Ode to the West Wind, Percy Bysshe Shelley

Beginning with Autumn, "O wild west wind, thou breath of Autumn' s being", flowing through winter, "The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low", and ending with spring, "Thine azure sister of the spring shall blow." Reviewing the seasons through out the first canto symbolizing death and rebirth.The circle of life. The author of this poem, Percy Bysshe Shelly, was grieving the death of his three year old son while writing this poem. Running through the seasons of earth can related to going through the seasons of life. And the love of nature can provide a healing process.



The second canto describes an enormous storm on the verge. "Loose clouds like earth's decaying leaves are shed", the clouds look as if they were leaves falling from a tree during fall. The storm is figuratively his life after the lost of a loved one. For his son was not to wake again, "Thou who didst waken from his dreams". However his son is said to be in a beautiful place, "And saw in sleep old palaces and towers".



And Spring yet again appears. The rebirth of the Earth, of Mankind. Percy Shelly saw Spring as a rebirth for himself. He enacted his life with nature. "Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is". A lyre is a stringed instrument; an instrument can spead music; such as spreading the happiness for life. Speading the thoughts of death "over the of universe" like "withered leaves" to "quicken a new birth!" Shelly personifaction with nature and humans. This form of writing was common during the Romantic era.

Shelley closed his poem,"The trumpet of a prophecy! O, Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?" Winter may come but spring will follow.


Ashes and sparks , my words among man kind! "if winter comes, spring be far behind.