Ode to the West Wind part 1 - COMPLETE

Shelley

Context

Mourning his son, William, who died in 1819.

Zephyrus - Greek God of the west wind. bringer of light spring and early summer breezes. Heralded the end of winter and regrowth. Phillhellenism

Written after bloody conflict in Europe. Natural imagery used to show rebirth and regeneration. (transition from autumn to winter to spring)

sublime - grandeur, great emotion, awe. In contrast to the more ‘practical’ literature/poetry.

Structure

Iambic pentameter

Irregular meter in emotionally charged areas

‘West Wind.. thou breath of Autumn’s being’

The West Wind and Autumn are capitalised, similar to how God is.

the word ‘thou’ show a closeness with nature. Shelley was pantheistic.

‘unseen presence’

Divinity?

Shelley was a pantheist.

‘the leaves dead are driven like ghosts from an enchanter’

‘driven’ = chased away. Decay is associated with dead leaves. Chasing away ‘dead’ leaves could be Shelley’s attempt to deal with the loss of his son.

‘like ghosts from an enchanter’ = further adds to the mournful one of the poem. The power of the west wind is so prominent that it is likened to magic.

‘yellow, black, pale, and hectic red’

black dead leaves are usually signs of infection.

Multitude of colours in nature.

pestilence-stricken multitudes

Disease. the west wind carries away disease. The West Wind is a restorative force, driving away ‘pestilence’.

Could be symbolic of how nature has helped him with the processing of his son’s death. Regrowth.

‘chariotest’

Victory and success.

Associated with Ancient Greece.

‘each like a corpse within it’s grave… until thine azure sister of the Spring will blow’

theme of death haunts the narrative due to his son, William, dying.

‘azure… Spring’ = azure is more vibrant than the colours used to describe the dead leaves, creating a contrast between Spring and Autumn.

The west wind is a transition between the two.

‘destroyer and preserver’

‘destroyer’ = alludes to the next part about a storm. Arguably could also be about the west wind chasing away the winter leaves. But it preserves the transition between autumn and spring.