A Wonderful & inspiring Quote by Ratan Tata....
" I don't Believe in taking right decisions...
I take decisions & then make them Right..."
So Always Believe in your Ability & Efforts...
Friday, July 23, 2010
Ode To The West Wind
A brief introduction to the Poem
This poem was written in the woods in Italy. The poet wrote it on a day when the stormy wind was collecting the vapours that send the autumnal rains. At sunset, as Shelley has foreseen, there was a violent tempest of hail and rain attended by an exceptional thunder of lightning.
This is one of Shelly’s greatest poems. It has been called the matchless ode.But the main difference in understanding arises from the abundance of similes and metaphors, which follow one another with an astonishing quickness. During the poem, Shelley passes from a magnificent realization of nature’s storm and place to equally great self description. Finally he mingles nature and himself together in order to sing for the golden age of mankind.
Summary
Stanza 1
The opening stanza describes the activities of the west wind on land.The poet addresses the wind as if it is a living personality who can hear him. He also personifies autumn and describes the west wind as the breath of autumn i.e. the west wind is the only present spirit of autumn. The wind is invisible but its power over the dead leaves can clearly be seen. When it blows, its force drives the withered and the decaying leaves lying on the ground in the same way as a magician drives away the ghosts. The withered leaves are described as yellow, black, pale and red (redness was due to the fever and decay). There are heaps and heaps of them and they all seem to be afflicted with some disease.
The west wind conveys the winged seeds to their dark wintery beds under the earth where they remained alive all-through the winter season, lifeless and unable to move and rise. Each seed will lie under the ground just as dead man lies in his grave. The seeds will continue to lie under the ground till the spring season comes with its light breezes and blue skies. It will blow its trumpet to awaken the sleeping earth. With the coming of spring, nature wakes up to a new life. Hence the poet imagines that the spring blows its trumpet in order to arise the earth. The poet here brings in another metaphor. Just as a shepherd takes his flock of sheep to the fields in order to graze or feed them. So the spring drives the buds out of the seeds, in which they were shut into the open air. With the coming of spring the buds and flowers begin to bloom and feed in the air just as sheep roam about and feed in the fields. Thus, the valleys and the hills are filled with buds and flowers of different colours and smells. The Wild West wind is blowing everywhere addressing it to as the destroyer (of the decaying leaves) and preserver (of living seeds), the poet calls upon it to listen to him.
Spring is regarded as the sister of autumn and of the west wind. But while autumn is dull and gloomy, spring is marked by light breeze and blue skies.
In the first stanza, Shelly uses all inverse similes. For example in this stanza the leaves which are visible are compared to the ghosts which are invisible.
Stanza 2
This stanza talks about the activities of the west wind in the air. The poet expects us to imagine that there is a huge tree whose roots are in the ocean and branches are up in the sky. From the branches of this tree, loose clouds fall. In the same way rotten leaves fall from an ordinary tree. These clouds fall on the surface of the west wind first, as rotten leaves of a tree fall on the earth. Further, these clouds fall when there is unrest or disturbance in the night sky i.e. when stormy conditions develop in the sky; these clouds are the messengers of rain and lightning. The picture of the clouds is followed by the picture of an approaching storm. The locks of this approaching storm are spread on the airy surface of the west wind like the bright sky had uplifted from the head of an intoxicated Maenad. The hair of the storm corners the surface of the west wind all the way from the horizon to the highest point in the sky. (What the poet means here, as his eyes travel from the horizon to the zenith, appearance of the sky indicates to him that a storm is getting ready to blow). Then the next picture follows. The west wind is like a funeral song being sung over the death of the year. In the darkness of the night a huge tomb will be erected over the dead body of the year.
The darkness of the night, which is spreading over the earth’s surface as the dome of that tomb. The collective strength of the clouds, leads to the west or the arched roof of that tomb. From the solid seeming vapours of the cloud in the sky will fall as rain, lightning and hailstorm. The poet once again calls upon the west wind to listen to him.
This entire stanza illustrates the abstract quality of Shelly’s poetry. All the pictures in the poem are vague and hazy.
Stanza 3
This stanza describes the effect of the west wind on the water. The west wind has, by its violence and fury, disturbed the Mediterranean in his sleep. During the summer the Mediterranean has been soothed by the pleasant sound of bright rivers which fell into its water and had gone to sleep near an island made up of lava in the Baie’s island, not far from Naples. In its dream he had seen the dreams of old places and tower slightly trembling in the bright and clear light of the ocean where moss and flowers of such overpowering sweetness grow that the very thought of them make us feel drowsy. Then following a description of the effect of the west wind on the Atlantic Ocean. When west wind blows on the Atlantic, its water is thrown into a state of agitation. Waves rise from one side and the other. Between these waves hollows are produced. Before the west wind blew, the surface of the Atlantic was absolutely leveled but now it seems that Atlantic has been divided into two halves to create a path on its surface for the west wind to blow over it. There are lots of plants growing at the bottom of the ocean. But they have no sap in them. When the west wind begins to blow on the Atlantic these plants become aware of its arrival. They begin to tremble with fear and, in this state of fear, they shed their leaves. (Just as in autumn, the trees shed their leaves; similarly the plants at the bottom of the ocean also shed their leaves. The approach of these winds is a sign for these plants to shed their leaves. Hence, the plants are imagined as feeling frightened/ petrified of the west wind.)
Both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are personified here. These personifications show the myth making power of Shelley.
Stanza 4
In this stanza the poet establishes a connection between himself and the wind. He wishes that he were a leaf, a cloud or a wave of the ocean, so that the west wind could carry him along. He feels a keen desire to taste the fierce strength of the west wind which is uncontrollably enjoying the freedom. The poet also has a sense of freedom, although he is not as free as the west wind. The poet recalls his boyhood when he could surpass the west wind in speed and when he could easily accompany it in its upward flight. If he still had the energy and the vitality, which he possessed as a boy, he would not have felt the need of seeking the help of the west wind in his present distress. But he has lost his youthful spirit and fire, he is in need of help. He appeals to the west wind to lift him as a leaf, a cloud or a wave because he has greatly suffered in life and under the weight of misfortunes, he feels almost crushed and incapacitated. Once he, too was wild, uncontrollable and rough like the west wind. But, now he feels bent and oppressed by the sorrows and misfortunes of life.
The stanza reveals Shelley’s sensitive nature and his feeling of helplessness in the face of trials and tribulations of life. It curtains the pathetic cry of the wounded heart. These are deeply personal lines which give us a deep insight, a glimpse of nature and temperament of Shelley.
Stanza 5
(Lines 57-70)
The poet appeals to the West Wind to treat him as its lyre just as it treats the forest.
The poet regards the forest as a stringed musical instrument on which the West Wind blows, producing harmonious sounds. He would like the West Wind to treat him also like a stringed musical instrument and blow on him.
True that he too is passing through the autumn of his life, just as the forest is passing through its autumn. The poet’s leaves are also falling like the leaves of the forest. He means that all his hopes and joys are gone and that his life has become grey, dull and barren.
When the West Wind strikes the strings of these two lyres (the forest and the poet), it will produce melancholy or sad sounds because both the forest and the poet being in the autumn of their lives will respond gloomily to the West Wind.
But, although these sounds will be sad, they will certainly be sweet.
(Sad songs are always sweet as Shelley tells us also in his poem Ode To A Skylark).
Shelley appeals to the West Wind to become his sprit because there is something common between them. The poet would like to become one with the West Wind. He seeks a union with the forceful or fierce spirit of the West Wind.
He asks the west wind to drive or scatter his dead thoughts over the universe so that they may stimulate the forces of progress and bring about a new era in human history.
His thoughts do not have their original fire but they are still capable of inspiring mankind. Just as the ashes and sparks fly in all directions from a hearth where the fire has not yet completely gone out, similarly the poet wants his words to be scattered far and wide by the force of the west wind and by the magic of his song.
He wishes the west wind to act as his mouthpiece for the utterance of his prophecy regarding the arrival of the Golden Age on earth.
Just as winter is surely followed in natural course by spring, similarly this era of misery and evil will surely be followed by an era of perfect happiness, love, and beauty.(These lines express Shelley’s bright optimism regarding the future of mankind and his belief in the Golden Age and in the perfectibility of human nature).
And, by the incantation of this verse…(lines 65-67) What Shelley means is that, just as a few sparks from a hearth may cause a fire somewhere , the magic of his words may bring about a revolution in the world. Shelley was a revolutionary. He was keenly dissatisfied with the existing modes of life, conventions and institutions. He wanted that a revolution should sweep away old ways of life and bring about a changed outlook.
unawakened earth(line 68)-earth which is still unregenerate; earth which is still buried beneath old conventions, old habits of thought, and old institutions.
The trumpet of a prophecy-The poet asks the West Wind to act as an announcer. Just as a trumpet is blown when a proclamation is made, similarly the West Wind will act as a trumpet because he has a prophecy to make.
If Winter comes, can spring be far behind? Winter in England is a period of great distress because of the intensity of cold. Winter therefore symbolizes a period of hardships and difficulties.
Spring, on the other hand, is a season of joy and re-birth in Nature. Winter must always be followed by spring. Similarly this period of misery, suffering, and evil will surely come to end and the Golden Age will commence. During the Golden Age, Beauty and Love will reign over the earth. There will neither be evil nor injustice nor suffering among human beings. (This is a famous line and is often quoted. It shows Shelley as an idealist, as a believer in the eventual triumph of the forces of good over the forces of evil)
This poem was written in the woods in Italy. The poet wrote it on a day when the stormy wind was collecting the vapours that send the autumnal rains. At sunset, as Shelley has foreseen, there was a violent tempest of hail and rain attended by an exceptional thunder of lightning.
This is one of Shelly’s greatest poems. It has been called the matchless ode.But the main difference in understanding arises from the abundance of similes and metaphors, which follow one another with an astonishing quickness. During the poem, Shelley passes from a magnificent realization of nature’s storm and place to equally great self description. Finally he mingles nature and himself together in order to sing for the golden age of mankind.
Summary
Stanza 1
The opening stanza describes the activities of the west wind on land.The poet addresses the wind as if it is a living personality who can hear him. He also personifies autumn and describes the west wind as the breath of autumn i.e. the west wind is the only present spirit of autumn. The wind is invisible but its power over the dead leaves can clearly be seen. When it blows, its force drives the withered and the decaying leaves lying on the ground in the same way as a magician drives away the ghosts. The withered leaves are described as yellow, black, pale and red (redness was due to the fever and decay). There are heaps and heaps of them and they all seem to be afflicted with some disease.
The west wind conveys the winged seeds to their dark wintery beds under the earth where they remained alive all-through the winter season, lifeless and unable to move and rise. Each seed will lie under the ground just as dead man lies in his grave. The seeds will continue to lie under the ground till the spring season comes with its light breezes and blue skies. It will blow its trumpet to awaken the sleeping earth. With the coming of spring, nature wakes up to a new life. Hence the poet imagines that the spring blows its trumpet in order to arise the earth. The poet here brings in another metaphor. Just as a shepherd takes his flock of sheep to the fields in order to graze or feed them. So the spring drives the buds out of the seeds, in which they were shut into the open air. With the coming of spring the buds and flowers begin to bloom and feed in the air just as sheep roam about and feed in the fields. Thus, the valleys and the hills are filled with buds and flowers of different colours and smells. The Wild West wind is blowing everywhere addressing it to as the destroyer (of the decaying leaves) and preserver (of living seeds), the poet calls upon it to listen to him.
Spring is regarded as the sister of autumn and of the west wind. But while autumn is dull and gloomy, spring is marked by light breeze and blue skies.
In the first stanza, Shelly uses all inverse similes. For example in this stanza the leaves which are visible are compared to the ghosts which are invisible.
Stanza 2
This stanza talks about the activities of the west wind in the air. The poet expects us to imagine that there is a huge tree whose roots are in the ocean and branches are up in the sky. From the branches of this tree, loose clouds fall. In the same way rotten leaves fall from an ordinary tree. These clouds fall on the surface of the west wind first, as rotten leaves of a tree fall on the earth. Further, these clouds fall when there is unrest or disturbance in the night sky i.e. when stormy conditions develop in the sky; these clouds are the messengers of rain and lightning. The picture of the clouds is followed by the picture of an approaching storm. The locks of this approaching storm are spread on the airy surface of the west wind like the bright sky had uplifted from the head of an intoxicated Maenad. The hair of the storm corners the surface of the west wind all the way from the horizon to the highest point in the sky. (What the poet means here, as his eyes travel from the horizon to the zenith, appearance of the sky indicates to him that a storm is getting ready to blow). Then the next picture follows. The west wind is like a funeral song being sung over the death of the year. In the darkness of the night a huge tomb will be erected over the dead body of the year.
The darkness of the night, which is spreading over the earth’s surface as the dome of that tomb. The collective strength of the clouds, leads to the west or the arched roof of that tomb. From the solid seeming vapours of the cloud in the sky will fall as rain, lightning and hailstorm. The poet once again calls upon the west wind to listen to him.
This entire stanza illustrates the abstract quality of Shelly’s poetry. All the pictures in the poem are vague and hazy.
Stanza 3
This stanza describes the effect of the west wind on the water. The west wind has, by its violence and fury, disturbed the Mediterranean in his sleep. During the summer the Mediterranean has been soothed by the pleasant sound of bright rivers which fell into its water and had gone to sleep near an island made up of lava in the Baie’s island, not far from Naples. In its dream he had seen the dreams of old places and tower slightly trembling in the bright and clear light of the ocean where moss and flowers of such overpowering sweetness grow that the very thought of them make us feel drowsy. Then following a description of the effect of the west wind on the Atlantic Ocean. When west wind blows on the Atlantic, its water is thrown into a state of agitation. Waves rise from one side and the other. Between these waves hollows are produced. Before the west wind blew, the surface of the Atlantic was absolutely leveled but now it seems that Atlantic has been divided into two halves to create a path on its surface for the west wind to blow over it. There are lots of plants growing at the bottom of the ocean. But they have no sap in them. When the west wind begins to blow on the Atlantic these plants become aware of its arrival. They begin to tremble with fear and, in this state of fear, they shed their leaves. (Just as in autumn, the trees shed their leaves; similarly the plants at the bottom of the ocean also shed their leaves. The approach of these winds is a sign for these plants to shed their leaves. Hence, the plants are imagined as feeling frightened/ petrified of the west wind.)
Both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are personified here. These personifications show the myth making power of Shelley.
Stanza 4
In this stanza the poet establishes a connection between himself and the wind. He wishes that he were a leaf, a cloud or a wave of the ocean, so that the west wind could carry him along. He feels a keen desire to taste the fierce strength of the west wind which is uncontrollably enjoying the freedom. The poet also has a sense of freedom, although he is not as free as the west wind. The poet recalls his boyhood when he could surpass the west wind in speed and when he could easily accompany it in its upward flight. If he still had the energy and the vitality, which he possessed as a boy, he would not have felt the need of seeking the help of the west wind in his present distress. But he has lost his youthful spirit and fire, he is in need of help. He appeals to the west wind to lift him as a leaf, a cloud or a wave because he has greatly suffered in life and under the weight of misfortunes, he feels almost crushed and incapacitated. Once he, too was wild, uncontrollable and rough like the west wind. But, now he feels bent and oppressed by the sorrows and misfortunes of life.
The stanza reveals Shelley’s sensitive nature and his feeling of helplessness in the face of trials and tribulations of life. It curtains the pathetic cry of the wounded heart. These are deeply personal lines which give us a deep insight, a glimpse of nature and temperament of Shelley.
Stanza 5
(Lines 57-70)
The poet appeals to the West Wind to treat him as its lyre just as it treats the forest.
The poet regards the forest as a stringed musical instrument on which the West Wind blows, producing harmonious sounds. He would like the West Wind to treat him also like a stringed musical instrument and blow on him.
True that he too is passing through the autumn of his life, just as the forest is passing through its autumn. The poet’s leaves are also falling like the leaves of the forest. He means that all his hopes and joys are gone and that his life has become grey, dull and barren.
When the West Wind strikes the strings of these two lyres (the forest and the poet), it will produce melancholy or sad sounds because both the forest and the poet being in the autumn of their lives will respond gloomily to the West Wind.
But, although these sounds will be sad, they will certainly be sweet.
(Sad songs are always sweet as Shelley tells us also in his poem Ode To A Skylark).
Shelley appeals to the West Wind to become his sprit because there is something common between them. The poet would like to become one with the West Wind. He seeks a union with the forceful or fierce spirit of the West Wind.
He asks the west wind to drive or scatter his dead thoughts over the universe so that they may stimulate the forces of progress and bring about a new era in human history.
His thoughts do not have their original fire but they are still capable of inspiring mankind. Just as the ashes and sparks fly in all directions from a hearth where the fire has not yet completely gone out, similarly the poet wants his words to be scattered far and wide by the force of the west wind and by the magic of his song.
He wishes the west wind to act as his mouthpiece for the utterance of his prophecy regarding the arrival of the Golden Age on earth.
Just as winter is surely followed in natural course by spring, similarly this era of misery and evil will surely be followed by an era of perfect happiness, love, and beauty.(These lines express Shelley’s bright optimism regarding the future of mankind and his belief in the Golden Age and in the perfectibility of human nature).
And, by the incantation of this verse…(lines 65-67) What Shelley means is that, just as a few sparks from a hearth may cause a fire somewhere , the magic of his words may bring about a revolution in the world. Shelley was a revolutionary. He was keenly dissatisfied with the existing modes of life, conventions and institutions. He wanted that a revolution should sweep away old ways of life and bring about a changed outlook.
unawakened earth(line 68)-earth which is still unregenerate; earth which is still buried beneath old conventions, old habits of thought, and old institutions.
The trumpet of a prophecy-The poet asks the West Wind to act as an announcer. Just as a trumpet is blown when a proclamation is made, similarly the West Wind will act as a trumpet because he has a prophecy to make.
If Winter comes, can spring be far behind? Winter in England is a period of great distress because of the intensity of cold. Winter therefore symbolizes a period of hardships and difficulties.
Spring, on the other hand, is a season of joy and re-birth in Nature. Winter must always be followed by spring. Similarly this period of misery, suffering, and evil will surely come to end and the Golden Age will commence. During the Golden Age, Beauty and Love will reign over the earth. There will neither be evil nor injustice nor suffering among human beings. (This is a famous line and is often quoted. It shows Shelley as an idealist, as a believer in the eventual triumph of the forces of good over the forces of evil)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Let's Do Some Thinking
7 Tips to be HAPPY in life
*Never Be late,
*Don't cheat,
*Live simple,
*Expect Little,
*Work More,
*Always Smile,
*Never Break Good Relations...
...Cheerio...
*Never Be late,
*Don't cheat,
*Live simple,
*Expect Little,
*Work More,
*Always Smile,
*Never Break Good Relations...
...Cheerio...
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