Luna Shen
Jim Fairchild
Literature of the Romantic Period
10/01/12
Transforming image in Shelley 's poetry
--See through Ode to the West Wind
The west wind was widely adopted in Shelley 's poetry. In his poems, the west wind is
always embedded with strong and violent power, which can cause the leaves to fall down
onto the floor and tears the clouds high in the sky. Moreover, it can also cause panic of the
sea plants and wake up the sleeping ocean. The west wind, according to Shelley, can be
regarded as strong power in the revolutionary movement. Also, the poet's eagerness and
courage
to
be
integrated
with
west
wind
also
indicate
that
she
is
willing
to
contribute
hisself
to
the
revolutionary
movement.
The
poet
believes
that
positive
power
will
definitely
overwhelm
the
evil
and
the
darkness.
Righteousness
is
surely
to
win
in
the
revolutionary movement.
In the first stanza, the poet adopted the color contrast tactic and described the scene
when west wind swept autumn--"Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red", indicating
that turbulent west wind blew down leaves and spread the seeds into land again, waiting