DEDICATION
To my wife, Christy Mesaros-Winckles, who now knows more about both Shelley and
prophecy that she ever wanted to and who motivated me to complete this project. And to my
parents, who have always believed in and supported me.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank my committee members – Dr. Laura George
and Dr. Elisabeth Däumer – for, throughout this thesis process and in seminar, allowing me
to explore unconventional topics in new and exciting ways. This project could not have
happened without their encouragement and support.
I would also like to thank my colleagues in Eastern Michigan University’s M.A. in
English Literature program who have supported me along the way and helped me hone my
ideas both inside and outside the classroom.
Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Marsha Daigle-Williamson, Spring Arbor
University, without whom I would never have pursued graduate studies in English Literature,
and Dr. Paul Patton, Spring Arbor University, who first introduced me to the study of
prophetic rhetoric.
iii
ABSTRACT
In his “Defence of Poetry,” Shelley claims, “Poets… were called in the earlier epochs
of the world legislators or prophets.” As such, even a cursory glance at Shelley’s poetry and
political beliefs reveals an interest in what is wrong with the world, how to fix it, and what
will happen if no action is taken. However, current studies fail to fully assess what makes up
the prophetic imagination. They confine discussions of Romantic prophecy to discussions of
prophetic inspiration, futurity, and rhetoric – divorcing the work from its impetus for social
change. The prophetic imagination, as utilized by Shelley, is instead connected to an ancient
Old Testament tradition of radical challenge to authority that possesses a distinctly social
function. This study examines Shelley’s poetry and prose as intentionally prophetic texts that
critique the dominant consciousness of his (and future) times and energize a community of
resistance to the status quo.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………..ii
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………..iii
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………….iv
Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………………vi
Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………..1
Chapter 2: Literature Review………………………………………………………………….9
Chapter 3: The Purpose of the Prophetic Imagination……………………………………….19
Chapter 4: Poetry as Prophecy……………………………………………………………….28
Chapter 5: The Efficacy of Language………………………………………………………..45
Chapter 6: Shelley’s Prophetic Poetry……………………………………………………….58
Chapter 7: Shelley’s Politics and Prose……………………………………………………...83
Chapter 8: Conclusion and Discussion……………………………………………………..104
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………..107

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