The husband of the famed author of Frankenstein, Percy Bysshe Shelly was a poet who clawed his way to fame posthumously. Not only was he close to other important figures in Romanticism, such as Lord Byron, Love Peacock, and Leigh Hunt, but he also wrote many poems that later became classics in the literary world. His achievements were widely recognized and inspired a generation of writers to continue their craft.

Shelley was born in West Sussex England on August 4th, 1792. He had five siblings, four sisters, and one brother. He was taught at home and spent his childhood outdoors. Eventually, he attended Eton College, where he was bullied by his other classmates. In spite of that, he developed an interest in science and didn’t care for the games his peers played. As such, he was called “Mad Shelley.” He soon attended the University College at Oxford, where he allegedly attended one lecture before spending the rest of the day reading. He was expelled from the university when he published a piece called The Necessity of Atheism. His father managed to reinstate Shelley as a student, but again, Shelley refused.

Sometime later, Shelley eloped with a young woman named Harriet Westbrook. Harriet would often write letters to him, saying she would kill himself because of her home life. Out of impulse, Shelley decided to rescue Harriet, and the two married secretly. However, the marriage would soon dissolve from accusations that Harriet was only with him because he was rich, to the fact that he wanted a more intellectual companion. Eventually, he abandoned her and ran away with another woman, a feminist writer by the name of Mary Godwin. Several years later, Harriet would kill herself. Three weeks after her death, Shelley and Mary married.

Shelley and his wife started living in a village in Buckinghamshire, where he started participating in literary circles that encouraged him to write. He continued challenging religion, including publishing an infamous poem called Laon and Cythna. He would also go on to travel to Italy with his family, where he finished Prometheus Unbound, and with his friends Byron and Hunt, would create a journal called The Liberal, which spread his controversial views. He died on July 8th, 1822, drowning while sailing his boat, the Don Juan. Shelley was cremated near Viareggio. A statue was of Shelley’s body was erected at the Shelley Memorial at, ironically, Oxford.

Shelley was incredibly controversial with his views on religion. He would often question its need, which made him a target for political criticism. However, he was also an advocate of nonviolence, calling for peaceful protests that would inspire the likes of Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi. And although he wasn’t appreciated during his time, he did acquire a cult following. This would include the labor movement, the Victorians, and the socialists. Even now, Shelley continues to impact modern culture, from Tennessee William’s Camino Real to Ken Russell’s Gothic. He is an inspiration for many writers and will continue to be for years to come.