Alastor; or The Spirit of Solitude

poem by Shelley

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June 23, 2026

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In Greek antiquity, an alastor was an avenging spirit or deity, often associated with Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. Percy Bysshe Shelley titled his 1816 poem Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude after this concept.12

Shelley's poem is a visionary work that warns idealists against pursuing solitary dreams at the expense of human connection and social improvement. It follows an idealist's journey, his search for an unattainable ideal love, and his eventual death. The poem reflects Shelley's own passionate, radical idealism and his search for personal love and social justice.13

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Percy Bysshe Shelley
Relationship with Mary Godwin and the haunted summer of 1816
He also wrote Alastor; or The Spirit of Solitude, a blank-verse poem, published with shorter poems in 1816, that warns idealists (like Shelley himself) not to abandon “sweet human love” and social improvement for the vain pursuit of evanescent dreams. In February 1815 Godwin gave birth to a…
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He also wrote Alastor; or The Spirit of Solitude, a blank-verse poem, published with shorter poems in 1816, that warns idealists (like Shelley himself) not to abandon “sweet human love” and social improvement for the vain pursuit of evanescent dreams. In February 1815 Godwin gave birth to a…
Read More

Alastor
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude (1816) was a visionary work in which he warned idealists (like himself) not to abandon “sweet human love” and social improvement for the vain pursuit of evanescent dreams. It describes the early wanderings of such an idealist, his search…
Read More
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude (1816) was a visionary work in which he warned idealists (like himself) not to abandon “sweet human love” and social improvement for the vain pursuit of evanescent dreams. It describes the early wanderings of such an idealist, his search…
Read More