According to Shelley, what does poetry do to our perception of everyday, familiar things?
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Correct answer: It purges the film of familiarity from our sight and compels us to feel what we perceive
Shelley famously writes that poetry 'lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.' It strips away the deadening effect of habit and daily routine ('the film of familiarity'), allowing us to see the world with a fresh sense of wonder, intensity, and deep emotional clarity.
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