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The Annotated Edition

HYMN OF APOLLO. by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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

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Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, light, music, and prophecy, shares his daily journey across the sky and the immense power he wields over the world.

Poet
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Themes
art, beauty, identity
The PoemFull text

HYMN OF APOLLO.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

[Published by Mrs. Shelley, “Posthumous Poems”, 1824. There is a fair draft amongst the Shelley manuscripts at the Bodleian. See Mr. C.D. Locock’s “Examination”, etc., 1903, page 25.] 1. The sleepless Hours who watch me as I lie, Curtained with star-inwoven tapestries From the broad moonlight of the sky, Fanning the busy dreams from my dim eyes,— Waken me when their Mother, the gray Dawn, _5 Tells them that dreams and that the moon is gone. 2. Then I arise, and climbing Heaven’s blue dome, I walk over the mountains and the waves, Leaving my robe upon the ocean foam; My footsteps pave the clouds with fire; the caves _10 Are filled with my bright presence, and the air Leaves the green Earth to my embraces bare. 3. The sunbeams are my shafts, with which I kill Deceit, that loves the night and fears the day; All men who do or even imagine ill _15 Fly me, and from the glory of my ray Good minds and open actions take new might, Until diminished by the reign of Night. 4. I feed the clouds, the rainbows and the flowers With their aethereal colours; the moon’s globe _20 And the pure stars in their eternal bowers Are cinctured with my power as with a robe; Whatever lamps on Earth or Heaven may shine Are portions of one power, which is mine. 5. I stand at noon upon the peak of Heaven, _25 Then with unwilling steps I wander down Into the clouds of the Atlantic even; For grief that I depart they weep and frown: What look is more delightful than the smile With which I soothe them from the western isle? _30 6. I am the eye with which the Universe Beholds itself and knows itself divine; All harmony of instrument or verse, All prophecy, all medicine is mine, All light of art or nature;—to my song _35 Victory and praise in its own right belong. NOTES: _32 itself divine]it is divine B. _34 is B.; are 1824. _36 its cj. Rossetti, 1870, B.; their 1824. ***

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, light, music, and prophecy, shares his daily journey across the sky and the immense power he wields over the world. He describes waking at dawn, pouring light onto the earth, banishing deceit, nourishing nature's colors, and ultimately setting in the west — all before proclaiming himself the very eye through which the universe perceives and comprehends itself. This poem captures the essence of what light accomplishes: not just in a physical sense, but also in moral and artistic ways.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. The sleepless Hours who watch me as I lie, / Curtained with star-inwoven tapestries

    Editor's note

    Apollo talks about how he rests at night. The "Hours" are mythological attendants from Greek stories who watch over the gates of Olympus. He sleeps beneath a curtain of starlit sky, while these attendants gently fan away his dreams until Dawn — their mother in classical tradition — signals the end of night. This creates a lavish, mythological bedroom scene that portrays Apollo as a cosmic figure, showing that even his sleep is grand.

  2. Then I arise, and climbing Heaven's blue dome, / I walk over the mountains and the waves,

    Editor's note

    This is sunrise. Apollo rises and starts his daily path across the sky. He leaves his "robe" on the ocean foam — a stunning sight that captures how sunlight dances across the sea at dawn. His footsteps literally pave the clouds with fire (imagine the vibrant colors of a sunrise), and his light fills every cave and freshens the air, leaving the earth open and ready for him.

  3. The sunbeams are my shafts, with which I kill / Deceit, that loves the night and fears the day;

    Editor's note

    Apollo was the god of archery and the sun, meaning his rays can also be seen as arrows. In this context, Shelley assigns them a moral role: light eradicates deceit, which flourishes in darkness. Those with evil intentions shy away from Apollo's sight. In contrast, good people and honest deeds gain strength from his light — but that strength diminishes once night falls. Shelley subtly suggests that truth and goodness are fundamentally solar.

  4. I feed the clouds, the rainbows and the flowers / With their aethereal colours; the moon's globe

    Editor's note

    Apollo takes credit for every shade in nature—from the colors of clouds and the spectrum of rainbows to the hues of flowers. Even the moon and stars, which appear to shine on their own, are actually "cinctured" (belted, wrapped) in his influence. The stanza concludes with a bold assertion: every light source, whether on earth or in the sky, is merely a reflection of Apollo's singular power.

  5. I stand at noon upon the peak of Heaven, / Then with unwilling steps I wander down

    Editor's note

    Noon marks the high point for Apollo—he's at the apex of his journey. But soon, he must begin his descent, and Shelley imbues this with real emotional depth: Apollo leaves "with unwilling steps." The clouds of the Atlantic evening seem to mourn his exit (imagine those brooding, stormy sunset skies). He reassures them with the gentle smile of the sunset on the western horizon. It’s a surprisingly tender moment—the sun lamenting its own setting.

  6. I am the eye with which the Universe / Beholds itself and knows itself divine;

    Editor's note

    The final stanza serves as the poem's philosophical peak. Apollo isn't merely a source of light; he's the way the universe becomes self-aware. Without light, we can't see or know anything. He then enumerates everything within his realm: music, poetry, prophecy, medicine, and all forms of artistic and natural illumination. The closing couplet boldly claims that victory and praise rightfully belong to his song — a confident, almost defiant final note that feels like Shelley himself is speaking through the god.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone remains exultant and confident throughout — this is a god speaking, and Shelley fully embraces that. There's no irony or undermining of the voice. It feels grand without coming off as pompous, as Shelley continually roots the cosmic assertions in striking physical images: foam, caves, rainbows, footsteps. In the fifth stanza, a hint of real sadness emerges when Apollo descends reluctantly into evening, preventing the poem from being purely triumphant. By the final stanza, the tone soars once more into a state of nearly ecstatic certainty.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Sunbeams as shafts (arrows)
Apollo was the god of the sun and archery, meaning his rays of light also serve as weapons. In this context, they focus on deceit, conveying the notion that light and truth are intertwined, both capable of vanquishing dishonesty.
The robe left on the ocean foam
As Apollo rises, he casts his robe onto the sea. This reflects how sunlight spreads across the water at dawn, while also conveying Apollo's intent to be fully present and open—shedding his cover to light up the world.
The eye of the Universe
In the final stanza, Apollo describes himself as the eye that allows the universe to see itself. Since light is essential for perception and self-awareness, Apollo symbolizes consciousness — suggesting that awareness and illumination go hand in hand.
Dawn as Mother of the Hours
The Hours are the attendants of Apollo, and Dawn is their mother. This family connection transforms time into something domestic and nurturing, making the immense workings of the cosmos feel more intimate and personal.
The peak of Heaven at noon
Noon is when power and visibility peak — everything is revealed, and no shadows linger. It symbolizes the pinnacle of truth, clarity, and creative energy, making the transition into evening feel like a real loss.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Shelley wrote this poem alongside "Hymn of Pan" in 1820, likely as part of a friendly competition with his friend John Keats. Both poems were intended for a scene in Mary Shelley's play "Midas," where Apollo and Pan face off in a musical contest. At that time, Shelley was living in Italy, surrounded by Greek mythology and classical literature. The poem didn’t see publication during his lifetime—he drowned in 1822—and first appeared in the "Posthumous Poems" collection that his wife Mary put together in 1824. It shares a creative period with "Ode to the West Wind" and "To a Skylark," when Shelley was delving into the connections between natural forces, artistic expression, and moral truth through myth and lyrical forms.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Apollo is the Greek god associated with the sun, light, music, poetry, prophecy, and medicine. In this poem, Shelley uses Apollo’s first-person perspective, allowing the god to narrate his daily journey and describe his powers in his own words.

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