener, Wayne State University, Response. Romantic Circles.
Chris Foss, Texas Christian University, "Satiric Verses: On Shelley's 'The Devil's Walk' and 'The Mask of Anarchy'". Romantic Circles.
Jones, Steven E. Shelley's Satire: Violence, Exhortation, and Authority. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 1994.
External linksedit
Online version of "The Devil's Walk" at Wikisource
Fraistat, Neil; Jones, Steven E (September 1997). "Electronic resource on "The Devil's Walk"". Romantic Circles. University of Maryland.
January 01, 1970
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For the album by Apparat see The Devil s Walk album The Devil s Walk A Ballad was a major poetical work published as a broadside by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1812 1 The poem consisted of seven irregular ballad stanzas of 49 lines 2 The poem was a satirical attack and criticism of the British government Satan is depicted meeting with key members of the British government 2 The poem was modelled on and meant as a continuation of The Devil s Thoughts of 1799 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey 3 The work is important in Shelley s development and evolution of writings that castigate and criticise the British government to achieve political and economic reform 2 1812 broadside The Devil s Walk Contents 1 Background 2 Plot 3 References 4 Sources 5 External linksBackground editThe poem was written in 1812 by Shelley to protest the actions of the British government and harsh economic conditions in the country at the time The poem emerged after the food riots in Devon where Shelley lived at that time Prices for grain were at their highest level in 1812 there were shortages of food and prices were inflated 4 Shelley attacked a brainless King and the princely paunch and each brawny haunch of the Prince Regent 5 The members of both houses of Parliament and the Church were also castigated 5 Political leaders and the wealthy were also attacked The British war in Spain was similarly criticised Plot editThe devil Beelzebub awoke and dressed in his Sunday clothes He puts on boots to hide his hooves and gloves to hide his claws He wears a three cornered hat a bras chapeau to hide his horns He went to London where he discussed religion and scandals with a friend He went to St James s Court and St Paul s Church He was an agriculturist and took care of his farm and his live stock The devil then sat next to a priest at prayestates that without the Devil the priest would have no job He then observed a brainless King with his attendants He observes that political leaders thrive from war and conflict and human misery He castigates British policy in Ireland and the British military engagement in Spain against France He attacks Lord Castlereagh He attacks the Prince as being fat and having a maudlin brain He observes that the Devil sometimes called Nature supports men of power and privilege He next observed a lawyer kill a viper which climbed up the leg of the table The Devil hums a hellish song comparing himself to a yeoman who surveys his lands contemplating his profits and gains He noted how the wealthy plunder and impoverish the poor He castigates Bishops and Lawyers for their greed and pomp He next encounters a statesman to whom he reveals himself The hell hounds Murder Want and Woe flocked around them He castigates the carnage in Spain The devil is joyful Monarchs prosper in war and turmoil and depredation Reason however will ultimately prevail Those with reason the sons of Reason understand that as reason prevails the rule of tyrants will be short lived and they will eventually be overthrownReferences edit MacCarthy Denis Florence 1872 a b c Forman Harry Buxton 1877 p 371 Chewning Harris 1955 pp 81 96 Gilmour Ian The Making of the Poets Byron and Shelley in Their Time NY Carrol and Graf 2002 pp 334 336 a b Gilmour Ian pp 334 336 Sources editForman Harry Buxton The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley London Reeves and Turner 1877 Chewning Harris William Michael Rossetti and the Shelley Renaissance Keats Shelley Journal Vol 4 Winter 1955 McCarthy Denis Florence Shelly s Early Life From Original Sources London Hotten 1872 Jones Frederick L ed The Letters Of Percy Bysshe Shelley Oxford Clarendon Press 1964 Duff David Romance And Revolution Shelley And The Politics Of A Genre Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1994 Cameron Kenneth The Young Shelley Genesis Of A Radical New York Macmillan 1950 Keach William Early Shelley Vulgarisms Politics and Fractals Young Shelley Romantic Circles Stuart Curran University of Pennsylvania On Devils and the Devil or Vice s Versus Romantic Circles Electronic resource University of Maryland Adriana Craciun Loyola University Chicago Heavenly Medicine in Hellish Songs Diabolical Hypertext Romantic Circles Electronic Resource Neil Fraistat The Devil to Edit Time Space and Hypertextuality University of Maryland Romantic Circles Robert Griffin Tel Aviv University The Mode of Existence of Shelley s The Devil s Walk Romantic Circles Terence Hoagwood Texas A amp M University Meaning and the Mode of Existence of Works A Response to Robert J Griffin The Mode of Existence of Shelley s The Devil s Walk Romantic Circles Michael O Neill University of Durham UK A Hellish Song Shelley s The Devil s Walk Romantic Circles Andrew Stauffer University of Virginia Response Romantic Circles Morton Paley University of California Berkeley The Devil s Walk and The Devil s Thoughts Romantic Circles Bruce Graver Providence College Response Romantic Circles Don Reiman University of Delaware Shelley and Popular Culture The Devil s Walk Michael Scrivener Wayne State University Response Romantic Circles Chris Foss Texas Christian University Satiric Verses On Shelley s The Devil s Walk and The Mask of Anarchy Romantic Circles Jones Steven E Shelley s Satire Violence Exhortation and Authority DeKalb Northern Illinois University Press 1994 External links editOnline version of The Devil s Walk at Wikisource Fraistat Neil Jones Steven E September 1997 Electronic resource on The Devil s Walk Romantic Circles University of Maryland Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Devil 27s Walk amp oldid 1129578677, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
