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PercyByssheShelleyPercyByssheShelley(1792-1822)OdetotheWestWind•Aman,tobegreatlygood,mustimagineintenselyandcomprehensively;hemustputhimselfintheplaceofanotherandofmanyothers.Thepainsandpleasuresofhisspeciesmustbecomehisown.Thegreatinstrumentofmoralgoodistheimagination;and…Poetrystrengthensthefacultywhichistheorganofthemoralnatureofman,inthesamemannerasexercisestrengthensalimb.——PercyByssheShelleyOdetotheWestWind:Notes•WrittenintheAutumn,1819,andpublishedinthefollowingyear,thispoemhasbecomeoneofthemostpopularandbest-knownofShelley'sverses.InanoteShelleyoutlinedthecircumstancesbehindthepoem'smaking:•ThispoemwasconceivedandchieflywritteninawoodthatskirtstheArno,nearFlorence,andonadaywhenthetempestuouswind,whosetemperatureisatoncemildandanimating,wascollectingthevapourswhichpourdowntheautumnalrains.Theybegan,asIforesaw,atsunsetwithaviolenttempestofhailandrain,attendedbythatmagnificentthunderandlightningpeculiartotheCisalpineregions.OdetotheWestWind:Notes•OwildWestWind,thoubreathofAutumn'sbeing,Thou,fromwhoseunseenpresencetheleavesdeadAredriven,likeghostsfromanenchanterfleeing,Yellow,andblack,andpale,andhecticred,Pestilence-strickenmultitudes:Othou,WhochariotesttotheirdarkwintrybedThewingedseeds,wheretheyliecoldandlow,Eachlikeacorpsewithinitsgrave,untilThineazuresisteroftheSpringshallblowHerclariono'erthedreamingearth,andfill(Drivingsweetbudslikeflockstofeedinair)Withlivinghuesandodoursplainandhill:WildSpirit,whichartmovingeverywhere;Destroyerandpreserver;hear,Ohear!•Thouonwhosestream,midthesteepsky'scommotion,Loosecloudslikeearth'sdecayingleavesareshed,ShookfromthetangledboughsofHeavenandOcean,Angelsofrainandlightning:therearespreadOnthebluesurfaceofthineairysurge,LikethebrighthairupliftedfromtheheadOfsomefierceMaenad,evenfromthedimvergeOfthehorizontothezenith'sheightThelocksoftheapproachingstorm.ThoudirgeOfthedyingyear,towhichthisclosingnightWillbethedomeofavastsepulchre,VaultedwithallthycongregatedmightOfvapours,fromwhosesolidatmosphereBlackrain,andfire,andhailwillburst:Ohear!•ThouwhodidstwakenfromhissummerdreamsTheblueMediterranean,wherehelay,Lulledbythecoilofhiscrystallinestreams,BesideapumiceisleinBaiae'sbay,AndsawinsleepoldpalacesandtowersQuiveringwithinthewave'sintenserday,AllovergrownwithazuremossandflowersSosweet,thesensefaintspicturingthem!ThouForwhosepaththeAtlantic'slevelpowersCleavethemselvesintochasms,whilefarbelowThesea-bloomsandtheoozywoodswhichwearThesaplessfoliageoftheocean,knowThyvoice,andsuddenlygrowgreywithfear,Andtrembleanddespoilthemselves:Ohear!•IfIwereadeadleafthoumightestbear;IfIwereaswiftcloudtoflywiththee;Awavetopantbeneaththypower,andshareTheimpulseofthystrength,onlylessfreeThanthou,Ouncontrollable!IfevenIwereasinmyboyhood,andcouldbeThecomradeofthywanderingsoverheaven,Asthen,whentooutstriptheskyeyspeedScarceseemedavision;Iwouldne'erhavestrivenAsthuswiththeeinprayerinmysoreneed.Oh!liftmeasawave,aleaf,acloud!Ifalluponthethornsoflife!Ibleed!AheavyweightofhourshaschainedandbowedOnetoolikethee:tameless,andswift,andproud.•Makemethylyre,evenastheforestis:Whatifmyleavesarefallinglikeitsown!ThetumultofthymightyharmoniesWilltakefrombothadeep,autumnaltone,Sweetthoughinsadness.Bethou,Spiritfierce,Myspirit!Bethoume,impetuousone!DrivemydeadthoughtsovertheuniverseLikewitheredleavestoquickenanewbirth;And,bytheincantationofthisverse,Scatter,asfromanunextinguishedhearthAshesandsparks,mywordsamongmankind!BethroughmylipstounawakenedearthThetrumpetofaprophecy!O,Wind,IfWintercomes,canSpringbefarbehind?OwildWestWind,thoubreathofAutumn'sbeing,TheWestWindisamanifestationofspiritualorsupernaturalenergy,associatedwithbreath,respirationandinspiration,withpneumaandanima,theHolyGhostorSpirit,thespiritoflifeitself.Thisisimportantinastanzawhichcontainssomanyreferencesandallusionstodeathanddecay,reaffirmingtheenergyandvitalityofthewestwind.ApartfromthealliterationitisalsoworthnotingthecapitalisationofWestWindinthepoem.IntypicallyRomanticfashionanabstractqualityoraspectofNatureispersonifiedandaddressedinthepoem,suchthatitappearsdivineorgod-like,orasanexpressionofthedivineThou,fromwhoseunseenpresencetheleavesdeadLeaveshererefertotreesandthewind-borneseeds,butthephrasealsocarriesassociationswithpaper(leavesfrombooks?),thewitheredleaves(anddeadthoughts)referredtoinstanza5,whicharedrivenacrosstheuniversebythepowerofthewind.TheleavesherearedeadandfalltotheEarth,arecurrentthemeinthisstanza,buttheretheymaygiverisetonewlife.Aredriven,likeghostsfromanenchanterfleeing,Helpsbuildupthesenseofdeath,andalsolifeafterdeath,whichisbroughtaboutbyAutumn,andbythewestWind.Thereareanumberofimagesinthisstanzawhichhelpbuildupthissenseofdeath,hauntingandthesepulchre,suchasPestilence,darkwintrybed,coldandlow,corpsewithinitsgrave,emphasizingtheWestWind'squalityasaharbingerofDeath.EmphasizesthesupernaturalpoweroftheWestWind,holdingtheobserverspell-bound,butremaininginvisible.IstheWindherebuttheexpressionofthisinvisibleandsupernaturalpower,ratherthantheforceitself?ThereferencetoenchantmentanticipatesthenextlineandthereferencestothePestilence-d