Analysis of Percy Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind” In 'Ode to the West Wind,' Percy Bysshe Shelley tries to show his desire for transcendence, by explaining that his thoughts and ideas, like the 'winged seeds' are trapped. The West Wind acts as a force for change and forward movement in the human and natural world. Shelley sees winter not just as the last season of vegetation but as the last phase of life. Shelley observes the changing of the weather from autumn to winter and its effects on the environment. Shelley is trying to show that a man’s ideas can spread and live on beyond his lifetime by having the wind carry his 'dead thoughts' which through destruction, will lead to a rebirth in the imagination, and in the natural world. Shelley begins his poem by addressing the 'Wild West Wind'. He then introduces the theme of death and compares the dead leaves to 'ghosts'. The imagery of 'Pestilence-stricken multitudes' makes the reader aware that Shelley is addressing more than a pile of leaves. His claustrophobic mood is shown when he talks about the 'wintry bed' and 'The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low/ Each like a corpse within its grave, until/ Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow'. In the first line, Shelley used the phrase 'winged seeds' which presents i . . . The 'closing night' is used also to mean the final night. The 'pumice' shows destruction and creation because when the volcano erupts it destroys. This acts as an introduction and a foreshadow of what is to come later. ' also helps the reader prepare for the climax which Shelley intended. It seems that it is only in his death that the 'Wild Spirit' could be lifted 'as a wave, a leaf, a cloud' to blow free in the 'Wild West Wind'. The 'pumice' is probably Shelley's best example of rebirth. As the rising action continues, Shelley talks about the 'Mediterranean' and its 'summer dreams'. Again, he uses soft sounding words to calm the reader into the same dream-like state of the Mediterranean. He then writes like a mourning song 'Of the dying year, to which this closing night/ Will be the dome of a vast sepulchre/ Vaulted with all they congregated might'. Percy sees his ‘dome’ as a volcano and when the 'dome' does 'burst,' it will act as a 'Destroyer and Preserver' and creator. In 'Ode to the West Wind,' Shelley uses the wind to represent driving change and a carrier for his ideas.

这是一首脍炙人口、含蕴深刻的写景名篇。诗人以饱含激情的笔触抒写了秋之生命的呼吸——狂暴的西风，创造出既是破坏者又是保护者的鲜明的西风形象。感情真挚磅，格调高昂激越。 雪莱自己说：“构思和基本写成这首诗，是在佛罗伦萨阿诺河岸的一个树林里，当日气温和煦，清新，而这场暴风正集聚水气，倾泻下秋雨。如我所预料，在日落时分，狂风大作，雨雹如注，伴随了西萨尔滨地区特有的那种壮观的雷电。”由此，可以知道，那狂暴的西风，秋之生命的呼吸，是诗人亲自感受过的，正因为如此，诗人笔下的西风才如此真实、壮观! 诗作共分五大部分。前三部分主要从正面直接描绘西风，写它给大地、天空、海洋带来的天翻地覆的变化，后两部分主要抒写诗人由此而产生的情感。 第一部分，以“狂暴的西风，秋之生命的呼吸”领起，既为全诗定下一个激昂的调子，又以速描式的笔法几笔勾画出西风的精神风貌。接下去以四节的篇幅描写西风对大地的冲击：枯死的落叶被“你”横扫；希望的种子被“你”送吹到冬床上，只等春天到来，昏醒的一切从梦中惊起，漫山遍野，将是姹紫嫣红，芳香扑鼻!诗人最后以“不羁的精灵啊，你无处不行/破坏者兼保护者”总束第一部分，为西风的形象再次描上浓浓的一笔。 第二部分，诗人转换视点，转写西风吹卷下天空的变化：天空因为“你”而喧哗；流云像大地的碎叶一样被撕扯，有如狂女的头发，在“你”青色的气浪上到处垂挂，从至高的天顶一直到漠漠的天涯；“你”又把蒸气凝聚，如此坚实浩大，使夜厦的顶盖承受着“你”的全部重压，最终在厦顶轰然爆炸——黑雨、电火和冰雹一齐迸发! 第三部分，转写海洋。地中海万顷碧波，正沉醉于往日的风景如画和香气弥漫，“你”一下把它的美梦吹断；大西洋为“你”让路，劈裂成波的峡谷，浪的深渊；那海底的苔花泥藻一个个惊慌失措，吓得打颤! 诗人以豪迈奔放的激情，任想象自由地驰骋，以三大部分15节诗的篇幅，诉诸于多种感官抒写出了西风的狂暴、迅疾、无所畏惧。赞美他以摧枯拉朽之势横扫残枝败叶，赞美他以磅之气驱散空中的流云，召来冰雹、大雨和闪电，为黑暗的世界唱出葬歌；赞美他把大海唤醒，掀起汹涌的海浪，震撼海底的花草树木。他是破坏者，同时又是保护者，他到处播种生命的种子，催促万紫千红春的到来。 这是自然的风暴，也是革命的风暴!诗人预言了自然的风暴，也预言了革命的风暴!由此，诗的最后两部分抒发了诗人的革命豪情，由自然之景描写转入抒发感情。 诗作的第四部分，诗人以“唉，假如我是一片枯叶被你浮起”领起，连用几个假设，表达出诗人对现实、对自己的不满，“我跌在生活底荆棘上，我流血了”；“这种岁月的重轭所制伏的生命/原是和你一样的：骄傲、轻捷而不驯”。这脱口而出的诗句是诗人发自肺腑的心声! 第五部分在意义上延承第四部分，又有一些递进。因为对现实、对自己不满，所以诗人便祈求西风“把我当作你的竖琴吧!”给予我“狂暴的精神”!“让我们合一”!吹起我枯死的思想，并把我的预言向世界传送：冬天已经来了，春天还会遥远吗?诗作在诗人对革命与未来美好的展望中戛然而止，读罢令人卓立风发，倍受鼓舞! 在写作上，诗作以象征手法见长。狂暴的西风既是自然界的风，更是革命的风暴，诗人明写自然之风，本意却在呼唤、盼望革命的风暴，象征手法使西风这一意象更加饱满而意蕴深刻。此外，诗作各部分重复“哦，你听”，重章复唱，既为了引起读者的参与，又使作品表现出一种跳动的节奏感、韵律感!