Summary The Rise of Islam
P. B. Shelley
The Rise of Islam
Shelley dedicated her romantic poem in twelve songs to “the cause of broad and liberating morality”, to the ideas of freedom and justice. The poem is written in the so-called Spencer’s stanza.
During the thunderstorm raging above the earth, the poet suddenly opens up among the clouds a lumen of heavenly azure, and against this background his eyes are presented with the battling of the Eagle and the Serpent over the sea depths; The eagle tortures the Serpent, it strives to sting him in the chest, but in the end the Eagle releases the prey, and the Snake falls into the water.
On the shore the poet sees a beautiful woman; she picks up the Snake, puts it on her marble chest and suggests the poet to go to the shuttle-dream with her on the road. During the trip in the magic boat, the woman explained that once the shrouded earth Evil soared high, and the Spirit of Good began to creep, and as a result “no good
A woman tells her story to a poet. She, the earthly woman, was discovered before the death of the young poet by many secrets of life, with his speeches he lit the light of freedom in her soul. One day she saw a beautiful young man in a dream and since then has been looking for him everywhere.
Chelny finally sticks to the shore, the poet enters a light hazy labyrinth and suddenly finds himself in a temple where a beautiful stranger and a wonderful companion of the poet sit on the crystal throne.
The stranger – his name is Laon – tells the poet his story. His bright childhood was overshadowed by the brutal tyranny that prevailed in his native country: “In her chains all were tormented: a tyrant and a slave, a soul and a body, a victim and tormentor.” In the soul of Laon, the desire for freedom grew and became stronger. Then he recognized Tsitna, and they fell in love with each other. Young Tsitna fully shared the desire of the
Both are visited by terrible visionary visions. Laon dreams that he and Tsitna are flying in space, but monsters are trapped in Tsitna, they take it away from him. When he awakens, he discovers that he is surrounded by the servants of the Tyrant, and in the distance he hears a desperate woman’s cry. Laon breaks through the crowd of enemies and sees on the ground connected to Tsitna. Blinded by anger, he rushes at her guards, but there are too many of them, and he is brutally beaten, chained in a tower on top of a rock. From grief and wounds, Laon almost loses his mind, he refuses to eat and drink and is ready to accept death, but in his forgetfulness he suddenly becomes a wonderful old man. He breaks the shackles, wipes the body of Laon with a damp cloth and with words of consolation carries him in a shuttle to his, a tower in the middle of the sea. There, he has been nursing Laona for seven long years. When the consciousness returns to Laon, the Elder says, that even before his secluded castle the glory of the freedom-loving Laon came to naught; so he went to Argolis, the country of Laon, where he saved the freedom-loving brave man. The Starets also heard of the amazing girl who was sentenced to death, but the executioner, softened at the sight of her beauty, dismissed her, ignited by the example and ardent speeches of Laon and Cithna, the peoples everywhere revolt against their oppressors, but the Elder worries that blood may be shed, and Laon, he believes, is able to avoid bloodshed.
Laon returns to his hometown. But on the very first night, the enemies creep up to the sleeping soldiers, they kill many, but the cry “Laon!” raises the troops to battle – the enemies are swept away. Not wanting unnecessary bloodshed, which breeds hatred and enmity, Laon does not allow to kill the surrounded; raising his hand, he even takes on the blow of the spear, aimed at the chest of the doomed enemy, and exhorting them not to engage in fratricide, loses consciousness. When he comes to himself, he discovers that his words have reached the hearts of all, the thirst for good has come all.
Among the general rejoicing, Laon goes in search of the beautiful maiden, who calls herself Laonoy, and comes to the palace of all the deserted Tyrant. A flock of crowded people demands that they commit the despot of death. For the first time having experienced fear and shame, Tyrant looses consciousness. Laon also addresses fellow citizens with words of mercy: “Understand you that the truth is in forgiveness, in love, not in malice, and not in terrible revenge.”
However, in Tiran’s black soul, anger continues to melt.
In the midst of popular rejoicing, the terrible news spreads: collecting troops in other countries, the Tyrant goes to war with his own people. Rows of feasting thin out under the blows of hirelings. The scent of birds and birds is flocking to the smell of blood and death from the surrounding mountains. The festival of good and people’s liberation turns into a feast of vultures. Laon and his friends are fighting valiantly, but the forces are unequal; Here falls under the blows of the Elder, and now the last close friend of Laon is killed. Everyone is killed, except for Laon, he is seriously injured.
Suddenly, through the ranks of enemies, smashing them, a fearless rider breaks through on a powerful horse. Enemies flee in all directions. The horseman turns out to be a beautiful girl – it’s Tsitna. She puts Laon on her horse and takes her away from the terrible battlefield.
Only now, far from human strife and brutality, lovers can at last completely belong to each other and pour out overwhelming love.
Tsitna tells Laon what happened to her during the time of separation. When her captives Tiran captured and Tiran saw her beauty, he inflamed her with passion, and in her, forced to endure hateful caresses, lit such a light of insanity and thirst for freedom that Tyrant in terror was giving up on her. He commanded to send a rebellious virgin to a distant castle in the middle of the sea.
In the turbulence of her mind, it seemed to Tsitne that she had a daughter resembling Laon, but Tiran’s servant took her dearly beloved child from her. For many years she lived alone on this island. Madness is gone, only the thought of Laon, of the daughter, of freedom remains.
A sudden earthquake destroyed the castle, and with a lonely protruding rock from the sea, Tsitna was picked up by a ship carrying new captives to Tirana. However, ignited by the speeches of Tsitna about universal equality and freedom, the sailors released the captives. Laon and Tsitna decide to part ways to separately fight for the freedom and happiness of all people. Lovers believe that sooner or later they will reunite again.
Meanwhile, in the Golden City and neighboring countries despotic power is again violated freedom, there is raging hunger and plague, rivers are poisoned, the people are experiencing innumerable calamities; from the mouth to mouth the legend of Laon and the beautiful horseman, bearing the hope of liberation, are passed. The priests and lords offer prayers to God, each to his own. And here is the treacherous Iberian Priest, who planned to forge a fatal enemy from Islam, the Priest, to his enemies. He persuades the Tyrant and the priests to burn Laon and Laon on a huge fire – this will bring salvation to the kingdom and autocratic power of Tirana.
Suddenly a beautiful stranger appears before Tyrant. He turns to the despot and his associates with ardent speech. The tyrant makes an attempt to stab him, but for an unexplained reason his hand does not obey. The stranger promises to deliver them to Laon the same evening, provided that they send Tsitna unharmed to the land of Liberty, America. The stranger is throwing off his cloak – this is Laon. Suddenly, a powerful horse with a beautiful horseman bursts into the throne room. The tyrant and the innocent run in terror before her, but the Iberian Priest shames them, calls to grab Tsitna and, in violation of the oath, is executed along with Laon. Zitna herself goes to the fire to Laon.
Laon awakens on the shore; His gentle hands are caressed by Tsitna. They are approached by an air boat, in which sits a beautiful child with silver wings – their daughter. She tells her parents that their death has deeply affected their fellow tribesmen and is sure to “throw their gleam into the mute abyss of future centuries.”
The Air Rook carries away all three into the bright Temple of the Spirit.
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