Percy Bysshe Shelley was born on August 4, 1792, in Horsham, Sussex, England. He was the son of a Member of Parliament and was educated at Eton College and University College, Oxford. His youth was marked by a rebellious temperament and a strong sense of individualism. Early in his career, Shelley published "The Necessity of Atheism," which led to his expulsion from Oxford. He married Harriet Westbrook, with whom he had two children, but soon fell in love with Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Mary Shelley, author of "Frankenstein"). They fled to the European continent, an act that resulted in Harriet's flight and subsequent suicide. Shelley's marriage to Mary was marked by personal tragedies, including the death of their children. Despite his personal difficulties, Shelley continued to produce powerful and visionary poetry. His most famous works include "Ozymandias," "Ode to the West Wind," "To a Skylark," and the lyric drama "Prometheus Unbound." His poems often address themes of revolution, freedom, and the pursuit of perfection. Shelley died in a shipwreck on July 8, 1822, off the coast of Livorno, Italy, at the age of 29. His premature death prevented him from realizing his full potential, but his legacy as one of the most important Romantic poets in the English language endures.