Ode to the West Wind Questions on Metaphor
Ode to the West Wind
What does the phrase "The trumpet of prophecy" signify in "Ode to the West Wind"?
"The trumpet of prophecy" in the second to last line of "Ode to the West Wind" refers to Shelley's own writing. The line means he believes his writing foretells the future. In this ode, he wishes his...
Ode to the West Wind
"Ode to the West Wind" Analysis and Literary Devices
"Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley uses vivid imagery and literary devices to convey themes of transformation and renewal. The poem personifies the West Wind as a powerful force, both...
Ode to the West Wind
What does "aery surge" mean in the context of "Ode to the West Wind"?
In Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind," "aery" is ethereal: light, intangible, refined, of the heavens. This simply describes the wind. The context of the line follows: Angels...
Ode to the West Wind
What does the line "tangled boughs of heaven" mean in the poem "Ode to the West Wind"?
As to why heaven (and ocean) should have tangled boughs–-well, primarily because Shelley wishes to use this metaphor (of sky as tree) to tie into his earlier reference to autumn leaves ('Yellow,...
Ode to the West Wind
Which literary device, paradox or metaphor, is used in this quote from Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind"?
The most obvious literary device used in lines 2-3 of Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" is asimile-- that is, a comparison using the words "like" or "as." The third word of line 3...
Ode to the West Wind
What two actions does the west wind perform in the first stanza of "Ode to the West Wind"?
O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being, Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing, Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red,...