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The Annotated Edition

). Rossetti proposes interminable, or inexterminable. by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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

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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*.

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

). Rossetti proposes interminable, or inexterminable.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

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).

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

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."

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. A smile of godlike malice reillumed, etc. (7, line 180.)

    Editor's note

    Note 8 discusses a single word: *reillumined* versus *reillumed*. Both the first printing (*editio princeps*) and the initial 1839 collected edition use *reillumined*. The editor prefers Mrs. Shelley's corrected second edition, which opts for the shorter *reillumed* — a decision also supported by Rossetti. However, Forman, Dowden, and Woodberry retained the longer form. The distinction is entirely metrical: *reillumed* aligns better with the verse line.

  2. One curse alone was spared—the name of God. (8, line 165.)

    Editor's note

    Note 9 points out a line that was quietly removed from the initial 1839 edition, likely due to its religiously provocative nature — referring to the name of God as a *curse*. Mrs. Shelley reinstated it in the second 1839 edition. The editor references earlier notes (3 and 6) that address the same trend of religious self-censorship in that posthumous collection.

  3. Which from the exhaustless lore of human weal / Dawns on the virtuous mind, etc. (8, lines 204-205.)

    Editor's note

    Note 10 stands out as the most intricate of the group. There are two points of contention: *lore* versus *store*, and *Dawns* versus *Draws*. The original text from 1813 uses *store* and *Draws*. However, Shelley himself, in a prose note accompanying the poem, opted for *lore* and *Dawns* — so the editor chooses to align with Shelley's later preference, which is backed by scholar Richard Garnett. Various editors have made different choices: Forman and Dowden selected *lore* and *Draws*, while Rossetti went with *store* and *Dawns*. Additionally, the note explains that the comma after *infiniteness* serves a rhythmic purpose rather than a grammatical one.

  4. Nor searing Reason with the brand of God. (9, line 48.)

    Editor's note

    Note 11 highlights another instance where Mrs. Shelley's editorial caution led to a casualty. This line — depicting God's name as a brand burned into Reason — was omitted from the first 1839 edition and, unlike the line in Note 9, it was never reinstated in the second edition. The editor views this as an oversight rather than a purposeful second removal, so it has been restored. Notes 3, 6, and 9 illustrate a broader trend of religiously sensitive lines being quietly omitted.

  5. Where neither avarice, cunning, pride, nor care, etc. (9, line 67.)

    Editor's note

    Note 12 focuses on a single word: *or* versus *nor*. The first printing states *pride, or care*, which Forman and Woodberry retain. The editor opts for Mrs. Shelley's 1839 text (both editions this time), which states *pride, nor care* — a version also chosen by Rossetti and Dowden. This change creates grammatical parallelism and enhances the rhetorical impact, aligning with the anaphoric flow of the original line.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

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.

§05Symbols & metaphors

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.

§06Historical context

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.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

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.

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