It's wonderful to see the work of this very GREAT man and poet respected, as he never gets the respect that many lesser poets do! RESPECT to you Sophie for pointing out some of his awesome talents (as he is often remembered for his faults - though I'm not sure I'll ever admit to him having any.lol)
Much love to you.
xxxx

Hey Sophie,
Just been checking out your site and have been frolicking on the Shelley part, great fun. I love The Mask of Anarchy - not just what it stands for or against just the spectacular imagery - the idea of death throwing human hearts to his hounds is gruesome and awesome all at the same time - imagine a theatre production of it? How great would that be.
Anyway I'm off the site now - well soon anyway so I'll keep intouch with you by email, if that's ok?
love and laughter to you my noble friend.
Magi
xxxxx

Hi Sophie, Hi Maggie, hope you don't mind my joining your conversation but I was just really excited that you were discussing Shelly and particularly The Mask of Anarchy. Until the Internet made everything available this was a really difficult poem to find published but is so important to anyone from the Greater Manchester area with an interest in the history of the working classes. I interpreted the poem in my own work 'The Mask of Unity' during the Balkan conflict over a decade ago but with the current crisis over MP's expenses and continuing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan it seems even more relevant today than ever.

The shaken chains could also stand for the first thing we come up against (as in the most regular, as in ignorance or fear). Some don't shake it from themselves then they are trapped. The dew being the start on which actions and ideas are based, it being the image of when the day starts - the day being the germ of idea or action.

The sane response to Peterloo was passionate indignation. Shelley does a brilliant job of expressing that, but in doing it he appeals to fundamental principles of Law and Liberty. That is one reason why (in my view - others may differ) it is appropriate for his statue to be in University College, Oxford.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shelley_Memorial,_University_College,_Oxford.JPG

OK, the university is a bastion of the establishment and one could argue this is the marble equivalent of putting him in a stained glass window, and thus of taking the sting out of his message. But it must be good to draw him so dramatically to the attention of the next generation of leaders - isn't that part of how change happens? It dawns on at least some who pass that Law and Liberty matter at least as much as their class privilege.

There's an exhibition about Peterloo at the library in Manchester right now, catch it before it goes.

It includes other responses that were more immediate to the event (and perhaps not so well crafted): Shelley was in Italy when he wrote his poem.

If we all shout "NO MORE!", the fragile pack of cards will tumble.

Become a warrior of your personal revolution
for change needs to start within ourselves.