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Percy Bysshe Shelley · English Literature

What is the primary theme of Shelley's 'Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude'?

  1. The beauty and peaceful tranquillity of the unspoiled English countryside
  2. The dangers of a poet seeking an unattainable ideal in isolation
  3. A satirical examination of the restrictive and unjust marriage laws of England
  4. The detailed military history of the Roman Empire and its eventual decline and fall
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Correct answer: The dangers of a poet seeking an unattainable ideal in isolation

The poem follows a young poet who wanders the world in search of a visionary female ideal. Because he neglects human sympathy for this solitary, intellectual pursuit, he eventually wastes away and dies.

Difficulty: Medium Question 11 of 20

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