The Witch of Atlas

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

"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.