SIN. by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This poem satirizes "Peter," a representation of the poet Robert Southey, whom Shelley held in disdain.
The poem
1. Lo. Peter in Hell’s Grosvenor Square, A footman in the Devil’s service! And the misjudging world would swear _265 That every man in service there To virtue would prefer vice. 2. But Peter, though now damned, was not What Peter was before damnation. Men oftentimes prepare a lot _270 Which ere it finds them, is not what Suits with their genuine station. 3. All things that Peter saw and felt Had a peculiar aspect to him; And when they came within the belt _275 Of his own nature, seemed to melt, Like cloud to cloud, into him. 4. And so the outward world uniting To that within him, he became Considerably uninviting _280 To those who, meditation slighting, Were moulded in a different frame. 5. And he scorned them, and they scorned him; And he scorned all they did; and they Did all that men of their own trim _285 Are wont to do to please their whim, Drinking, lying, swearing, play. 6. Such were his fellow-servants; thus His virtue, like our own, was built Too much on that indignant fuss _290 Hypocrite Pride stirs up in us To bully one another’s guilt. 7. He had a mind which was somehow At once circumference and centre Of all he might or feel or know; _295 Nothing went ever out, although Something did ever enter. 8. He had as much imagination As a pint-pot;—he never could Fancy another situation, _300 From which to dart his contemplation, Than that wherein he stood. 9. Yet his was individual mind, And new created all he saw In a new manner, and refined _305 Those new creations, and combined Them, by a master-spirit’s law. 10. Thus—though unimaginative— An apprehension clear, intense, Of his mind’s work, had made alive _310 The things it wrought on; I believe Wakening a sort of thought in sense. 11. But from the first ’twas Peter’s drift To be a kind of moral eunuch, He touched the hem of Nature’s shift, _315 Felt faint—and never dared uplift The closest, all-concealing tunic. 12. She laughed the while, with an arch smile, And kissed him with a sister’s kiss, And said—My best Diogenes, _320 I love you well—but, if you please, Tempt not again my deepest bliss. 13. ‘’Tis you are cold—for I, not coy, Yield love for love, frank, warm, and true; And Burns, a Scottish peasant boy— _325 His errors prove it—knew my joy More, learned friend, than you. 14. ‘Boeca bacciata non perde ventura, Anzi rinnuova come fa la luna:— So thought Boccaccio, whose sweet words might cure a _330 Male prude, like you, from what you now endure, a Low-tide in soul, like a stagnant laguna. 15. Then Peter rubbed his eyes severe. And smoothed his spacious forehead down With his broad palm;—’twixt love and fear, _335 He looked, as he no doubt felt, queer, And in his dream sate down. 16. The Devil was no uncommon creature; A leaden-witted thief—just huddled Out of the dross and scum of nature; _340 A toad-like lump of limb and feature, With mind, and heart, and fancy muddled. 17. He was that heavy, dull, cold thing, The spirit of evil well may be: A drone too base to have a sting; _345 Who gluts, and grimes his lazy wing, And calls lust, luxury. 18. Now he was quite the kind of wight Round whom collect, at a fixed aera, Venison, turtle, hock, and claret,— _350 Good cheer—and those who come to share it— And best East Indian madeira! 19. It was his fancy to invite Men of science, wit, and learning, Who came to lend each other light; _355 He proudly thought that his gold’s might Had set those spirits burning. 20. And men of learning, science, wit, Considered him as you and I Think of some rotten tree, and sit _360 Lounging and dining under it, Exposed to the wide sky. 21. And all the while with loose fat smile, The willing wretch sat winking there, Believing ’twas his power that made _365 That jovial scene—and that all paid Homage to his unnoticed chair. 22. Though to be sure this place was Hell; He was the Devil—and all they— What though the claret circled well, _370 And wit, like ocean, rose and fell?— Were damned eternally.
This poem satirizes "Peter," a representation of the poet Robert Southey, whom Shelley held in disdain. In the end, Peter finds himself as a footman in Hell, catering to a dull and gluttonous Devil. Shelley employs this character to ridicule a specific type of individual: one who believes they are morally superior yet is actually cold, unimaginative, and too timid to fully engage with life or nature. Overall, it serves as a darkly comedic critique of hypocrisy, intellectual arrogance, and the pride that confuses prudishness with virtue.
Line-by-line
Lo. Peter in Hell's Grosvenor Square, / A footman in the Devil's service!
But Peter, though now damned, was not / What Peter was before damnation.
All things that Peter saw and felt / Had a peculiar aspect to him;
And so the outward world uniting / To that within him, he became
And he scorned them, and they scorned him;
Such were his fellow-servants; thus / His virtue, like our own, was built
He had a mind which was somehow / At once circumference and centre
He had as much imagination / As a pint-pot;
Yet his was individual mind, / And new created all he saw
Thus—though unimaginative— / An apprehension clear, intense,
But from the first 'twas Peter's drift / To be a kind of moral eunuch,
She laughed the while, with an arch smile, / And kissed him with a sister's kiss,
'Tis you are cold—for I, not coy, / Yield love for love, frank, warm, and true;
'Boeca bacciata non perde ventura, / Anzi rinnuova come fa la luna:
Then Peter rubbed his eyes severe. / And smoothed his spacious forehead down
The Devil was no uncommon creature; / A leaden-witted thief—just huddled
He was that heavy, dull, cold thing, / The spirit of evil well may be:
Now he was quite the kind of wight / Round whom collect, at a fixed aera,
It was his fancy to invite / Men of science, wit, and learning,
And men of learning, science, wit, / Considered him as you and I
And all the while with loose fat smile, / The willing wretch sat winking there,
Though to be sure this place was Hell; / He was the Devil—and all they—
Tone & mood
The tone is both sardonic and playful, yet there's a real bite beneath the surface. Shelley is clearly having fun with the comic rhymes, the Grosvenor Square backdrop, and the pint-pot comparison. However, the target is sincere, and the contempt is palpable. There's also a thread of intellectual honesty that prevents it from being a straightforward attack: Shelley acknowledges Peter's genuine talents and includes himself in the critique of hypocritical pride. The final stanza hits hard, cutting through all the cleverness with a chilling conclusion.
Symbols & metaphors
- Grosvenor Square — A genuine, stylish London address dropped into Hell. It suggests that Hell isn't just an exotic underworld but rather a reflection of the respectable, affluent English society — implying that the two aren't all that different.
- The pint-pot — A container that holds just one fixed measure and nothing beyond that. It represents Peter's lack of imaginative empathy—his struggle to step outside his own perspective and view the world through someone else's eyes.
- Nature's shift and tunic — Nature's clothing reflects the rich complexity of human experience—sensory, emotional, erotic, spiritual. Peter only touches the hem and never dares to lift the veil. The image reveals his deep-seated shyness in the face of real life.
- The rotten tree — The Devil is like a dead tree that still offers shade. This imagery reflects the dynamic between corrupt power and the skilled individuals who exploit it for their own benefit, all while secretly harboring disdain for it.
- The sister's kiss — Nature's kiss for Peter is warm and caring but clearly non-erotic. It defines the boundary of what Peter can experience from the world — warmth without depth, connection without change.
- The stagnant laguna — Boccaccio's image, cited by Nature, reflects Peter's inner state: a low tide, still water, and no movement. This symbolizes the spiritual and creative stagnation that comes from not fully engaging with one's experiences.
Historical context
This poem is a canto taken from Shelley's longer satirical piece *Peter Bell the Third* (1819), which he crafted as a biting reaction to William Wordsworth's poem *Peter Bell* and serves as a parody. Shelley was infuriated by what he perceived as Wordsworth's moral and political retreat — in his eyes, the once-great Romantic poet had abandoned his early radical ideals and transformed into a conservative figure within the establishment. The "Peter" depicted in the poem mainly represents Wordsworth, but also reflects Robert Southey, another Lake Poet who had turned away from his youthful radicalism. Shelley penned this poem in a frenzy in 1819, the same year he created *The Mask of Anarchy* and *Ode to the West Wind*, a time marked by remarkable productivity fueled by political anger. *Peter Bell the Third* was not released during Shelley's lifetime; it was published posthumously in 1839.
FAQ
Peter serves mainly as a satirical depiction of William Wordsworth, incorporating traits of Robert Southey as well. Shelley composed the poem as a reaction to Wordsworth's *Peter Bell* (1819), using the character to criticize what he perceived as Wordsworth's intellectual cowardice, moral hypocrisy, and political abandonment of his previous radical beliefs.
Hell presents Shelley's metaphor for the corrupt, trendy world of English society—particularly the realm of establishment power and comfortable conformity. Peter is "damned" not for committing grand sins, but because he opted for safety, pride, and cold respectability instead of truly engaging with life and truth.
It's one of Shelley's sharpest phrases. He suggests that Peter has chosen to disconnect from the richness of life — the passion, risk, and emotional and sensory experiences. He comes close to embracing Nature (which represents fully lived experience) but always hesitates and retreats. He can feel deeply but chooses not to act on those feelings.
Burns stands in stark contrast to Peter. He was a Scottish poet from a working-class background whose life was filled with what polite society would label as "mistakes" — drinking, illegitimate children, and romantic escapades. However, Nature (as personified in the poem) suggests that Burns understood her joy much more deeply than the learned and cautious Peter. Shelley is making the case that a real, albeit messy and imperfect, engagement with life is far superior to the cold, intellectual respectability that Peter represents.
It's a line from Boccaccio's *Decameron*: "A kissed mouth loses no savour, but renews itself like the moon." Shelley has Nature quote this to emphasize that love and experience don’t take away from you — they actually restore you. It's a clear challenge to Peter's uptight views.
Deliberately not. Shelley's Devil comes off as dull, fat, toad-like, and stupid — too lazy even to sting. He’s a corrupt rich patron who hosts dinner parties, confusing his wealth with intelligence. The takeaway is that evil isn’t glamorous or powerful; it’s simply mundane greed and self-satisfaction. This foreshadows what Hannah Arendt would later describe as the "banality of evil."
Shelley argues that what is often seen as virtue in respectable society is really just "Hypocrite Pride" — the self-righteous disdain people hold for others' shortcomings, allowing them to feel superior without actually being good. For Shelley, true virtue demands authentic imaginative empathy and a complete engagement with life, qualities that Peter does not possess.
The final stanza serves as a stark reminder that regardless of the quality of the wine or the brilliance of the conversation, everyone at the Devil's table is doomed for eternity. Shelley's message is clear: wit and culture can't save a corrupt system — they merely make it more bearable. The claret and the engaging dialogue are enjoyable, but they don't alter the underlying reality.