Symbols in “Ode to the West Wind” poem

“Ode to the West Wind” is perhaps the best poem of P B Shelley. This poem has made him immortal in the history of English literature, and it is one of the greatest and most memorable poems in the whole of English literature also. Shelley has symbolized the west wind, and at the same time, he has expressed his revolutionary ideas in this poem. 

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Shelley was good at using symbols in his poetry. In "Ode to the West Wind," the west wind may symbolize many things. The first thing that comes to the mind of the readers is that the west wind symbolizes nature but not in the sense that Wordsworth used nature in his poems. Here, nature is alive and strong, and it is personified in the form of the west wind. This nature is not static but dynamic, and it has the strength to destroy the old leaves, but at the same time, it preserves the seeds. So, the future is secured. At the same time, the west wind is like a force that can create a revolution. Shelley was among the second generation of romantic poets, and he was greatly inspired by the French Revolution. This west wind has a kind of strength that can touch not only nature but also human society. This is the dream of Shelley. Thirdly, this west wind also symbolizes the personality of Shelley. Shelley was an exceptional person during his time. He did not believe in the traditional form of relationship, but at the same time, he was different from most people and even from most poets of his time. He dreamt of a new world and a new society in which people will have more freedom and more liberty. Shelley wants that the west wind also touches him and gives him the strength to stand up in society.

The French Revolution took place in 1789, and it had a profound impact on Wordsworth, Coleridge and all the romantic poets. However, no other romantic poet was so deeply influenced by the idea of revolution. The main goal of the French Revolution was to establish a society where the citizens will enjoy maximum freedom and rights. At that time, France was ruled by an autocratic monarchy, and it created a lot of frustration among the people. It should be noted here that Shelley was influenced by the writings of Russo, and we know that Russo was a very important figure behind the ideas of the French Revolution.

Shelley was not very happy with the condition of contemporary England. No revolution similar to the French Revolution took place in England, and the king was still very powerful. The middle-class people did not have any right to vote, and the right to vote was limited to only a few aristocratic and rich people. Shelley’s own personal ideas and lifestyle were not appreciated by the contemporary people in his society. So, the condition of contemporary England was frustrating in every way to the poet.

The contemporary condition of England was like the winter, but Shelley was hopeful that spring would come. For this reason, he wished that the west wind would come and destroy the old ideas in England and bring new hope for the future. People would get influenced by new ideas from people like Shelley and perhaps to some extent from Byron, and they would rise up and start to change society. Of course, if we read history, we will know that the changes that Shelley dreamt of did not happen in England very quickly, but they happened slowly. The poets of three or four generations after him were also deeply influenced by his ideas and carried his ideas further.

Shelley also wants the west wind to influence his own personality. He wanted to write better poems and influence the people. Shelley wanted a new life for himself, and he wanted the west wind to come and make him fresh and strong.

When Queen Victoria took power, the condition of England started to change, and the rise of the middle-class took place. Freedom and equality among all the people did not come very quickly, but it was the dream of Shelley to see a democratic and modern England where people will be respected irrespective of their ideas and ideologies. This matter happened, but it took a lot of time, and we have to say that poets like Shelley and poems like “Ode to the West Wind” contributed immensely to changing England this way.