Literary Analysis Of The Poem Wind By Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes’ poem ‘Wind,’ uses literary techniques to convey the fear of the main character. The reader is able to identify with the image of a house stuck on a moor and the couple inside trapped by the fierce winds. Hughes has used a number of techniques that make it easier to read and understand, thus allowing the reader to feel sympathy for the main character.

The poem is about a pair of people trapped inside of their home by the terrifying storms that live outside. The poet uses figurative language to make the scene seem alive. This allows the reader see the landscape as being terrified by nature. The poet asks us if we’re important, and he emphasizes nature’s importance and how it evokes fear in all of us. Hughes begins ‘Wind,’ by presenting a metaphorical image of a floating house on the ocean for the entire night. Fear is one of the major themes in this poem and the reader doesn’t know it yet. The poet quickly gives us an idea of the couple’s fear by saying: “This House has been out at Sea all Night.” Because the reader does not know what the central meaning of this poem is, they are thinking many things. Hughes did this to encourage you to read further because our instinctive response is: “What house?” Is the house really on water? Is it there still? Hughes is using a very clever analogy to compare the house’s location to that of a boat tossed about by the wind and waves for a whole night. Both create a feeling of isolation for the reader, which increases the fear felt by the couple and reader. This is a very strong metaphor. It’s easy to understand because the words’sea,’ and at night’ make us feel like the elements are torturing and dominating the house as well as the couple. When you continue reading, the first line becomes more clear. The couple is going to get worse, and the larger picture, the life outside the poem, is the same. The midpoint of this poem is when most people think it’s safe to go outside since it’s now light and noon. But the couple quickly discovers that the dangers of their surroundings are waiting for them. This stanza is full of personal pronouns, such as ‘I and my’. It makes it seem more real to the reader. In this line, the poet uses harsh words to describe the wind. Obviously the material of his eyes is not being physically squished but the hyperbole helps us imagine the feeling. When used in conjunction with the word balls, the word brunt is used as a way to describe how sharp the pain is from the wind. The comparison is that the wind can stab someone’s eye with ease, just like a knife. The wind is a very natural element and they do not give a second thought to humans. The metaphor is a distressing one for the reader because they can feel that their eyes are being squeezed.

In the fourth stanza there is a slight change in mood and the surroundings become more frightening and threatening. Hughes creates a frightening environment by using personification. This is something that seems impossible at this stage. He explains that the wind has a negative impact on the environment when he states: “The fields are quivering and the skyline is grimacing”. We also learn that the couple’s internal damage is not the first. Because wind is created naturally, it would seem that fields, skies e.t.c. are also safe. Fields and skies were certainly invisible to the wind, which allowed it to pass through them briefly to destroy something else. But ‘grimacing,’ ‘quivering,’ and other words like that tell us the exact opposite. ‘Fields quivering,’ however, creates a picture of grasses and wheat being violently shaken. This phrase is also used in the context of a reader shivering out of fear and anxiety. The skyline can’t be shown grimacing because that’s not logical. This gives us the impression that the horizons also show trepidation, just like the humans. The natural elements will always be more important to us than the human beings. It could also work on a more profound level, making the reader wonder – What if? – i.e. The world would be in flames if it disappeared. Would nature even help us or would we just give up?

The poem ends with a further exploration of the unease and fear caused. Hughes, through the use of a variety of techniques, has helped us visualize the distress of the humans. His use of the personification technique makes us believe the environment to be ‘alive’. In fact, we feel that it is more alive than any human being. Fear can be seen in all objects, whether they are alive or dead, and is crying out for readers to recognize it. Hughes’ description of the hillside that has been there for years is the most evocative example. “Hearing stones cry out under the horizons”, he writes. It is a sign of surrender to the wind that enjambment has not been used. The poet and the rest of humanity have nowhere to hide, so they are forced to wait, bored, scared, and isolated while the storm passes. The last sentence informs that’stones scream’, which is obviously an impossible statement and a personification. When he says ‘horizons,’ it makes us think that the poet has heard the cry in the distance or even at night. It is evident that he only hears the storm and sounds, which almost sound like stones are crying for help. The reader is reminded of ghostly noises and wind howlings by the use of a ‘h.’ This also connotes to the whining sounds of people afraid of the unknown. The stones, despite the fact that the couple sits helplessly in the stone, seem to be jealous of them, and their protection, even if it is minimal. The onomatopoeia language used throughout the poem reminds us of the central message of the poem – the insignificance of man in front of nature.

One might even argue that in today’s fast-paced world, where everything, including personal narratives and experiences, can be commodified – with even college essays for sale – Hughes’ poem serves as a reminder of the unyielding power of nature. It stands as an emblem of the things we cannot control, buy, or sell. The vastness of the environment, the howling wind, and the crying stones highlight the minute existence of mankind, making our attempts to commodify experiences seem trivial in comparison.

Hughes, in his conclusion of the poem has brought to our attention the emotions that have been portrayed through the poem. Hughes employs a number of literary techniques to further the message in the poem. Fear is one of many emotions that are depicted by the poet. This is because the techniques are used. The fear of the couple is revealed to the readers and leaves a bad impression of the couple.