Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. In the Stanza of Spenser

1817 Shelley, Percy Bysshe (1792-1822). Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. In the Stanza of Spenser. London: Ptd. for Sherwood, Neely, & Jones and C. and J. Ollier [Some copies have 1818 as the publication date]. This was the original edition which was withdrawn and slightly revised because the printer objected to the suggestion of incest and the radicalism of parts of the text. It was rpt. as The Revolt of Islam; A Poem in Twelve Cantos. London: Ptd. for C. and J. Ollier, 1817 [Some copies have 1818 as the publication date] and was known under this title for some time, with the original title being restored in late 20th century editions. Rpt. as “Laon and Cythna or the Revolution of the Golden City [Usually known as 'The Revolt of Islam' 1817]”. The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Volume II 1814-1817. Ed. Neville Rogers. 4 vols. (Oxford, Eng.: Clarendon Press, 1975), 99-270, including “Laon and Cyntha: Rejected Passages” (265-270) with “Note by Mary Shelley On Loan and Cyntha [The Revolt of Islam]” (270-73) and “Notes” (360-95); as “Laon and Cythna; Or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. In the Stanza of Spenser.” Ed. Jack Donovan. The Poems of Shelley. Volume Two 1817-1819. Ed. Kelvin Everest and Geoffrey Matthews (Hatlow, Essex, Eng.: Pearson Educational, 2000), 10-265, with an [“Introduction”] by the editor (10-29), extensive footnotes throughout, and “Fragments from the L&C Notebooks.” Ed. Jack Donovan (261-65); and as “Laon and Cythna; Or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. In the Stanza of Spenser.” Ed. Michael J. Neth. The Complete Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Volume Three. Ed. Neil Fraisat and Nora Crook (Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012), 109-320, with “Commentary” by Michael J. Neth (550-941), including “Supplements: Rejected Opening and Ancillary Fragments for Laon and Cyntha” (908-941) “Historical Collation” (993-1061), Mary Shelley’s “Note on The Revolt of Islam” (1073-75), “The Revision of Laon and Cythna to The Revolt of Islam (1077-88), and “Shelley’s List of Errata for Laon and Cythna/The Revolt of Islam (1082). See also The Bodleian Shelly Manuscripts. A Facsimile Edition, with Full Transcripts and Scholarly Apparatus. Ed. Donald H Reiman. Volume XIII Drafts from Laon and Cythna Facsimiles of Bodleian MSS. Shelley ADDS. e 14 and ADDS. e. 19. Ed. Tatsuo Tokoo with an Introduction and Notes. New York/London: Garland Publishing, 1992. L, PSt, VUW

Poem. Includes a eutopia inspired by the French Revolution and the writings of William Godwin (1756–1836). The eutopia occurs throughout the text and stresses liberty, equality, and the emancipation of women.