Percy Bysshe Shelley · English Literature

Which prose work by Shelley contains the famous declaration that 'Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world'?

  1. The Necessity of Atheism
  2. A Defence of Poetry
  3. A Philosophical View of Reform
  4. On Life and Mortality
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Correct answer: A Defence of Poetry

Shelley wrote 'A Defence of Poetry' in 1821 as a response to Thomas Love Peacock's 'The Four Ages of Poetry.' He argued that poetry is the primary instrument for moral and social improvement.

Difficulty: Medium Question 5 of 20

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