England in 1819
¶ 1
An old, mad, blind, despis’d, and dying king, Leave a comment on line 1 0
¶ 2
Princes, the dregs of their dull race, who flow Leave a comment on line 2 0
¶ 3
Through public scorn — mud from a muddy spring, Leave a comment on line 3 0
¶ 4
Rulers who neither see, nor feel, nor know, Leave a comment on line 4 0
¶ 5
But leech-like to their fainting country cling, Leave a comment on line 5 0
¶ 6
Till they drop, blind in blood, without a blow, Leave a comment on line 6 0
¶ 7
A people starv’d and stabb’d in the untill’d field, Leave a comment on line 7 0
¶ 8
An army, which liberticide and prey Leave a comment on line 8 0
¶ 9
Makes as a two-edg’d sword to all who wield, Leave a comment on line 9 0
¶ 10
Golden and sanguine laws which tempt and slay, Leave a comment on line 10 0
¶ 11
Religion Christless, Godless — a book seal’d, Leave a comment on line 11 0
¶ 12
A Senate — Time’s worst statute unrepeal’d, Leave a comment on line 12 0
¶ 13
Are graves, from which a glorious Phantom may Leave a comment on line 13 0
¶ 14
Burst, to illumine our tempestuous day. Leave a comment on line 14 1
The text of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “England in 1819” printed here is taken from Poetical Works, ed. Mary Shelley (London: E. Moxon, 1839) via Representative Poetry Online.