'The Flower that Smiles Today' | Shelley's Philosophy of Life

  THE FLOWER THAT SMILES TODAY Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was a prominent figure of Romantic period in English Literature. He has created gems of poetry. Unfortunately, he could not get fame during his life time but after his death, his poetry reached the Alpine peak. He is one of the second generation Romantic poets (Byron, Shelley and Keats). He died in a boat accident at the age of 29. His masterpiece ‘The Flower that Smiles Today’ is a manifesto of Shelley’s philosophy of life. Despite the fact that he was an atheist, he held a strong belief that life is a boon of nature. Man, instinctively dwells only on the delightful aspects of life and tries to run away from its bitter realities. But the fact is that life and all the things associated with it are transitory and are liable to parish one day. Therefore, he cried;   “The flower that smiles to-day, To-morrow dies.”   Shelley’s philosophy of life poses a contrast with that of his contemporary cohort, John Keats