Are we not formed, as notes of music are, For one another, though dissimilar?

This couplet is from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s verse drama “Prometheus Unbound” (1820), a lyrical reimagining of the Prometheus myth written in the wake of Shelley’s radical political and philosophical commitments. In the play, Shelley uses mythic figures to explore liberation from tyranny and the possibility of moral and emotional regeneration. The line occurs in a passage that reflects on human affinity and harmony: even when individuals differ in temperament or circumstance, they may be “made” to complement one another, as distinct musical notes combine into concord. The musical metaphor fits Shelley’s broader Romantic interest in art as a model for social and spiritual unity.

Shelley likens human relationships to musical harmony: single notes can be unlike—higher or lower, bright or dark—yet they are designed to sound together. The question “Are we not formed…?” suggests an innate relational purpose, implying that difference is not an obstacle but a condition of harmony. The line can be read both personally (love and friendship thrive through complementarity rather than sameness) and politically (a free society depends on diverse individuals cooperating without coercion). The metaphor also carries an aesthetic claim: the most meaningful unity is not uniformity, but a structured concord in which distinct voices retain their character while contributing to a larger whole.