Ode to the West Wind

I’m going to attempt to tackle a response to Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind.” This (for my information!) is written in terza rima, in which the second line of each stanza rhymes with the first and third lines of the next. Easy enough. I chose this poem because a bit of background was provided (I love footnotes), and because of the length. I figured it would be a bit of a challenge to look at a poem with 25 (albeit brief) stanzas.

So what can I conclude about the speaker/summary? From the footnote, which is a direct quote of Shelley’s, I can assume the speaker is the poet himself, so therefore male. He says, “This poem was conceived and chiefly written in a wood that skirts the Arno, near Florence, and on a day when that tempestuous wind, whose temperature is at once mild and animating, was collecting the vapours which pour down the autumnal rains.” The footnote also states that Florence was the home of Dante, who originated the terza rima with his masterpiece, “The Divine Comedy.” So it appears from this bit of information that Shelley’s ode is not only to the west wind, but a nod to Dante as well. As the reader I also get a sense that the speaker is approaching death: “The locks of the approaching storm. Thou dirge//Of the dying year, to which this closing night//Will be the dome of a vast sepulcher//Vaulted with all they congregated might.” Then again: “Drive my dead thoughts over the universe//Like withered leaves to quicken a new birth!”

Is the speaker/poem reliable? One can assume so, since it is said to be based on an actual event that inspired the poet. The poem is intended for a general audience, as it pertains to a natural occurrence (the wind) and its affect on this particular man, and in a sense every man. Anyone might read this poem and appreciate the speaker’s situation/emotions. The wind, that Wild Spirit that moves everywhere, is both a destroyer and preserver, in unison with the seasons and Nature. The seas and the woods know the Wind’s “voice” when they hear it coming. They realize its power, as does the speaker.

In the 4th and 5th stanzas, the situation and themes shift so that the speaker wishes to be one with the almighty, powerful Wind, in an attempt to feel its strength, freedom, and proximity to Heaven. He asks the wind to “…lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!” Then, “I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!” (I know this line is often quoted….where have I heard it recently?) The 5th stanza, in particular, has the speaker compare himself literally to the wind. “What if my leaves are falling like its own!” He wishes outright to become the wind itself: “My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one!” His earnest request is that the wind will scatter his words among mankind. Then, in the last lines, a rebirth: “…O Wind//If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

I think “Ode to the West Wind” is a perfect example of the “Correspondent Breeze” effect we read about last week, which “begin[s] with a literal wind which transforms itself into the metaphorical wind of inspiration.” This is exactly what happens in this poem. Interestingly, the poem doesn’t just begin with the wind, it is utterly devoted to it throughout. I enjoyed seeing this metaphor played out, since I haven’t had the chance to read the entire essay.

For the poetic element, I’ll focus on language. I would say the diction is a mix of casual and elevated (casual for its time, elevated for mine!). I certainly sense that the poet/speaker has written this in the midst of emotion, especially since this is stated in the footnote. It is obvious that emotions run high, as the poem is filled with quick, passionate exclamations. This intense language creates a powerful and urgent tone throughout, but especially in the last 2 stanzas. The poet seems to work himself into a frenzy! Exclamations!

I enjoyed this poem, but then again I try to enjoy all that I read. This one held my interest and wasn’t too long. The themes of nature and aging and death and rebirth are universal, so there is much to appreciate in this one. I did read it 3 or 4 times, as one and then in pieces, just to try to understand the themes and elements. I liked it initially, and liked it even more as I read it again.

I must say that the longer poems are a huge challenge. I’ll admit, if the poem fills more than 2 pages in a book I sigh and think….oh, great. Why didn’t they just write 2 or 3 or 4 poems? Why is this a “poem?” Alas, I’m not Wordsworth or Shelley. And I also must say, one of my favorite poems is Tennyson’s “In Memoriam A.H.H.”--all of it. I just can’t read it in one sitting!

Looking forward to next week’s poems….