GREEK SOURCES OF SHELLEY^S ADONAIS 311 



the wild beasts of field and mountain miss him and monrn his loss. <'> 

 Moschiis clo>ely imitates Theocritus and frankly makes a shep- 

 herd of his poet hero. 



20-25. 



He, the beloved of his flock, no longer sings his lay ; no longer 

 beneath the lonely oaks sings he ; but in the realm of Pluto he 

 sings the song of Lethe. 



Voiceless are the mountains and his herds of kine wander and 

 bemoan their loss and will not of the pasture.(^) 



From this time on it becomes a literary convention to represent 

 the subject of the dirge as a shepherd, missed and lamented by his 

 flocks. 



Shelley adopts the convention and turns it by a bold metaphor 

 into one of the finest ]iassages of his poem. His shepherd^ also, had 

 his flocks, "the quick Dreams, * * * whom near the living 

 streams of his young spirit he fed." These "wander not — wander 

 no more from kindling br^in to brain. But droop there, whence 

 they sprung ; and mourn their lot round the cold heart, where, after 

 their sweet pain, they ne'er will gather strength, nor find a home 

 again." 



Stanzas X, XI, XII. 



And one with trembling hand cla=!ps his cold head. 

 And fans him with her moonlight wings, and cries, 



(') 71-75 



'Yrivov jxav ^ciie?, ttjvov Xvkoi, apvaavro, 

 Tijvov %oi ic Bpvfiolo \ea)v cKXavae davovra. 



TToWai ol Trap iroaa-l /8o'e?, ttoWoI Se re ravpoi., 

 TToXKal 8' av SafidXai kuI Troprie? d)8vpavro. 



('^) Keti'o? 6 rat? ayeXaLaiv ipd(Tfito<; ou/cert /xeXTret, 

 ovK€T ipT}fxairjaLV vtto hpvcrXv rjfxevo^ aSet, 

 aWa Trapa UXovrrjt, /teX,09 Ar)daiov aeiSei. 

 wpea S^iarlv a<f>(ova, Kal al ^6e<i ttotI TavpoK 

 TrXa^ofievaL yodovri Kai ovk edeXovTi ve/xeadaL. 



