Summar
y/Anal
ysi
soft
hePoem”Odet
otheWestWi
nd”
Poetst art st hepoem byaddr essi ngt heWestWi ndt obet hel ifeofAut umnseason.So
Shel ley'
sAut umni sdi fferentf rom Keat ’sAut umnoff ulfilness, ri
penesset c.Butf orShel l
ey’s
Aut umnseasoni st heseasonwhent heWestWi ndbl owswi thint ensi tyandf orce.Thepoeti s
compar i
ngdeadl eav eswi thghost sandsay st hatt heWestWi ndcar riest hedeadl eav esl i
ke
ast heghost sar ebei ngdr ivenbyt hemagi cian.Thepoett alksaboutt hecol oursoft hese
l
eav es,thesel eav esar ey el l
ow, black, pal eandr edcol our .Thel eav esl ookl iket hecr owdof
pat i
ent swhogat her edatonepl acewhosef acesar epal e.Thepoetcal lst heWestWi ndt obe
thechar iotofseedsast hechar iotcar ri
est het hi ngsf rom onepl acet oanot her .Int hesame
way ,theWestWi ndcar r
iest heseedsanddeposi tst hem undert hesoi lint hef ieldsandwhen
spr i
ngseasonbl owi tst riumphant ,whent hespr ingseasoncomes, t heseedswhi char e
bur ri
edundersoi loft hef ieldsst artt ospr outandt henbl oom wi thbudsandf lower s.Thepl ain
andhi ll
yar easl ookbeaut i
fulwi thdi fferentcol our soff lower s.Theodouroff lower sal so
spr eadal lov erthehi l
lsandpl ains.Hesay st hatt heWestWi ndi spr eser veranddest roy erand
her epoett alksaboutt hedualnat ur eper for medbyWestWi nd.WestWi nddest roy sthedead
anddecay edl eav esandpr eser vest henewseeds.Nowt hepoett alksaboutt heki ndof
distur banceposedbyt heWestWi ndi nt hesky .Thepoeti st alkingaboutt hei mpactoft he
WestWi ndoncl ouds.Her et hedecay edl eav esar eact ual lybeencompar edwi thcl ouds. The
WestWi ndcar riest hedeadl eav es, simi l
ar lyWestWi ndcar riest hel oosecl oudsandshat ter
thesecl oudsi nt heskyandt hesecl oudsl ookl ikeasi ft heyar esepar at edf rom t hebr anches
ofheav enandocean.Hecal lsthecl oudst obet hemessager sofr ai nandl i
ght ni ngwhi ch
spr eadi nt heskywhenl ight i
ningoccur s.Hecompar est hel i
ght iningwi tht hebr i
ghthai rof
Meanad, Meanadi st her ef erencet ot heGr eekmy thol ogy ,Meadnadwast hef oll
owerofLor d
Bacchus.Hewast hegodofwi neandr ev alr y.Her et hepoetcompar est hel ightiningwhi ch
occur sint heskywi thbr ightgol denhai rofMeanad.Nowt hepoetsay st hatt heWestWi ndi s
l
iket hef uner alsongoft hedy i
ngy ear ,andt heni ghti sl iket heer rect eddomeoft ombandt he
vapour swi llbr i
ngbl ackr ai n, fi
reandhai l.I twi llalsobr ingt hest or m.Soi twi llbeast or my
night .Poeti st alki ngaboutt heMedi terraneanseawhi chi sl eapi ngbecauseoft hesweet
soundcr eat edbyv ar iousRi v erswhi char ef lowi ngi nt ot heocean.Sobl ueMedi ter raneansea
i
sl eapi ngneart heI slandi nBai ae' sbay , theI slandf or medbyLav acr eat edbyv ol canoesand
theMedi ter raneanseai sal sowi tnessi ngt heol dpal aces, tower sandot herol dbui l
dings
whi chhav ebeencol lapsedi ntot heoceanbecauseofear thquakeandot hernat ur alcal ami ties.
Ther eflect i
onsofol dpal aces, townsandot herol dbui ldingsshi verbecauseoft hei nt ensityof
theWestWi nd.Andi npl aceoft heseol dpal aces, t ownsandol dbui ldings, therei snow
grass, f
lower sandazur emoss.Theent ireat mospher ei ssobeaut ifult hatt hepoeti snotbe
ablet opor t rayi tcl ear ly.Thei ntensi tyoft heWestWi ndi ssost rongt hatAt l
ant icocean
dividesi tswav esi nt ot wochasmst ogi v ewayt ot heWestWi nd.Lotofpl ant sandv eget ation
i
st her eont hesur faceoft heoceanwhi chf ear sbecauseoft hesoundcr eat edbyt heWest
Wi nd.Theygetf ear ed, theyt rumbl ed, theygr owGr ayandgetupr oot edduet ofearofWest
Wi nd.
Nowt hepoetsaysthathewantstobecomeadeadl eaf,acloudorawav e,
sot hathecoul
d
feeltheintensi
tyandt
hest r
engt
hoft heWestWind.HecallsWestWi nduncontr
ollabl
eand
sayst hathewassoeagerandener geti
cdur
inghischi
ldhood,butnowlotsofproblemsthat
hehasf
acedi
nhi
sli
fecr
ushedhi
m.
Thepoethereestablishesal i
nkbetweenhisownper sonali
tyandthepersonali
tyoftheWest
Wind.Herecall
shisboy hoodwhenhewasswi f
t,energet
icanduncontr
ollableastheWest
Wind.Inhi
sboy hoodhecoul dexcelt
hespeedoft heWestWi ndandcouldaccompanyi ton
i
tswanderi
ngsov erthesky .Butthemisfor
tunesoflif
ehav ecr
ushedhim.Hei sbleedi
ngon
theshar
pthornsoflifehelplessly
.Hewishesthatifhewil
lbeal eaf
,acloud,awav e,sot
hat
theWestWindcoul dli
fthim.Hemakesapat heti
cappealtotheWestWi ndt ocomet ohi
s
help. Oh,lif
tmeasawav e,al
eaf,
acloud!
If
allupont
het
hor
nsofl
if
e!Ibl
eed!
Aheav
ywei
ghtofhour
shaschai
nedandbowed
Onet
ool
iket
hee:f
ramel
essandswi
ftandpr
oud
Poetsay
stotheWestWi ndwhenyoucomef r
om thef or
ests,
auniquekindofmusi
cisheard.
Theboughsofplantsanddecayedl
eavesar
eshaki ng.Poetappeal
stotheWestWindtotreat
hi
m asamusi cali
nstr
ument.Themainaim ofpoetishere,hesaystot
heWestWi ndtol
if
t
hi
ml i
keacloudandal eaf
Poetsay sli
keot herleav esoft
het r
eesint hef orest,
hisleaveswi l
lalsobef al
ling.Poetsay s,
heandf orestcanpr oduceautumnalmusi c.InAut umnwhent hewi ndblowsi tuprootsthe
trees,thedecay edleav esaredriv
enandi nt hiswayaki ndofmusi ci sproduced.Thepoet
addr essingtheWestWi ndas“asSpi ri
tfierce"andasi mpet uousone" ,heappeal stoitto
becomeonewi thhim andt oscatt
erhisdeadt houghtsov ertheuniversei nor
dert hatthese
thought smaybr ingaboutanewper i
odi nhi shumanhi st
ory.IftheWi nt
ercomes, canspr i
ng
bef arbehind?Int hisstanzawef indaclearexpr essi
onofShel l
ey'
sidealism,hisbelief inthe
perfectibil
it
yofhumannat ure,
andhi sbeliefintheGol denageofmanki nd.
