This，however，ispersonification，whereinbothCollinsandShelleybuildonSpenser:thedizzyingachievementtowhichthemodernpoetcarriedpersonificationaccountsforbutamoiety，ifalargemoiety，ofhisvivifyingpoweroverabstractions。Takethepassage（alreadyalludedto）inthatgloriouschorustellinghowtheHourscomeFromthetempleshighOfman\'searandeyeRoofedoverSculptureandPoesy，
FromthoseskieytowersWhereThought\'scrownedpowersSitwatchingyourdance，yehappyHours！
Ourfeetnow，everypalm，Aresandalledwithcalm，Andthedewofourwingsisarainofbalm;
AndbeyondoureyesThehumanloveliesWhichmakesallitgazesonParadise。
Anypartialexplanationwillbreakinourhandsbeforeitreachestherootofsuchapower。Theroot，wetakeit，isthis。Hehadaninstinctiveperception（immenseinrangeandfertility，astonishingforitsdelicateintuition）oftheunderlyinganalogiesthesecretsubterraneanpassages，betweenmatterandsoul;thechromaticscales，whereatwedimlyguess，bywhichtheAlmightymodulatesthroughallthekeysofcreation。Because，themoreweconsiderit，themorelikelydoesitappearthatNatureisbutanimperfectactress，whoseconstantchangesofdressneverchangehermannerandmethod，whoisthesameinallherparts。
ToShelley\'setherealvisionthemostrarifiedmentalorspiritualmusictraceditsbeautifulcorrespondingformsonthesandofoutwardthings。Hestoodthusattheveryjunction—linesofthevisibleandinvisible，andcouldshiftthepointsashewilled。Histhoughtsbecameamountedinfantry，passingwithbafflingswiftnessfromhorsetofootorfoottohorse。Hecouldexpressashelistedthematerialandtheimmaterialintermsofeachother。Neverhasapoetinthepastrivalledhimasregardsthisgift，andhardlywillanypoetrivalhimasregardsitinthefuture:menarelikefirsttoseethepromiseddoomlayitshandonthetreeofheavenandshakedownthegoldenleaves。{7}
ThefinestspecimensofthisfacultyareprobablytobesoughtinthatShelleiantreasury，PrometheusUnbound。ItisunquestionablythegreatestandmostprodigalexhibitionofShelley\'spowers，thisamazinglyricworld，whereimmortalclaritiessighpastintheperfumesoftheblossoms，populatethebreathingsofthebreeze，throngandtwinkleintheleavesthattwirluponthebough;wheretheverygrassisalla—rustlewithlovelyspirit—things，andaweepingmistofmusicfillstheair。ThefinalscenesespeciallyaresuchaBacchicreelandroutandrevelryofbeautyasleavesonestaggeredandgiddy;poetryisspiltlikewine，musicrunstodrunkenwaste。Thechorusessweepdownthewind，tirelessly，flightafterflight，tillthebreathlesssoulalmostcriesforrespitefromtheunrollingsplendours。Yetthesescenes，sowonderfulfromapurelypoeticalstandpointthatnoonecouldwishthemaway，are（toourhumblethinking）neverthelesstheartisticerrorofthepoem。
Abstractedly，thedevelopmentofShelley\'sidearequiredthatheshouldshowtheearthlyparadisewhichwastofollowthefallofZeus。Butdramaticallywiththatfalltheactionceases，andthedramashouldhaveceasedwithit。Afinalchorus，orchoralseries，ofrejoicings（suchasdoesultimatelyendthedramawherePrometheusappearsonthescene）wouldhavebeenlegitimateenough。
Instead，however，thebewilderedreaderfindsthedramaunfoldingitselfthroughsceneafterscenewhichleavestheactionpreciselywhereitfoundit，becausethereisnolongeranactiontoadvance。
Itisasifthechoralfinaleofanoperawereprolongedthroughtwoacts。
Wehave，nevertheless，calledPrometheusShelley\'sgreatestpoembecauseitisthemostcomprehensivestorehouseofhispower。WereweaskedtonamethemostPERFECTamonghislongerefforts，weshouldnamethepoeminwhichhelamentedKeats:undertheshedpetalsofhislovelyfancygivingtheslainbirdasilkenburial。
Seldomisthedeathofapoetmournedintruepoetry。Notoftenisthesingercoffinedinlaurel—wood。Amongtheveryfewexceptionstosucharule，thegreatestisAdonais。IntheEnglishlanguageonlyLycidascompeteswithit;andwhenwepreferAdonaistoLycidas，wearefollowingtheprecedentsetinthecaseofCicero:
Adonaisisthelonger。Asregardscommandoverabstraction，itisnolesscharacteristicallyShelleianthanPrometheus。Itisthroughoutaseriesofabstractionsvitalisedwithdaringexquisiteness，fromMorningwhosought:
Hereasternwatch—tower，andherhairunbound，Wetwiththetearswhichshouldadorntheground，andwhoDimmedtheaerialeyesthatkindleday，totheDreamsthatweretheflockofthedeadshepherd，theDreamsWhomnearthelivingstreamsOfhisyoungspirithefed;andwhomhetaughtThelovethatwasitsmusic;
ofwhomonesees，asshehangsmourningoverhim，Uponthesilkenfringeofhisfainteyes，Likedewuponasleepingflower，thereliesAtearsomedreamhasloosenedfromhisbrain！
LostangelofaruinedParadise！
Sheknewnot\'twasherown;aswithnostainShefadedlikeacloudwhichhathoutweptitsrain。
Inthesolarspectrum，beyondtheextremeredandextremevioletrays，arewholeseriesofcolours，demonstrable，butimperceptibletogrosshumanvision。Suchwritingasthiswehavequotedrendersvisibletheinvisibilitiesofimaginativecolour。
OnethingpreventsAdonaisfrombeingideallyperfect:itslackofChristianhope。YetwerememberwellthewriterofapopularmemoironKeatsproposingas\"thebestconsolationforthemindpainedbythissadrecord\"Shelley\'sinexpressiblysadexpositionofPantheisticimmortality:
HeisaportionofthelovelinessWhichoncehemademorelovely，etc。
Whatdesolationcanitbethatdiscernscomfortinthishope，whosewancountenanceisasthecountenanceofadespair？Whatdeepestdepthofagonyisitthatfindsconsolationinthisimmortality:animmortalitywhichthrustsyouintodeath，themawofNature，thatyourdissolvedelementsmaycirculatethroughherveins？
Yetsuch，thepoettellsme，ismysolebalmforthehurtsoflife。
Iamasthevocalbreathfloatingfromanorgan。Itooshallfadeonthewinds，acadencesoonforgotten。SoIdissolveanddie，andamlostintheearsofmen:theparticlesofmybeingtwineinnewermelodies，andfrommyonedeathariseahundredlives。Why，throughthethinpartitionofthisconsolationPantheismcanhearthegroansofitsneighbour，Pessimism。Betteralmosttheblackresignationwhichthefatalistdrawsfromhisownhopelessness，fromthefiercekissesofmiserythathissagainsthistears。
Withsomegleams，itistrue，ofmorethanmocksolace，Adonaisislighted;buttheyareobtainedbyimplicitlyassumingthepersonalimmortalitywhichthepoemexplicitlydenies;aswhen，forinstance，togreetthedeadyouth，Theinheritorsofunfulfilledrenown[thoughtRosefromtheirthrones，builtbeyondmortalFarintheunapparent。
Andagainthefinalstanzaofthepoem:
ThebreathwhosemightIhaveinvokedinsongDescendsonme;myspirit\'sbarkisdrivenFarfromtheshore，farfromthetremblingthrongWhosesailswerenevertothetempestriven;