dumbfoundry

Michael Rossington, a leading Shelley scholar, has discovered a previously unrecorded manuscript of 1820 — the Ode to Naples — in the beautiful handwriting of Clairmont (1798-1879), who captivated the poet with her wit, her intelligence and her black eyes. The manuscript, which was found in the library of University College London (UCL), bears Shelley’s amendments.

Its significance lies in that most of the fair copies of Shelley’s poems that were written out for publication were either in the hand of Shelley or Mary. But Clairmont was inseparable from the Shelleys, eloping with them to Switzerland in 1814, and living with them in 1816 and 1817 in Geneva and again, on their return to England, in Bath and Marlow. She continued to live with them from 1818 until Shelley’s death in 1822. The rivalry between the two women became overwhelming at times, as they recorded in their respective journals. [...]

Another noted Shelley expert, Professor Kelvin Everest, A C Bradley Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Liverpool, believes that the rediscovered manuscript reflects Clairmont’s intimacy with Shelley.

He said: “There is a great mystery about whether or not a child that Shelley registered as his in 1819 was his. And if it was, who was the mother? It certainly wasn’t Mary’s.”

This entry was posted by eeksypeeksy on Monday, August 08, 2005 at 11:14 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.