). Rossetti proposes interminable, or inexterminable. by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This isn't a poem in the typical way — it’s a collection of editorial notes from a scholar (possibly Bertram Dobell or another 19th-century editor) detailing the decisions made while creating a critical edition of Shelley's lengthy philosophical poem *Queen Mab*.
The poem
8. A smile of godlike malice reillumed, etc. (7, line 180.) The editio princeps and the first edition of “Poetical Works”, 1839, read reillumined here, which is retained by Forman, Dowden, Woodberry. With Rossetti, I follow Mrs. Shelley’s reading in “Poetical Works”, 1839 (2nd edition). 9. One curse alone was spared—the name of God. (8, line 165.) Removed from the text, “Poetical Works”, 1839 (1st edition); restored, “Poetical Works”, 1839 (2nd edition). See Notes 3 and 6 above. 10. Which from the exhaustless lore of human weal Dawns on the virtuous mind, etc. (8, lines 204-205.) With some hesitation as to lore, I reprint these lines as they are given by Shelley himself in the note on this passage (supra). The text of 1813 runs:— Which from the exhaustless store of human weal Draws on the virtuous mind, etc. This is retained by Woodberry, while Rossetti, Forman, and Dowden adopt eclectic texts, Forman and Dowden reading lore and Draws, while Rossetti, again, reads store and Dawns. Our text is supported by the authority of Dr. Richard Garnett. The comma after infiniteness (line 206) has a metrical, not a logical, value. 11. Nor searing Reason with the brand of God. (9, line 48.) Removed from the text, “Poetical Works”, 1839 (1st edition), by Mrs. Shelley, who failed, doubtless through an oversight, to restore it in the second edition. See Notes 3, 6, and 9 above. 12. Where neither avarice, cunning, pride, nor care, etc. (9, line 67.) The editio princeps reads pride, or care, which is retained by Forman and Woodberry. With Rossetti and Dowden, I follow Mrs. Shelley’s text, “Poetical Works”, 1839 (both editions).
This isn't a poem in the typical way — it’s a collection of editorial notes from a scholar (possibly Bertram Dobell or another 19th-century editor) detailing the decisions made while creating a critical edition of Shelley's lengthy philosophical poem *Queen Mab*. The notes examine various printed versions of certain lines, clarify which readings were chosen and the reasons behind those choices, and highlight lines that were censored or mistakenly left out by Mary Shelley, Shelley's widow. You can see it as the editor laying out their thought process: "here’s the line, here’s the issue, here’s my decision."
Line-by-line
A smile of godlike malice reillumed, etc. (7, line 180.)
One curse alone was spared—the name of God. (8, line 165.)
Which from the exhaustless lore of human weal / Dawns on the virtuous mind, etc. (8, lines 204-205.)
Nor searing Reason with the brand of God. (9, line 48.)
Where neither avarice, cunning, pride, nor care, etc. (9, line 67.)
Tone & mood
The tone is clear, collegial, and subtly argumentative. The editor isn’t trying to impress — they’re resolving disputes. There’s a quiet confidence in phrases like "with some hesitation as to *lore*" and "doubtless through an oversight." The writing anticipates a reader who values individual words and recognizes Rossetti, Forman, Dowden, and Woodberry as part of an ongoing scholarly dialogue.
Symbols & metaphors
- The name of God — In *Queen Mab*, Shelley employs 'the name of God' not as a holy reference but as a representation of the authority of institutional religion to condemn and limit. Its absence from the 1839 edition indicates how potent that symbol continued to be even years after the poem was created.
- The brand of God — Branding — literally burning a mark into flesh — serves as the image Shelley employs to illustrate how religious authority can scar human reason. It represents coercion masquerading as revelation, and Mrs. Shelley's decision to suppress it in the 1839 edition highlights just how threatening this imagery still felt at the time.
- Textual variants (lore/store, Dawns/Draws) — The competing word choices are more than just linguistic puzzles — they reflect two distinct Shelleys: the 1813 radical who wrote *store* and *Draws*, and the Shelley who, in his own prose notes, subtly shifted toward *lore* and *Dawns*. Each variant provides a glimpse into the poem's changing meaning.
Historical context
*Queen Mab: A Philosophical Poem* was penned by Shelley between 1812 and 1813, when he was still just twenty years old. He initially printed it privately in 1813 for a select group of friends, but unauthorized copies circulated widely, turning it into a favorite among radical and working-class readers throughout the 19th century. The poem fiercely critiques monarchy, organized religion, and commerce, showcasing a level of intensity that Shelley never quite achieved again in public. After his death in 1822, his widow Mary Shelley worked on collected editions of his writings in 1839 (two editions). She faced a tough decision: the lines that criticized God and Christianity could lead to legal trouble, so she quietly removed some of them. Later Victorian editors — William Michael Rossetti, Harry Buxton Forman, Edward Dowden, and Edmund Woodberry — each created their own versions, comparing various manuscripts and printings, and they disagreed on numerous readings. These notes reflect that editorial debate.
FAQ
It isn’t a poem — it’s a collection of textual notes from a scholarly edition of Shelley's *Queen Mab*. What you’re reading is the editor’s commentary: insights into which version of specific lines was selected and the reasoning behind those choices. The actual lines from the poem are included only as brief quotations.
Someone else entirely. Shelley passed away in 1822. These notes were created by a later editor working on a critical edition of *Queen Mab*, who compared the original 1813 printing with the posthumous 1839 collected editions edited by Mary Shelley, as well as the versions by Rossetti, Forman, Dowden, and Woodberry.
Blasphemy was considered a crime in 19th-century Britain. Phrases that labeled God's name as "a curse" or depicted God as branding human reason could have led to prosecution for the publisher — and possibly for Mary Shelley herself. She took out the most controversial lines from the first 1839 edition, but later reinstated some in the second.
Latin for 'first edition' — referring here to the small private printing that Shelley organized in 1813. Editors consider it a primary authority, although Shelley's later revisions (noted in his prose comments on the poem) can occasionally take precedence.
Because the meaning changes. *Store* implies a supply you take from; *lore* implies gathered knowledge that sheds light. *Draws* is proactive and takes away; *Dawns* is receptive and reveals. The editor aligns with Shelley's later word choices, suggesting that Shelley's prose note to the passage best reflects his ultimate intention.
They are the four key editors from the Victorian and Edwardian eras who worked on Shelley's works: William Michael Rossetti (Dante Gabriel's brother), Harry Buxton Forman, Edward Dowden, and Edmund Woodberry. Each of them published collected editions and frequently had differing opinions on which manuscripts or printed sources to rely upon. These notes capture the essence of their ongoing debate.
*Queen Mab* is a visionary poem where a fairy queen reveals to a sleeping girl’s soul the past, present, and future of humanity. Shelley employs this framework to critique war, tyranny, religion, and capitalism while advocating for a future grounded in reason, vegetarianism, and free love. It's considered one of the most radical poems in the English language.
The comma signals a pause for the reader's voice—a brief breath that allows the verse line to flow properly—not because the grammar demands it. The editor points this out to prevent readers from mistakenly seeing the comma as a marker for a logical break in the sentence's meaning.