The Cloud
Percy Bysshe Shelley
1792 to 1822
I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews that waken
The sweet buds every one,
When rocked to rest on their mother’s breast,
As she dances about the sun.
I wield the flail of the lashing hail,
And whiten the green plains under,
And then again I dissolve it in rain,
And laugh as I pass in thunder.
I sift the snow on the mountains below,
And their great pines groan aghast;
And all the night ’tis my pillow white,
While I sleep in the arms of the blast.
Sublime on the towers of my skiey bowers,
Lightning my pilot sits;
In a cavern under is fettered the thunder,
It struggles and howls at fits;
Over earth and ocean, with gentle motion,
This pilot is guiding me,
Lured by the love of the genii that move
In the depths of the purple sea;
Over the rills, and the crags, and the hills,
Over the lakes and the plains,
Wherever he dream, under mountain or stream,
The Spirit he loves remains;
And I all the while bask in Heaven’s blue smile,
Whilst he is dissolving in rains.
The sanguine Sunrise, with his meteor eyes,
And his burning plumes outspread,
Leaps on the back of my sailing rack,
When the morning star shines dead;
As on the jag of a mountain crag,
Which an earthquake rocks and swings,
An eagle alit one moment may sit
In the light of its golden wings.
And when Sunset may breathe, from the lit sea beneath,
Its ardours of rest and of love,
And the crimson pall of eve may fall
From the depth of Heaven above,
With wings folded I rest, on mine aëry nest,
As still as a brooding dove.
That orbèd maiden with white fire laden,
Whom mortals call the Moon,
Glides glimmering o’er my fleece-like floor,
By the midnight breezes strewn;
And wherever the beat of her unseen feet,
Which only the angels hear,
May have broken the woof of my tent’s thin roof,
The stars peep behind her and peer;
And I laugh to see them whirl and flee,
Like a swarm of golden bees,
When I widen the rent in my wind-built tent,
Till calm the rivers, lakes, and seas,
Like strips of the sky fallen through me on high,
Are each paved with the moon and these.
I bind the Sun’s throne with a burning zone,
And the Moon’s with a girdle of pearl;
The volcanoes are dim, and the stars reel and swim,
When the whirlwinds my banner unfurl.
From cape to cape, with a bridge-like shape,
Over a torrent sea,
Sunbeam-proof, I hang like a roof,
The mountains its columns be.
The triumphal arch through which I march
With hurricane, fire, and snow,
When the Powers of the air are chained to my chair,
Is the million-coloured bow;
The sphere-fire above its soft colours wove,
While the moist Earth was laughing below.
I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams
Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb,
I arise and unbuild it again.
Percy Bysshe Shelley's The Cloud
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s The Cloud is a quintessential example of Romantic poetry, rich with vivid imagery, personification, and symbolic representation. The poem explores the natural cycle of water and weather, employing the voice of the titular cloud as a dynamic, omnipresent force that embodies transformation, renewal, and interconnectedness in nature. Shelley’s use of a first-person perspective for the cloud blurs the line between the natural world and human experience, revealing profound truths about impermanence and immortality.
Form and Structure
Shelley employs a loose yet intricate lyrical form, with the poem divided into six stanzas of varying lengths. The fluidity of the structure mirrors the subject—the cloud—whose movement is ever-changing and boundless. The rhyme scheme, though not rigid, lends musicality and cohesion to the poem, enhancing its sense of rhythm and flow. The irregular meter reflects the cloud’s freedom, reinforcing the Romantic celebration of nature’s untamed beauty.
Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis
First Stanza:
The opening stanza introduces the cloud as a nurturing force that brings "showers for the thirsting flowers" and "shade for the leaves." Here, Shelley personifies the cloud as both a caregiver and a playful spirit, suggesting its dual role in sustaining life and wielding destructive power. The gentle imagery of "dew" and "buds" contrasts sharply with the violent "flail of the lashing hail," reflecting the cloud's mercurial nature. The line “I laugh as I pass in thunder” imbues the cloud with a sense of joy and vitality, emphasizing its freedom and autonomy.
Second Stanza:
This stanza shifts focus to the cloud’s interactions with the mountains and oceans. Shelley’s depiction of the cloud as "sleeping in the arms of the blast" conveys its symbiotic relationship with the elements. Lightning, described as the cloud’s "pilot," is anthropomorphized as a guiding force, while thunder is portrayed as a captive creature in a "cavern," underscoring the elemental drama. The Romantic theme of sublime power is evident in the descriptions of natural grandeur, as the cloud traverses "rills, and the crags, and the hills," embodying unity with Earth and sky.
Third Stanza:
The cloud’s relationship with the sun and sunset is central in this stanza. Shelley likens the sunrise to a fiery, meteoric entity that leaps onto the cloud’s "sailing rack." This vivid imagery conveys the vitality of daybreak, while the sunset is described as a moment of peace and repose. The contrast between the sun's dynamic energy and the restful imagery of the cloud as a "brooding dove" during sunset underscores the cyclical nature of time and the harmony of opposites.
Fourth Stanza:
The moonlit night offers a serene yet ethereal dimension to the cloud’s existence. Shelley’s imagery transforms the cloud into a "fleece-like floor" over which the moon "glides glimmering." The interplay between the moon, stars, and the cloud emphasizes their interconnectedness, as the stars appear to "whirl and flee" when the cloud opens its "wind-built tent." This stanza reflects Shelley’s fascination with celestial phenomena, evoking wonder and mystery.
Fifth Stanza:
Shelley expands the scope of the cloud’s power in this stanza, likening it to a "triumphal arch" through which it marches with "hurricane, fire, and snow." The rainbow, described as a "million-coloured bow," symbolizes the cloud’s role as a mediator between Earth and sky, storm and calm. This imagery celebrates the beauty that emerges from chaos, encapsulating the Romantic ideal of finding transcendence in nature’s processes.
Sixth Stanza:
The final stanza crystallizes the cloud’s essence as a symbol of immortality and transformation. The cloud declares itself as the "daughter of Earth and Water" and "nursling of the Sky," emphasizing its cyclical existence and elemental origins. The line “I change, but I cannot die” asserts the cloud’s permanence through constant renewal. Shelley concludes with an image of rebirth, as the cloud emerges "like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb," reinforcing its role as a symbol of eternal life and natural harmony.
Themes
1. Nature’s Cycles and Immortality:
The cloud embodies the cyclical processes of nature, symbolizing the perpetual renewal of life. Through the cloud’s voice, Shelley explores the unity and interdependence of natural elements, celebrating their resilience and immortality.
2. The Sublime and the Beautiful:
Shelley juxtaposes the awe-inspiring power of the cloud with its gentler, nurturing aspects. This duality reflects the Romantic preoccupation with the sublime, where terror and beauty coexist in nature.
3. Transformation and Transience:
The poem highlights the transient yet eternal nature of the cloud, capturing the paradox of change and permanence. This theme resonates with Shelley’s broader philosophical views on the impermanence of human life and the enduring spirit of nature.
Literary Devices
1. Personification:
The cloud is personified as a sentient, almost divine being, capable of emotions, actions, and thoughts. This device allows Shelley to animate the natural world, bridging the gap between humanity and nature.
2. Imagery:
Shelley’s vivid descriptions—such as the "million-coloured bow" and "burning plumes outspread"—paint a dynamic and evocative picture of the cloud’s journey across the heavens.
3. Symbolism:
The cloud serves as a symbol of nature’s cyclical processes and enduring vitality, encapsulating Romantic ideals of renewal and interconnectedness.
4. Sound Devices:
Alliteration (“light shade for the leaves”) and assonance enhance the musicality of the poem, reflecting the cloud’s fluid and rhythmic movement.
Conclusion
The Cloud is a masterful synthesis of Romantic ideals, celebrating the majesty, mystery, and transformative power of nature. Through its lyrical form and vivid imagery, Shelley elevates the cloud from a mere meteorological phenomenon to a symbol of eternal life and sublime beauty. The poem invites readers to marvel at the interconnectedness of the natural world, offering a timeless meditation on change, impermanence, and renewal.