Wind (Ted Hughes poem) Essay Questions

How is the wind used to symbolize an intimate conflict between two people?

When a second figure is subtly introduced in stanza five, the wind's symbolism becomes twofold: it represents the extent of nature's unrestrained power over man and the turmoil of two people in conflict who feel powerless to control the destruction they've wrought upon themselves. The speaker's inability to combat the forces raging around him, to defend his home against destruction, and to protect his companion echo his inability to communicate with the second figure. The wind's catastrophic force parallels the emotions the poem's figures must feel: confined, angry, trapped in the eye of some malevolent, psychological storm. The final stanza's passivity speaks to the characters' exhaustion, complacency, and hopelessness in their relationship: they linger, allowing the storm to keep raging, waiting for the last blow.

What is the significance of the natural world in "Wind"?

Analyzing Hughes' use of the natural world is essential to grasping the deeper conceptual and symbolic dimensions of "Wind." First, the poem finds its setting in the natural world: its action takes place in an isolated house on a hill, against a pastoral landscape. Then, the poem's symbolism is rooted in natural phenomena. The conceptual similarities between a powerful wind and intense emotional experiences make the wind a perfect analog to the interpersonal conflict between the speaker and the second figure. We may also situate Hughes and "Wind" among other poets who found inspiration in the atmosphere, animal life, and mythological significance of the natural world in their poems, such as Coleridge and Shakespeare.