Western Wind

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1500

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

“Sumer is Icumen In“ by Anonymous (Mid-Thirteenth Century)

While the first written form of “Western Wind” appears later than “Sumer is Icumen In,” the lyrics of both may originate from the same century. Just as the speaker in “Western Wind” hopes for an intervention by nature and a seasonal change, the speaker in “Sumer is Icumen In” is likewise focused on seasonal change. However, in the latter poem, the season of summer has already arrived and settled in for its short stay. The poem features singing birds, blooming flowers and forests, braying farm animals, and – perhaps most interestingly - a farting deer.

“Wynter Wakeneth Al My Care“ by Anonymous (14th Century)

Like the previous poem, “Wynter Wakeneth Al My Care” also centers on seasonal change, though this change is more dismal and daunting than “Sumer Is Icumen In” or “Western Wind.” Written in Middle English, this particular poem has been dated to approximately 1310 AD. The speaker of “Wynter Wakeneth Al My Care” sees the world fading as the colder weather rolls in. Leaves fade, grass withers, and a dismal gloom settles over everything. The speaker retains a nihilistic view of life, acknowledging that in the end, everything dies.

“Bede’s Death Song” by The Venerable Bede (735 AD)

Written in Old English in the 8th century, a Benedictine monk of Northumbria penned this poem, possibly even while lying in his own bed awaiting his own death. The poem confronts the existential crisis all humans must face eventually - that of mortality. The lyrics relate the necessity to reflect back on one’s life, on whether the person dying caused happiness or despair for their fellow humans. This type of reflection and possible atonement for any past wrongdoing will in turn affect the dying individual’s journey into the afterlife.

Further Literary Resources

"'Westron Wynde': A Problem in Syntax" by Douglas D. Short and Porter Williams, Jr. (1977)

Short and Williams present lasting questions in this article about the medieval poem in question. The two authors are most intent on looking at the structure of the poem, specifically the punctuation and relationship of the first two lines. Short and Williams ask, “Is the first line a question about a desirable future event, the coming of the west wind, and the second an exclamation about the present undesirable state of the weather? Or do the first two lines together ask a question about the future?” (187). Different versions have placed various forms of punctuation at the conclusions of these first two lines, resulting in varying interpretations. The authors analyze the symbolism of the West wind and the musical score of the lyrics to assist them in answering their own pervasive questions. Their conclusion states that “the last two lines of the poem can be seen as a structural echo of the first two while the longing becomes more intense and specific” (192).

“Westron Wynde When Wyll Thow Blow“ by Richard R. Griffith (1963)

Griffith explores a different and possibly controversial reading of the “Western Wind” poem. Rather than seeing the poem as a desire for spring, happiness, love, and passion, Griffith proposes that the poem “offers a simpler explanation: rain will give the husband a holiday from outdoor work.” To support this reading, Griffith points to the common misreading of the word “can” in line 2. Instead of being read as “is able to,” as the word typically implies, the word takes on its more Anglo-Saxon meaning of “knows how to,” which slightly alters the reading of the first two lines. Griffith explains, “Thus the true meaning of the opening lines is the exact opposite of that usually suggested; the speaker, far from requesting rain, declares that showers - the first token of spring - have already appeared, and longs for the warm breezes and fair weather which should follow.” The other bit of evidence Griffith provides is that the speaker is not married to their beloved or their beloved is not present (possibly deceased) since they retire to their bed alone at the conclusion of the poem. Therefore what the speaker feels is despair and anguish rather than desire.

"Interpreting 'Western Wind'" by Charles Frey (1976)

Frey begins his article by addressing the assumed origins of the poem “Western Wind” and the numerous versions it has gone through. Frey points out the alterations in word choice and syntax that have been applied to the original poem by modern interpretations and argues that the text “is suffering at the hands of many editors (as well as critics with axes to grind and textbook writers who use it to illustrate themes) but also that the song reveals fresh meaning and savor if studied in its first form and context” (260). With this view, Frey shares a similar opinion to Griffith. Both desire a simple reading of the medieval poem. Also like Griffith, Frey’s line-by-line close reading of “Western Wind” includes an analysis of the various punctuation that has been applied to the first two lines. Frey takes into account the original musical score of the poem, noting that a restoration of “the poem to its musical setting is to lessen the danger of perceiving a ‘romantic cry’ or a ‘generalized romantic excitement’ in the first lines…” (266). Despite his thorough analysis, Frey advocates for a more traditionalist approach to the text.