The world's great age begins anew, The golden years return, The earth doth like a snake renew Her winter weeds outworn; Heaven smiles, and faiths and empires gleam, Like wrecks of a dissolving dream.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Shelley describes a renewal of the world where faiths and empires rise again like a dissolving dream. He uses nature imagery to suggest cyclical rebirth.
- In plain terms
- A new golden age is starting, and old powers are returning like a dream fading away.
- What can you take from it?
- Expect renewal and cyclical change in history.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is history truly cyclical?
- What defines a golden age?
Another view
The optimism may overlook the persistence of suffering in cycles.
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