Milton Schwartz

English

3 August, 23:44

In "A Defence of Poetry," Shelley suggests that thoughts and feelings in life are "always arising unforeseen and departing unbidden." Which lines from "Mutability" also reflect the idea that life is fleeting?

-We are as clouds that veil the midnight moon;

How restlessly they speed, and gleam, and quiver

-Or like forgotten lyres, whose dissonant strings

Give various response to each varying blast

-We rest.-A dream has power to poison sleep;

We rise.-One wandering thought pollutes the day

-We feel, conceive or reason, laugh or weep;

Embrace fond woe, or cast our cares away