The Wind by Amy Lowell is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the beauty and ferocity of nature. The poem is filled with vivid images that convey the movement, sound, and impact of the wind.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the wind as a powerful force that “slams the doors / of the house, and breaks the shutters.” The wind is not only strong but also relentless, as it “pummels the orchard” and “whips the trees.” The imagery in these lines is vivid and intense, giving the reader a sense of the wind’s power and the havoc it can wreak.
As the poem continues, the speaker describes the wind in more poetic terms, using imagery that is both beautiful and terrifying. The wind is compared to a “great black piano” that plays a wild and chaotic tune, and to a “lion” that roars and prowls. These comparisons capture the wild and untamed nature of the wind, as well as its ability to evoke powerful emotions in those who experience it.
Despite its ferocity, however, the wind is also depicted as a source of life and renewal. The speaker notes that the wind “cleans and cleanses” and “makes the leaves shine.” This suggests that even though the wind can be destructive, it also has a positive and regenerative effect on the natural world.
The Wind
He steals the down from the honeybee,
He makes the forest trees rustle and sing,
He twirls my kite till it breaks its string.
Laughing, dancing, sunny wind,
Whistling, howling, rainy wind,
North, South, East and West,
Each is the wind I like the best.
He calls up the fog and hides the hills,
He whirls the wings of the great windmills,
The weathercocks love him and turn to discover
His whereabouts — but he’s gone, the rover!
Laughing, dancing, sunny wind,
Whistling, howling, rainy wind,
North, South, East and West,
Each is the wind I like the best.The pine trees toss him their cones with glee,
The flowers bend low in courtesy,
Each wave flings up a shower of pearls,
The flag in front of the school unfurls.
Laughing, dancing, sunny wind,
Whistling, howling, rainy wind,
North, South, East and West,
Each is the wind I like the best.
