Who does Shelley view as the true creators of civilized cultures and laws ?
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Answer: B. Poets and artists
Explanation
Percy Bysshe Shelley famously argued in A Defence of Poetry that imaginative writers shape civilization. He asserted that poets and artists are the true unacknowledged legislators of the world. Their creative visions inspire the moral laws and cultural institutions that govern human society. Percy Bysshe Shelley was a major English Romantic poet celebrated for his radical political ideals. A Defence of Poetry was written as a passionate response to attacks on the utility of art. Romantic thinkers believed imagination held superior power over empirical science in revealing truth.
This essay remains a foundational text for arguments defending the social and moral value of art. Artists often challenge oppressive political regimes through visionary literature and cultural critique. Understanding Shelley's perspective reveals how Romanticism elevated the cultural status of the poet. Kings and queens exercise temporary political power but rely on artists to inspire lasting civilization. Option B correctly identifies poets and artists as the true cultural creators according to Shelley. Dictators and tyrants impose temporary rule through force rather than creating enduring civilized culture.
- Subject
- English
- Category
- English Literature
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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