Imagery

To better understand a poem, you should always try to identify the figures of speech and the literary devices employed by the author. Here, we will briefly discuss the figures of speech employed by Shelley in “Ode to the West Wind”-

Similes and comparisons

The first simile encountered in the poem is that of leaves being associated with ghosts: “like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing” (l. 3). Then, seeds are associated with corpses: “each like a corpse” (l. 8) or with flocks of sheep: “sweet buds like flocks” (l. 11). Clouds are “like earth’s decaying leaves” (l. 16) – a simile which is also a metaphor. Similes are also employed when the poet describes himself in relation to the wind: “logy me as a wave” (l. 53), “even as the forest is” (l. 57). Finally, the poet’s thoughts are associated with leaves: “like wither’d leaves to quicken a new birth” (l. 64). Can you find some other comparisons in the poem?

Alliteration and assonance

By alliteration, we understan...