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Storgy

The Annotated Edition

112, 113:— by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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This brief prose-poem fragment from Shelley's *A Philosophical View of Reform* (or his notes to *Queen Mab*) discusses how religious dogma can harm a person's mental well-being.

Poet
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Themes
anger, faith, freedom
The PoemFull text

112, 113:—

Percy Bysshe Shelley

or religion Drives his wife raving mad. I am acquainted with a lady of considerable accomplishments, and the mother of a numerous family, whom the Christian religion has goaded to incurable insanity. A parallel case is, I believe, within the experience of every physician. Nam iam saepe homines patriam, carosquo parentes Prodiderunt, vitare Acherusia templa petentes.—Lucretius.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This brief prose-poem fragment from Shelley's *A Philosophical View of Reform* (or his notes to *Queen Mab*) discusses how religious dogma can harm a person's mental well-being. He presents the real-life example of a well-educated mother who descends into madness due to Christian guilt and supports his argument with a Latin quote from Lucretius, illustrating how religion can lead individuals to betray their own families and homelands. In just a few direct lines, Shelley asserts that blind faith isn’t a source of comfort — it’s a weapon used against oneself.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. or religion / Drives his wife raving mad.

    Editor's note

    This phrase is part of a longer aphorism. Shelley wraps up a reflection on the harmful effects of religious fanaticism within the household. The choice of words is intentional — 'raving mad' carries a clinical and harsh tone, eliminating any romanticized view of religious devotion.

  2. I am acquainted with a lady of considerable accomplishments...

    Editor's note

    Shelley bases his argument on a specific, relatable case. By portraying the woman as both accomplished and a mother of many children, he makes her both sympathetic and respectable—then illustrates that even she was not immune to the psychological harm caused by religion. The phrase 'goaded to incurable insanity' has a prosecutorial tone: religion acts as the perpetrator, while the woman is the victim.

  3. A parallel case is, I believe, within the experience of every physician.

    Editor's note

    Shelley expands the argument from a single woman's experience to a universal pattern. By referencing physicians instead of priests or philosophers, he presents mental harm caused by religion as a medical reality rather than merely a personal belief. This rhetorical strategy helps his radical perspective come across as common sense.

  4. Nam iam saepe homines patriam, carosque parentes / Prodiderunt, vitare Acherusia templa petentes.—Lucretius.

    Editor's note

    The Latin text from Lucretius's *De Rerum Natura* translates roughly to: 'For already men have often betrayed their homeland and their dear parents, seeking to avoid the halls of Acheron [the underworld].' Shelley draws on Lucretius — the renowned ancient poet-philosopher known for his atheism — to illustrate how fear of divine retribution has led people to betray their deepest attachments. This connection links the personal experience in England to a rich classical tradition of critiquing the harshness of religion.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is cold, prosecutorial, and intentionally restrained. Shelley isn’t ranting; he’s constructing a case. This calm demeanor makes the accusations land with greater impact. Beneath those measured sentences lies a controlled fury, the kind of anger that believes a well-reasoned argument is more effective than mere outrage.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The lady of considerable accomplishments
She represents every educated and respectable person whom society assumes is safe due to their status and intelligence — but isn't. Her respectability underscores the issue: religion's harm isn't limited to the ignorant or the vulnerable.
Raving mad
Madness here isn't just a metaphor — Shelley is speaking literally. It also serves as a powerful symbol of what occurs when an external system of guilt and fear takes over a person's inner life entirely.
Acherusia templa (the halls of Acheron)
In Lucretius, the underworld embodies the fear of divine punishment that religion wields to keep people in check. Shelley references it to illustrate that the dread of hell — rather than a genuine love for God — is what truly drives religion, and this fear can turn individuals into monsters towards their loved ones.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Shelley wrote this fragment as part of the prose notes for *Queen Mab* (1813), his early radical poem that critiques monarchy, commerce, and organized religion. At just twenty years old, he was already a staunch atheist, deeply influenced by William Godwin's political ideas and Lucretius's *De Rerum Natura*, a first-century BCE Epicurean poem that argues the universe operates on atoms and chance rather than divine intervention. Shelley had been expelled from Oxford in 1811 for co-authoring *The Necessity of Atheism*. These notes were as risky as the poem itself—*Queen Mab* made its rounds in pirated editions and was later used against him in a custody battle for his children. The Lucretius quote isn’t just for show; it shows Shelley aligning himself with a long tradition of thinkers who believed religion often causes more harm than good.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It occupies a grey area. The first two lines ('or religion / Drives his wife raving mad') are written as verse — a piece of a longer aphoristic poem. The remainder is prose commentary, similar to what Shelley often included with *Queen Mab*. Together, the entire work serves as a cohesive unit: a verse assertion, supporting prose, and classical reference.

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Themes in this poem

Poems about angerPoems about faithPoems about freedomPoems about sorrow