"The Indian Serenade" by Percy Bysshe Shelley (poetry readings)

Shelley called this poem "Lines written to an Indian Air", an air being a melody, and it was obviously written as lyrics to a piece of music, now forgotten. After he died his wife changed the title to "The Indian Serenade". A Serenade is a love song sung by a suitor beneath his sweetheart's window late at night. (It's worth a try. You never know your luck.)

His wife also wrote Frankenstein. They had a wild party and all decided to write a piece about an up-to-date Prometheus. Frankenstein has the alternative title "The Modern Prometheus". Shelley himself wrote "Prometheus Unbound". Byron wrote something gothic about incest called "Manfred".

"Champak odours" refers to frangipani which grows in Southern Indian. The "Nightingales Compaint" isnt catching like Bird Flu, it only means the nightingale's song. "Complaint" had a different meaning then, something more like "message".

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Indian
• Serenade
• Percy
• Bysshe
• Shelley

[dineshssairam]

Corrections: "Stars are burning bright" "Champak odours fall" "As I must die on thine" "Oh press it close to thine again"..

The read was good. Thank you.

[SpokenVerse]

@dineshssairam The Golden Treasury and Oxford Book of English Verse give the same words as I do - except for "Champak odours fail" (not fall). They're also much more well-known. Where did you get your version?

[SoloRaven]

Amazing beyond words can anyone say

Cold Shower! 10*

[SpokenVerse]

Make it a warm shower and I'll join you.

[jeana1001]

I absolutely love this poem; thank you for posting.

[dineshssairam]

@SpokenVerse Some words were unclear in the original copy. So researchers filled them up according to rhythm. There are a lot of versions as such.

If you read the GT version, you'll note that rhythm is off at certain places due to wrong usage of words: 'odours fail (or fall)' , 'die on thine' and 'press it close to thine again'. The other variable corrections don't matter anyways.

PS. This is also called "The Indian Girl's Song".

- 'Shelly's Poetry and Prose', Norton Critical edition.

[andrewlondonbook]

Another incredible reading! You really do Shelley justice! Indeed, never has his poetry sounded stronger than when you are reading it. Thanks once again!

[Ashlii69]

That was gorgeous!

O lift me from the grass!

I die! I faint! I fail!

Let thy love in kisses rain

On my lips and eyelids pale.

my favorite part!

[staylopictures]

All this over-the-top drama driven by nothing more than an act of fertility not much different from that of walruses or a mice. But we have the likes of Shelly to give voice to these gonadal stirrings, and the universe looks away and waits.

[solarisqs]

yes a real pleasure

I love Percy Bysshe