Percy Shelley- "A Defence of Poetry"

Shelley's A Defence of Poetry, is a piece of work that brings about MANY lightbulb moments. Shelley's entire piece becomes one large lightbulb. The work as a whole is of interest to me and really drew me in because I myself am a fan of the romantics and poetics in general.
As we discussed in class, we have to lift the veil to see what has always been there, which Shelley helps us to do in regards to poetry.

"Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds."
While I agree with Shelley, I must also disagree to some extent. I have read some poetry which is not the happiest, but may have certainly come from the best minds. Perhaps, we could consider the sad moments leading to happy moments though in which case Shelley's statement would me absolutely correct.

"Poetry is indeed something divine."
Poetry indeed could be considered heavenly and exquisite. I myself consider it that way. For poetry to strike me as divine it must evoke emotions. I may not necessarily have to relate it to "real" life (whatever that is), but to simply connect with it on some level. Poetry allows you to live in the life that it describes (wow, that sounds errily similar to Don Quixote).

This is a "divine" moment where Shelley's Defence took me away and it was as if I had so many lightbulb moments they all went on at the same time and created a spark...which was so quickly lost.
"What were Virtue, Love, Patriotism Friendship, etc.- what were the scenery of this beautiful Universe which we inhabit- what were our consolations on this side of the grave- and what were our aspirations behind it- if poetry did not ascend to bring light and fire from those eternal regions where the owl-winged faculty of calculation dare not ever soar?"
~If poetry did not allow us to lose ourselves in our experiences and those of the Universe, then what of them would we know or have to sustain our knowledge. Where would our knowledge of these things if we only went so far as to where the veil allowed us to? The veil is there to be snuck around, to open so that we may gain knowledge. As Shelley did and many poets have, the veil was lifted and their knowledge of what was hidden has come out through poetry and literature.

"Poetry turns all things to loveliness; it exalts the beauty of that which is most beautiful, and it adds beauty to that which is most deformed; it marries exultation and horror, grief and pleasure, eternity and change; it subdues to union under its light yoke all irreconcilable things."
~Poetry does make all things lovely, even those things that may augment sadness within us. All of the above things mentioned in Shelley's Defence are made beautiful through poetry. But how? Is it through the language? The images which are created through the poem itself? Or do we possibly create beauty for it through poetry in order to accept it? Unison can somehow be created between opposites and contradictions.

Shelley opened my eyes to poetry and its beauty more than any other piece of work I had read that defended or supported poetry in some way. Shelley's use of language evokes a sense of understanding, beauty and relation to poetry.