Discussion of Milton L. Miller's Article, Manic Depressive Cycles of the Poet Shelley

Dr. Miller's suggestive and revealing paper opens up for study an aspect of Shelley which holds promise for further understanding of the relation between the man and his work. Shelley's imagery is usually analyzed for poetic and philosophic clues, for the development of his technical skill or his private brand of Platonism. I am not aware that very much attention has hitherto been given to what it might tell us about his psychic life or about the effect of this on his poetry, although biographical studies deal with the obvious influences of his personal connections. Dr. Miller has entered this potentially fruitful field and emerged with a number of interesting insights which both illuminate and tantalize.

Since the paper speaks for itself, I shall not repeat his findings but rather record my regret that the material is so sketchy and essentially a summary. No doubt this is due to the necessity of compressing a great deal into a small space for publication. I wish it were more detailed because the material is so interesting.

For example, Dr. Miller remarks in one place that Shelley “evaded household problems and financial distress by dwelling on eternal, universal imagery.” This seems to be perfectly valid, but it stops there while my mind runs on to the thought that there is also another side to this behavior. Shelley exhibited a repetitive pattern: he twice brought third parties (female) into the house where he was living with his wife; he married Harriet Westbrook and he championed Emilia Viviani, both of whom he regarded as oppressed; he alienated his father (the source of his money), and he repeatedly borrowed against his expectations, at ruinous interest in order to lend large sums to his friends, including his father-in-law.

I cite these to suggest that, while I agree with Dr. Miller's stress on Shelley's evasion of unpleasant responsibilities, it is also worth considering that the poet brought some of his difficulties upon himself, that he must have had stro