Ode To The West Wind Essay Research

Ode To The West Wind Essay, Research Paper

Theme :- Inspiration in Ode to the West Wind

When composition begins, inspiration is already on the decline – P. B. Shelley

Shelley deals with the theme of inspiration in much of his work. However it is particularly apparent in Ode to the West Wind where the wind is the source of his creativity. The cycles of death and rebirth are examined in an historical context with reference to The Bible. The word inspiration has several connotations that Shelley uses in this Ode . Inspiration is literally taking in breath and wind, breath, soul and inspiration are all identical or related in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. They are all closely related in Ode to a West Wind .

Shelley s adaptation of Dante s work is evident throughout most of his writing. In Ode to the West Wind it is quite apparent. He was writing this poem in a wood on the outskirts of Arno, near Florence, which is Dante s hometown. The use of the terza rima poem is

Shelley s most obvious adaptation of Dante and he relies upon Dantesque ideas to write his poetry. The image of the leaves being blown by the wind like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing (l.3) depends on the Inferno in Paradiso for the image to have an effect on the reader.

The various cycles of death and rebirth are examined with reference to the Maenads who were fabled to have destroyed Orpheus s body and spread it around the world. This is the underlying theme to the poem with Shelley alluding to the breaking of Christ s body on the cross and how that was essential for humanity to reach salvation. The onslaught of Autumn is the Destroyer in one sense but also the Preserver as it forms an intricate part of the cycle of life and death. Without the death of Jesus Christ the world would not have been saved and so for life to exist so too must death.

Referred to as an unseen presence (l.2) the wind is naked to the human eye. However the physical manifestation of the wind can be felt and it s effect on nature cannot be ignored. The personification of the wind – thou breath of Autumn s being (l.1) – supports its spirituality. This is further illustrated when Shelley explicitly calls the West Wind Spirit and a wild Spirit . Coupled with the elusiveness of the wind to the human eye the effect is that the wind is an uncontrollable power that cannot be contained. In the fifth stanza Shelley refers to the incantation of this verse (l.65) – this is of pagan origins and he is invoking the wind to work through him. As a magician the wind works it s magic throughout nature and it knows no bounds as the earth, water and air all feel it s power. The imagery associated with this suggests that Shelley expected his work to also spread over the universe, like the wind, and inspire others just as the wind was an inspiration to him. The dead thoughts he refers to could be the words he has written down that die as soon as they are recorded. Although not the source of his inspiration others could read them and experience what he felt in that wood that skirts the Arno. In the tradition of the sublime this description acts as a denial of sense perception and it is associated with an object of pure thought – an unknown power that animates all life. The wind is, therefore, seen as a spirit because of its lack of being. This spirit can only be known by it s effects and we see those in the first stanza as the leaves dead / Are driven to their wintry bed (ll. 2,3,6). The wind s role is to spread the dead leaves and this enables the seeds to spread and begin life anew. In this double role of Destroyer and preserver (l.14) the force and effect of the wind is experienced. As a creative force the wind inspires Shelley to write this Ode and the breath of the Autumn wind is also the breath that gives voice to words in the poem. The wind is the perfect element for Shelley to examine as it inspires life in nature and also expression through speech.

There is a consistent simile used throughout this poem and it is that of the leaves that are being controlled by the wind. In the first stanza it is the leaves of the trees that are driven by the wind. This is followed by the same simile in the second and third stanzas when the effect of the wind is seen in the clouds, as they are shed like Earth s decaying leaves (l.16). This spirit then infiltrated the depths of the ocean and the underwater forest is despoiled. The oozy woods (l.39) cannot escape the touch of the West Wind and they also undergo a metamorphosis of change as the seaweed is thrown up on the shore. Shelley compares the clouds and the leaves in the process of shedding and the important point here is that the wind is the central catalyst for change in the different elements. Tying in with the theme that the wind s unseen presence is witnessed in the sea, air and land. Shelley identifies himself with the land, the sky and the sea to be swept up by the wind s power. A Wordsworthian recollection of his youth follows as he seems to regret his lost childhood and with that the opportunity to be one with the wind. This leads us to his idea of inspiration and how it, ultimately, fails Shelley.

The wind is Shelley s inspiration in writing the Ode but the conflict between inspiration and composition results in loss. By trying to capture the source of his inspiration, the wind, Shelley has reduced its value – writing is thus by its very nature a p