The first footnote prefaces this poem by suggesting that Shelley's motivations involved his shift to a more conservative view. Initially reading the footnote I was slightly confused as to why Shelley would feel the need, not only to inform Wordsworth in such dramatic fashion of this shift in thinking, but also why Shelley would want this seemingly private conversation to be published. After reading the poem, I could not help but compare this poem to something of a love poem. It is not that the content of the poem that signifies this romance, but more the tone of the poem. Shelley starts the poem by referring to Wordsworth as the "Poet of Nature" (1), not only is this a very generous title to give a poet, but it is also very similar to the way couples give one another pet-names. Beginning the poem in this way is almost like writing a letter to a significant other and addressing him or her as "My love." He then insinuates that Wordsworth is so moved by Shelley's knew perspective that he expects Wordsworth to have "wept" (1), once again evoking the image of a relationship.
Shelley goes on to discuss all that he has lost now that his views are more conservative, and many of these losses seem to suggest that Shelley has lost the ability to be a romantic, yet the irony is, as Shelley writes about how "friendship and love's first glow / have fled like sweet dreams" (3-4), he is gushing to Wordsworth, almost begging for attention. Shelley also refers to Wordsworth at one point as "a lone star" (7), and then Shelley continues with this image as he discusses how Wordsworth's "light did shine" (7), and it is all very beautiful, but I just cannot figure out how the tone of the poem fits with what Shelley is actually saying. Why is Shelley so emotionally attached to what Wordsworth would think of all this in the first place, and if Shelley is so concerned with Wordsworth's opinion, enough to "grieve" (13), how can he possibly say that he has lost love and friendship when he is addressing Wordsworth as if they are romantically involved?
I really like your reading of this poem as a love poem mainly because it was almost completely contradictory to how I was reading it -- as a eulogy or obituary of sorts (although, I looked it up and Wordsworth outlives Shelley, making this somewhat of a facetious poem). I read the opening as Shelley acknowledging what Wordsworth once would have believed and then his change in views or perhaps lack of any impressive new poetry being equated to his death -- almost a 'mean girls' type mocking. Although I am slightly confused by the middle of the poem...
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