In ‘The Storm-Wind’, written by William Barnes, the speaker contrasts safety and security with

chaos and disorder. This is done through the images of nature and the home. Upon further
reflection, it is clear that with this poem, Barnes was conveying the importance of human
resilience and patience in the face of life’s hardships. Barnes uses the extended metaphor of the
wind to evoke this world of stormy chaos.
In the first stanza of the poem, Barnes portrays the wind as causing destruction and fear on the
natural world. The first line immediately bombards the reader with an image of a river nearly
overflowing and running rapidly, while the winds blow strongly over the earth. The image
conveyed here is one of chaos and danger. The sibilance in ‘swift..swollen...rushes...alders’ in
the first two lines evoke the gushing sounds of the win, highlighting the chaotic world of the
poem. The assonance of the mournful, groaning ‘o’ sound in the first line evokes a sense of
suffering felt by the elements of nature. The imbalance of power here clearly shows the strength
and might of the wind. This is carried through in the alliteration of the ‘w’ in the third line, as it
conveys a tone of wonder. The power of the storm is destructive, yet seems to be fascinating.
Here, it is implied that the speaker, while acknowledging the power of the storm, does not feel
entirely overpowered. The stanza then continues with the ‘leaf’ and ‘weeds quivering’ as well as
the ‘willow tree writhing’. Trees are often symbolic of strength and longevity, thus suggesting
that the wind is not only capable to causing fear in the lesser, more fragile elements of nature but
also those thought to be significant and prevailing. Therefore, the first stanza clearly introduces
the wind as a reigning power over all other aspects of nature.
The second stanza continues with the portrayal of the wind as being all powerful. But here, the
focus shifts to the effect of the wind of humankind. The stanza begins with a man ‘staggering’ as
he tries to hold on to his hat ‘by the brim’. The image conveyed here clearly continues the idea
of the wind causing disruption to normalcy in lie. The alliteration of ‘h’ in this line evokes the
heaviness and weight of the wind on this man. Furthermore, the repetition of the word ‘brim’
from the previous stanza is significant as it connotes the concept of a boundary or limit. The
immense power of the wind in this poem is thus implied to be pushing the boundaries of nature
and mankind, as they struggle to maintain control. The stanza then continues with an image of
‘the girl’ whose hair is ‘outfly’ as she tries to keep herself steady as well. The girl, much like the
leaf, is meant to symbolize fragility and harmlessness. The wind, however, is ruthless as it
affects all. Birds are often symbolic of peace and the image conveyed in the final line of one
‘dipping his head’ further emphasizes the ruthless portrayal of the wind. The repetition of
‘quivering’ in the first two stanzas also convey this idea. Thus, the second stanza continues
evoking the vast power of the wind.
The third stanza, however, provides a contrast to the first two stanzas as the setting shifts to the
speaker’s house. The change to first person pronoun brings the poem to a more personal,
intimate level. The speaker’s house is out of the path of the storm and here there is comfort and
safety. The metaphor of the ‘winds dying’ suggests that while powerful, they are not eternal.
The lightness of the setting, conveyed through the metaphor of the ‘light swimming airs’ eases
the effect of the storm. The light in the speaker’s home is not heavy and not chaotic. The
sibilance in this stanza, heard through the lines ‘swimming airs…so soft…’ is gentle and light, a
stark contrast to the harsh gushing sounds of the storm in the earlier stanzas. The silence of this
setting is enhanced by the image of the ‘still cradle’ as it remains unaffected by the wind. The
juxtaposition of the stanza with the first two stanzas thus presents the theme of this poem, the
presence of safety and security in a world of chaos and disorder. It is then clear to the reader that
with this final stanza, Barnes was using the wind as a metaphor for the challenges in life and the
hardships we will inevitably face. The contrast of a peaceful and safe home then further conveys
the intent of this poem, how to survive the difficulties in life, we must retreat to where we feel
safest and most comforted, that is, the home. Hence, the metaphorical ‘winds dying’ here
conveys the importance of being patient and resilient as the challenges one faces will tide over
eventually.
The poem is written in three sestets. The rhyme scheme is ABABCC, with the first four lines as
alternate rhyme while the final two lines of each stanza rhyming. There is a range in meter for
this poem, from iambic to anapestic, while some lines are pentameter and some trimeter. The
most common, however, is the anapestic trimeter. The effect of this structure and form is that is
conveys a hurried, but orderly sound that reflects the meaning of the poem, how one can find
peace and comfort in a chaotic, terrifying world.
To conclude, Barnes’ poem presents the wind as an intensely powerful one that runs dominant
over both the human and natural world. However, one can build a safe space to out-wait the
storm. Thus, it is clear to the reader that the metaphor here is meant to show the importance of
resilience and patience, to seek comfort in life’s hardships as they eventually end.