Appreciation of the Poem

AppreciationofthePoemOdetotheWestWind•PercyByssheShelley(August4,1792–July8,1822)wasoneofthemajorEnglishRomanticpoetsandiswidelyconsideredtobeamongthefinestlyricpoetsoftheEnglishlanguage.HeisperhapsmostfamousforsuchanthologypiecesasOzymandias,OdetotheWestWind,ToaSkylark,andTheMasqueofAnarchy.However,hismajorworkswerelongvisionarypoemsincludingAlastor,Adonais,TheRevoltofIslam,PrometheusUnboundandtheunfinishedTheTriumphofLife.AbstractOdetotheWestWindisthemostclassicalworksofShelleyThepoetcameupwiththethoughtwhenheiswalkinginaforestandastrongstormseemedtocomesoon.Andthestormcametogetherwithwindandhails.InsuchweatherShelleythoughtofmanythingsofthesociety.Underthisatmospherehewrotethepoem“OdetotheWestWind”1.Introduction•OdetotheWestWindiswrittenbyPercyByssheShelley(1792～1822),thefamousBritishdemocracypoet,toexpressrevolutionaryenthusiasmandvictoryfaith.Thepoemwaswrittenin1819whenhewaslivinginItalian.Itconveyedthespiritofthetimes.•Itissafetosaythatanyonewhoreadthepoemwillbeinspiredaninfluencedbyit.AsShelleywantedthebeliefofreformandrevolutiontobeheared,thewindbecamethehorntocallpeopletofightfortheirfreedom.Meanwhilethepoemisalsoalyricpoemwhichthepoetusemanysymbolstoexpresshisbelief.2.AppreciationtotheOdetotheWestWind•Itconsistsoffivecantos.ThepoemOdetotheWestWindcanbedividedintwoparts:thefirstthreecantosandaThelasttwocantosThethreecantoscribingthewind'seffectsuponearth,air,andocean.ThelasttwocantosareShelleyspeakingdirectlytothewind,askingforitspower,tolifthimlikealeaf,acloudorawaveandmakehimitscompanioninitswanderings.IOwildWestWind,thoubreathofAutumn'sbeing,Thou,fromwhoseunseenpresencetheleavesdeadAredriven,likeghostsfromanenchanterfleeing,Yellow,andblack,andpale,andhecticred,Pestilence-strickenmultitudes:Othou,WhochariotesttotheirdarkwintrybedThewingedseeds,wheretheyliecoldandlow,Eachlikeacorpsewithinitsgrave,untilThineazuresisteroftheSpringshallblowHerclariono'erthedreamingearth,andfill(Drivingsweetbudslikeflockstofeedinair)Withlivinghuesandodoursplainandhill:WildSpirit,whichartmovingeverywhere;Destroyerandpreserver;hear,ohhear!•Inthefirstcanto,westwindcrushesdryweeedsandsmashesrottenwoodsonland,sweepstheseedsintoearthatthesametime,andthepoethighlightsitasthedestroyerandpreserver.Thewitheredleavesandthewestwindarethemainimages.However,onemustnotthinkofthis‘Ode’asanoptimisticpraiseofthewind;itisclearlyassociatedwithautumn.IIThouonwhosestream,midthesteepsky'scommotion,Loosecloudslikeearth'sdecayingleavesareshed,ShookfromthetangledboughsofHeavenandOcean,Angelsofrainandlightning:therearespreadOnthebluesurfaceofthinea{:e}rysurge,LikethebrighthairupliftedfromtheheadOfsomefierceMaenad,evenfromthedimvergeOfthehorizontothezenith'sheight,Thelocksoftheapproachingstorm.ThoudirgeOfthedyingyear,towhichthisclosingnightWillbethedomeofavastsepulchre,VaultedwithallthycongregatedmightOfvapours,fromwhosesolidatmosphereBlackrain,andfire,andhailwillburst:ohhear!•Inthesecondcanto,thewestwindsweepstheresidualcloudintheair,andbringsoutthestormclouds.Thesecondcantoofthepoemismuchmorefluidthanthefirstone.Shelleyemploysthefollowingimages:cloud、rain、andlighting.Angelsofrainandlightingisrightlythestormofrevolutionbroughtbythewestwind，herebyemploypersonification,itexpressthemajesticmomentumofthewestwind.IIIThouwhodidstwakenfromhissummerdreamsTheblueMediterranean,wherehelay,Lull'dbythecoilofhiscryst{`a}llinestreams,BesideapumiceisleinBaiae'sbay,AndsawinsleepoldpalacesandtowersQuiveringwithinthewave'sintenserday,AllovergrownwithazuremossandflowersSosweet,thesensefaintspicturingthem!ThouForwhosepaththeAtlantic'slevelpowersCleavethemselvesintochasms,whilefarbelowThesea-bloomsandtheoozywoodswhichwearThesaplessfoliageoftheocean,knowThyvoice,andsuddenlygrowgraywithfear,Andtrembleanddespoilthemselves:ohhear!•Inthethirdcanto，thepoetmainlychantsthewestwind,carefullydescribesthepowerofthewestwindinland,seaandair.Here,theblueMediterraneansymbolstherulersofthetime，buttheyaresleepinginthebeautifullyscenery，inthecrystallinestreams,intheazuremossandflowers.Therefore,thispartfurthershowsthepowerfulstrengthsofbreakofthewestwind.Fromthelasttworows,wecanseetheoldpowerwillperish.Thispart,thepoetcombinethemainimages,thewestwind,withseawater,hugewavesandoldpalacetoexpressthattheoldworldmustbereplacedbyhenewworld.IVIfIwereadeadleafthoumightestbear;IfIwereaswiftcloudtoflywiththee;Awavetopantbeneaththypower,andshareTheimpulseofthystrength,onlylessfreeThanthou,Ouncontrollable!IfevenIwereasinmyboyhood,andcouldbeThecomradeofthywanderingsoverHeaven,Asthen,whentooutstripthyskieyspeedScarceseem'davision;Iwouldne'erhavestrivenAsthuswiththeeinprayerinmysoreneed.Oh,liftmeasawave,aleaf,acloud!Ifalluponthethornsoflife!Ibleed!Aheavyweightofhourshaschain'dandbow'dOnetoolikethee:tameless,andswift,andproud.•Intheforthcanto,withturningthepoint,Shelleyturnfromodetothewestwindtoexpressemotions,toconveyhiswillingtodancewiththewestwing.Thepoetexpresshisyearningformeetingthewindstormastheflyingwitheredleavesinthewind,floatingcloudsandtumblingwaverdid.Thepoetmakespreparationforthetheme: