QUESTION:

Explain the following lines with reference to the Context:

The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
ANSWER:
Reference:
The given lines occur in the poem ‘’Ode to the West Wind’’ written by ‘’Percy Bysshe Shelley”.
Context:
‘Ode to the West Wind’ which was written in 1819. It is a lyric poem shows the force of nature
in poetry. The poet describes the west wind's actions on the ground, at sea, and in the sky. He
also expresses his "envy for the west wind's infinite freedom, and his desire to be free like the
wind and spread his words among mankind." Shelley portrays the West Wind as both a creative
and destructive force in this poem. It is a symbol of positive change, according to Shelley. It
washes away all that is dead and useless, signaling the start of a new life. In some ways, it
signals the end of falling monarchs and fading autocracies. Winter, according to the poet,
cannot last much longer. Every winter is followed by the arrival of spring.
Explanation:
Shelley is expressing that the wind's movement and freedom bring with them a sense of
boundless freedom. As the seasons shift from winter to spring, he hopes that his measure as a
poet and thinker will shift as well, and the trumpet represents the natural progression from
destruction to creation. The “death” that occurs in winter is habitually followed by a “new life”
every spring. The cycle of the seasons that he sees occurring around him gives hope that his
works might share the fate of other objects in nature; they may be unheeded for a time, but
one day they will have great impact on humankind The word "hope" and "optimism" come to
mind. Shelley seemed to be implying that the wind conveys the hope of something better to
come. When one feels the wind in the winter, for example, it is a sign that spring is
approaching. With this wind, there is a sense of limitless possibilities, and the "trumpet" that
sounds imply that while things may be unpleasant or awful, something else may lie ahead that
is hopeful and optimistic. He ends the poem by implying that the "trumpet of a prophesy" is
the wind, and that it is a sign of change, growth, and evolution.

Rhyme scheme:
EE.
Rhythm:
Iambic pentameter.