• In total there are 16 users online :: 0 registered, 0 hidden and 16 guests (based on users active over the past 60 minutes)
    Most users ever online was 789 on Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:08 am

Why Browning has called Shelley as "Sun-treader" in his poem “Pauline”?

A platform to express and share your enthusiasm and passion for poetry. What are your treasured poems and poets? Don't hesitate to showcase the poems you've penned yourself!
Forum rules
Do not promote books in this forum. Instead, promote your books in either Authors: Tell us about your FICTION book! or Authors: Tell us about your NON-FICTION book!.

All other Community Rules apply in this and all other forums.
Knight
Master Debater
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2020 2:38 am
3
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 8 times
Gender:
India

Why Browning has called Shelley as "Sun-treader" in his poem “Pauline”?

Unread post

Robert Browning’s first published poem Pauline mentions Shelley many a times (but not a single time his actual name is used) and Brownin’s admiration for Shelley can be seen quite clearly by these lines:
The air seems bright with thy past presence yet
But thou art still for me, as thou hast been
But he mentions Shelley by the alias Sun-treader,
Sun-treader -- life and light be thine for ever ;
Thou art gone from us -- years go by -- and spring
...
I may be wrong but the seeming meaning of "Sun-treader" could be "someone who treads on Sun". Now, the metaphoric meaning instilled in that alias could be that Shelley was considered divine by Browning and hence he could tread the sun without burning himself. Or Browning could have made the references to Shelley's poem Ode to a Skylark where Shelley wrote
In the golden lightning
Of the sunken sun,
O'er which clouds are bright'ning,
Thou dost float and run;
So, once again to summarize my post I want to repeat: Why Browning called Shelley as "Sun-treader" in his poem "Pauline"?

Thank you.

P.S. : I won't mind (but will be thankful) if you point out some linguistic mistakes in my post, for example: I used "has" in the title of my question but in summarization I omitted it so which one is more suitable can be mentioned in replies.
Post Reply

Return to “A Passion for Poetry”