The first theme or element of Romanticism in Percy Shelley’s A Song: Men of

England is to look at the effects of form and language. As the title suggests “A Song”

generally induce in us that this poem is said to be a lyric poem. The poem’s final rhythms

“AABB” gives the poem a songlike character. Thus, it is more comprehensible and accessible

to the society of the working class who were illiterate. In addition, the tone of the speaker is

rather commanding, close to challenging the people to rise up and take action. Shelley was

challenging the people about their hard labor and sacrifices made to the tyrants. The poem

speaks about the notions of challenging the people about over their hard labor and sacrifices

made to the aristocrats or the upper classes. Perhaps Shelley was ultimately attacking the

class system itself, calling to all men of England to seek and fight for what is theirs. By the

same token, Shelley’s tone changes drastically to a sarcastic tone, provoking the workers the

workers into rebellion by appealing to their sense of pride.

Comparatively, the element of implicit and explicit socio-political content can be

identified in Shelley’s poem. The poem was mainly addressed to the underprivileged working

class who are exploited by the ruling class. Shelley disagrees with the political system at that

time where the ruling class takes and grabs whatever the working class had sown.

Furthermore, the poem places an act of questioning the working class on why they allow

themselves to be victimized by providing an analogy for the working class with bee ‘society’.

Incidentally, there is an interesting, slightly different reference to nature here in which nature

is also referred to as an element of Romanticism in the lines “Wherefore, Bees of England…”

(line 9). Just as in written in the poem, in the bee ‘society’, only the drones do all the work

and the Queen bee live by exploiting them. The Queen bee refers to the aristocrats and the

“drones” (line 11) refers to the men of England. Shelley points out to the working class about

their daily acts in life, mirroring the bees.

 All in all, Shelley motivates the working class to revolt against political tyranny.

Shelley urges in the poem that the working should start changing things rather than just

complaining. Shelley’s message is clearly delivered to the men through his poem. He

provides a clear distinction about the consequences that the working class may have to go

through if they do not start to revolt. Sarcastically, Shelley also points out to the men who do

not wish to "shake the chains ye wrought" (line 27) or in other terms start fighting for a

change can retreat to their "cellars, holes, and cells" (line 25). Further, Shelley emphasizes

that the men of England should be ready to "build" their "tomb" (line 30). Even though

revolutions may cause masses of death however, the people should start fighting and start

living the life they deserve.