The first two stanzas describe the west wind primarily in its character as destroyer rather than preserver.
In the first stanza the emphasis is on the activity of the west
wind on the earth. The wind cannot be seen. It must be felt by witnessing its
effects on things which can be seen, and which are the objects or agents of its
power. The leaves are like ghosts (they are thin and frail) fleeing from an
enchanter; and the winded seeds blowing to the ground and buried like corpses
in a grave are in fact resting in cradles to be reborn with the coming spring.
The west wind removes dead leaves and scatters the seeds of
new life. The west wind destroys the worn out and in doing so provides for the
new. The west wind symbolizes change for the poet. The poet links the changes
brought by the west wind with the changes he wants to bring about.
The poet’s stress is on social change. The poet thinks that
the spirit of rebellion drives away outdated beliefs and useless ideas. Ideas which
are outdated must be replaced. That which is diseased and disorderly must be
removed. In spring, the poet sees new life. The first two and half tercets deal
with the destructive activity of the west wind on earth. The rest deals with
regeneration and change that comes about in spring.
The poet sees the west wind as a destroyer of old ways and
a preserver of new ways. The leaves that fall symbolize old and outdated ideas
and death. The seeds symbolize new ideas and rebirth. The death and rebirth of
vegetation gives new hope for mankind and himself. There is a note of
supplication and pleading at the end of the stanza.
The second stanza deals with the activity of the west wind
in skies. The poet describes the different clouds in the sky and says that the
clouds are too young to burst and bring about an atmospheric change and bring
rain. On a literal level the west wind is portrayed as force of nature and
power which creates a storm. The west wind is a symbol of rebellion and radical
change. The storm destroys what is in existence, but also holds the promise of
regeneration of new philosophy, new outlook and new habits. The poet uses the
poem to foretell a new age, implication is that after destruction, construction
follows. He hopes that in the new society there will be equality, liberty and
justice, not divorced from rationality.
The third stanza deals with the activity of the west wind
under the sea. The implication is that everything that is old and corrupt is
destroyed by the coming of the west wind. The wind disturbs the sea and has a
message for the underwater creatures and vegetation. The sea sympathizes with the
land. As the wind blows on land it also blows on water. It is about changes on
the surface of the water. The stress is on the aquatic quality of the west
wind. The winds of change blow everywhere on earth, in the sky and on water.
The fourth stanza deals with the poem’s admiration with the
west wind. The poet does not want to be tied by rules and regulations of society.
He wants to be free like the west wind. The poet wants to bring a change in the
world by influencing world opinion. As a boy he had no inhibitions, fears, or responsibilities.
Now he longs for that kind of freedom without responsibilities. He uses a simile
to stress this point. The poet sees himself in position of the west wind, he is
sad that he does not have freedom the west wind has. As a child he thought had
freedom but as grownup he has less freedom, so he values his independence. One sees
a self-pitying attitude at the end of this stanza.
He would like to do everything that the west wind does, but
he cannot do so, because he is crippled by circumstances and is a prisoner of
society. The poet realizes that tragedy is a part of existence.
The fifth stanza deals with the decay he sees all around. The
poet identifies with the decaying leaves. The strength, vigor and force of the
west wind is enough to give him strength and energy in order to bring about the
rebellion he wants to spread change through his writings. He, an atheist, looks
upon the west wind as divine. The poet wants to be like it. He wants whatever
is dead and decrepit to be swept away. He says that life is cyclical and death
is followed by new life - birth, death and rebirth. The poet uses fire as a
sign of hope, life and enlightenment. The message here is new life and the end
of tyranny and dictation. The last line shows hope after despair. The poet
believes that after reaching the depths of despair things are bound to improve.
Here we see Shelley as a mature poet who accepts adult responsibilities and realizes
that tone has to ultimately destroy the old life. We see the poet recovering his
pose. The tone is sad but there is a new dynamic note.
The spirit of the west wind inspires the poet to give the
world new ideas and scatter the message of change.
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