Student Question
Why does the speaker in "The West Wind" welcome the west wind?
Quick answer:
The speaker welcomes the west wind because it evokes joyful memories of his homeland, characterized by natural beauty like daffodils, apple blossoms, and melodious thrushes. The west offers a sense of peace and healing with its cool, green grass and wine-like air. This idyllic place provides comfort for the weary, prompting the speaker to resolve to return to this beautiful, restorative homeland where he truly belongs.
The speaker welcomes the west wind, as it evokes joyous visions of his homeland: the old brown hills, where there are daffodils and apple blossoms and all manner of natural loveliness. Out there in the west, the air is like wine, the grass is cool and green, and the thrushes sing their sweet melodies from the nest.
All in all, the speaker paints an idyllic picture of life in his homeland. This is a place which, as the west wind seems to tell him, provides balm for bruised hearts, sleep for aching eyes, and rest for tired feet. Little wonder, then, that the speaker, in the final stanza, resolves to wend his way over the long white road west to his homeland—that special, beautiful place where he belongs.
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