About

Provisionally titled Exploring Faith and Spirituality in Percy Bysshe Shelley's Works: Breaking the Myth of Shelley as an Atheist, my dissertation is focused on challenging the commonly held notion of Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley as an atheist. Keen attention must be given to the etymology and evolution of the term 'atheism', particularly when the modern conception of the word is applied to Shelley's writings. Through a thorough reappraisal of Shelley's work, I propose that Shelley was in fact a deeply spiritual writer, and that his 'atheism' has been misunderstood and needs to be re-examined in detail.

My particular interest lies in examining Shelley's verse and prose first as separate pieces, and then looking at how they may fit together as a holistic whole. I connect this scholarship with my investigation into the evolution of Shelley's religious and spiritual thought and symbolism throughout his works. Additionally, my work involves utilising interdisciplinary elements such as cognitive linguistics and hermeneutic approaches to my research.

Thesis title 

Exploring Faith and Spirituality in Percy Bysshe Shelley's Works: Breaking the Myth of Shelley as an Atheist.

Supervisor

• Dr Paul Whickman

Qualifications

• MA (with Merit) English Literature (University of Nottingham)
• MEd (1st class standing) Global Perspectives: International and Comparative Education (University of Prince Edward Island)
• BA (1st class standing) English Literature (University of Prince Edward Island)