Fragment: To the People of England

Percy Bysshe ShelleyAngry

People of England, ye who toil and groan, Who reap the harvests which are not your own, Who weave the clothes which your oppressors wear, And for your own take the inclement air; Who build warm houses... And are like gods who give them all they have, And nurse them from the cradle to the grave...

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Percy Bysshe Shelley

Mood:: Angry
Topics:: suffering, authority, wealth, bondage, harvest

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Summary

Shelley speaks directly to the labourers of England, the ones whose bodies and sweat keep the nation alive. He cuts straight to a savage irony: you harvest fields that aren’t yours, weave fine garments for those who crush you, and build warm, sturdy homes while you’re left to breathe the bitter…

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People of , ye who toil and groan,

Who reap the which are not your own,

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Fragment: To the People of England

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Sonnet XXII: Love, Banish'd Heav'n

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