Wind (Allegory)
The wind might be viewed as an allegory for an experience of faith in the divine—although it cannot be seen, one must draw their belief in the wind from indirect evidence. Furthermore, the wind can be read explicitly as the presence of the divine. Whether it is the Holy Spirt or one of the Greek wind gods, such as the Zephyr, wind often acts as a divine afflatus, inspiring people to experience particular feelings and causing various events. Here, the wind manifests onto the trees the divine’s sublime power.
The sublime-Motif
The sublime occurs as a motif in this poem, alluded to by the personification of the leaves as "trembling" and as the trees "bowing." Here, Rossetti employs a particular type of personification called “anthropomorphism,” where the trees actually take on human qualities. Thus, one looks to the trees trembling before the wind and sees a reflection of the speaker’s own awe, terror, and joy at the beauty of the wind’s power.
