Cover of The Witch of Atlas

The Witch of Atlas

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Reading level
Fairly demanding
Price
Free

About the book

"The Witch of Atlas" by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a poem written in 1820 and published posthumously in 1824. In 78 ottava rima stanzas, it follows a mythical Witch who dwells in a cave on Atlas Mountain and creates a hermaphroditic companion. Together they journey across ancient landscapes from the Atlas Mountains to the Nile Valley, observing humanity's struggles with injustice and inequality. Through mischievous pranks on mankind, the Witch envisions a utopian future—a quest for perfect union where contradictions resolve and the world becomes more just.

  • Poetry

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #4696. The Witch of Atlas on Wikipedia.

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