Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day
by Anne Bronte
The Poem:
"My soul is awakened, my spirit is soring
And carried aloft on the wings of the breeze;
Around me the wild wind is roaring,
Arousing to rapture earth and the seas.
The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing
The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;
The dead leaves, beneath them, are merrily dancing
The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky.
I wish I could see how the ocean is lashing
The foam of its billows to whirlwinds of spray;
I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing,
And hear the wild roar of their thunder today!"
The Summary of the Poem:
In this poem, Anne Bronte describes the effect the wind has on her, the Earth and the ocean. In the first stanza, the poet has described the effect of the air on her. Her soul has aroused getting the touch of wind. Her spirit is flying and carried high on the wings of the breeze. The wild wind is roaring around her and wrapping the earth with pleasure and happiness.
The long dry grass is shining in the sunshine. The bare trees are tossing their head high in the sky. The dead leaves are merrily dancing under the trees. The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky.
In the last stanza, the poet wishes to see the ocean hitting its foam in the waves in the whirlwind. She also wishes to see the waves dashing against the shore. She wants to hear the thundering roar of the waves of the ocean.
Making Connections
1. Choose the correct answer.
a. The poem is set
i. in a wood. [✓]
ii. at the seashore. [ ]
iii. in a market. [ ]
b. In this poem Anne Bronte describes the effect
i. the wind has on her, the Earth and the ocean. [✓]
ii. she has on the ocean, the Earth and the wind. [ ]
iii. the ocean has on her, the Earth and the wind. [ ]
c. The pattern of the rhyme scheme is
i. abac. [ ]
ii. abab. [✓]
iii. abba. [ ]
2. Read these lines and answer the questions that follow.
a. "My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring
And carried aloft on the wings of breeze;"
i. What causes the poet to feel joyful?
= The effect the wind has on the poet causes her to feel joyful.
ii. What, according to the poet, is carried with the breeze?
= According to the poet, her soul is carried with the breeze.
iii. What does the poet mean by 'soul is awakened'?
= The poet is in a joyful mode. Her soul has aroused getting the touch of wind. She has her heart filled with happiness and pleasure.
b. "The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing
The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;"
i. Explain 'the long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing'.
= The long dry grass is shining in the sunshine. The wind has made them lively. They are no more looking dead and decaying.
ii. Which season of the year is it? How do you know?
= It is the season of autumn. Because we can see that the grass is dry and the trees have shed their leaves. The dry leaves have fallen down on the ground, under the trees.
iii. Why are the trees 'tossing their branches'?
= The trees are without any leave. They were standing sad and monotonous. The wind has broken the silence and they are tossing their branches in happiness.
c. "I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing,
And hear the wild roar of their thunder today!"
i. What does the poet want to see?
= The poet wishes to see the ocean hitting its foam in the waves in the whirlwind. She also wishes to see the waves dashing against the shore.
ii. Why are the waves called proud?
= The ocean is having high waves in the wind. They are dashing against the shore with their foam. The high waves have their own vigour and beauty. They are proud of them.
iii. Give an example of personification from the lines above.
= In the above lines, the waves have been personified as they are described as 'proud'.
3. Describe the 'rapture' of the earth.
= In this poem, Anne Bronte describes the effect the wind has on her, the Earth and the ocean. The wild wind is roaring around her and wrapping the earth with pleasure and happiness.
The long dry grass is shining in the sunshine. The bare trees are tossing their head high in the sky. The dead leaves are merrily dancing under the trees. The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky.
4. What sounds are mentioned in the poem?
= The sounds those are mentioned in the poem, are - the roaring of the wild wind; and the thundering roar of the waves of the ocean.
5. Which words and phrases evoke the turbulence of the ocean?
= The words and phrases which evoke the turbulence of the ocean, are - lashing; foam of its billows; whirlwinds of spray; proud waves are dashing; wild roar of their thunder.
6. If you had to give an alternative title for the poem, what would it be? Give reasons for your answer.
= If I had to give an alternative title for the poem, I would have been - Sequel of the Serene Breeze.
In this poem, the effect of the wind on the poet, the earth, and the ocean - has been picturized. The heart of the poet has been filled with joy and pleasure. The nature and the ocean has been effected by the wind. All these are the result of the wind. So, I think this would be the another title of the poem.
7. Give examples to show how the poet's mood is reflected in nature.
= The poet in in a joyful mood. Her soul and spirit is happy and being carried away in the current of the breeze. The wind around her makes her cheerful. She is excited to describe the effect of the wind on the grass and the trees. She can see the dry grass shining, the trees tossing their branches, and the dead leaves dancing.
All those dull and absurd things appear lively and beautiful to the poet as she has a happy mood. She is very excited to see the waves of the ocean and their roaring as they dash against the shore. It is the poet's joyful mood which has been reflected in her description of the nature and the ocean.
About the Poet: Anne Bronte (1820 - 1849) was the youngest of the three Bronte sisters who were writers. Anne was educated at home by her aunt till the age of fifteen, when she joined school.
Her elder sisters were Charlotte, who wrote Jane Eyre, and Emily, who wrote Wuthering Heights. Anne's first published book was a collection of poems which contained poems by all three sisters. The collection, called Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, was published in 1846.