Oh my, I can't believe this. Not in my wildest dreams would I imagine myself standing here on that very stage. My mind is racing, I haven't got a chance to clearly plan out what I would like to say. This is a phenomenal experience as I am here to accept the Honourary award for the Dead Poets Society. I have to bring it back to where it all began, Field Place, Sussex in England. My childhood was a blur, I thank my parents Timothy and Elizabeth and all they have done for me. Although my father and I have parted ties, I hope he reads this one day and feels proud. I remember starting at Eton college, somewhere along the way there I had found a renown love for writing. It was passion on a page. I wrote small poems here and there throughout my six years at Eton. I moved onto Oxford University. My writing took a very different approach. I published a novel, Zastrozzi, about my atheistic opinions. My first year of Oxford I kept publishing, I wrote like a cheetah, I just had ideas pouring out of my soul. A friend and fellow writer of mine, Jefferson Hogg, helped me publish a book called "The Necessity of Atheism." Funny story really, I got expelled and although my father could have helped get me reinstated I refused to declare that I was a Christian. That's how my father never spoke to me again. Broke and young, I moved to Scotland with a beautiful young lady, Harriet Westbrook. May she be resting in heaven, she took he own life. She was a muse to some of my writing. Another muse, Mary Godwin, she was the stars in the sky, the heaven in the clouds. I thank her for making me the man I am today. I also thank her father, William Godwin. I published a long serious work; Queen Mab: A Philosophical poem, It resulted from my bonding with Godwin over our interest in freethinking socialist philosophy. I think my writing was always very moving, it was infuriating, it made the people feel something. I assume it was fairly liked because this award is being presented to me. I would also like to thank my children. They are the light in my life. Unfortunately they aren't in my custody right now, I don't want to get into that because this is a happy moment in my life. I've published quite a few things in the past couple years, I just published Prometheus Unbound. I would finally like to thank all the members of the Dead Poet's Society. Nothing could have been possible without you. I remember our first meeting like it was yesterday. I was honoured to be allowed into the club, my heart is smiling as I am being honoured by the club today. It may not be the biggest, most grand award but to me... it means the world. My drive and passion for poetry and literature has led up this moment, never would I have thought that my dedication to the Dead Poets Society would be recogonized... what a dream come true.
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Percy Bysshe ShelleyBorn August 4th, 1792, One day I will meet Death's dark ends... but my poetry will live on forever ArchivesCategories |