Shelly’s Platonism: Shelley was greatly influenced by Plato, the great Greek Philosopher. Plato thought that the supreme power in the universe was the Spirit of Beauty. Shelley borrowed this conception from Plato and developed it in his metaphysical poem: Hymn to Intellectual Beauty. Intellectual Beauty is omnipotent and man must worship it. Shelley tells us in this poem that early in his life he vowed that he would dedicate his life to its worship and asserts that he has kept the vow. There are Platonic touches elsewhere in Shelley’s poetry also. (Platonic metaphysics contributes to the ethereal quality of his poetry).
