The Cloud-Shelley

THE CLOUD

I bring fresh showers

For the thirsting flowers

From the seas and the streams;

I bear light shade

For the leaves when laid

In their noonday dreams.

From my wings are shaken

The dews that waken

The sweet buds every one,

When rocked to rest

On their mother's breast

As she dances about the sun.

I am the daughter

Of Earth and Water,

And the nursling of the Sky;

I pass through the pores

Of the ocean and shores,

I change, but I cannot die.

SHELLEY

Summary: In 'The Cloud' by Shelley, the speaker personifies the cloud as a life-giving entity. The cloud brings nourishing showers to the flowers, providing relief to their thirst. It also provides gentle shade to the leaves during their midday slumber. The cloud is described as a source of rejuvenation, as it releases dew that awakens the buds, and it is connected to the cycles of nature, being the daughter of Earth, Water, and the Sky. Finally, the cloud is portrayed as an eternal force, constantly changing yet unable to perish.