WIND- Ted Hughes

In this poem, Hughes draws a sharp contrast between the sheer intensity and uncontrollable strength if the wind in a storm as opposed to the vulnerability and fragility of man.

The poet starts by describing a tremendous gale striking a desolated moorland house and its inhabitants. "The house has been far out at sea all night." By using this metaphor he compares the house to a boat at sea. The house faces wave upon wave of inexhaustible pounding from the wind, as a boat would be in an enraged sea. By using words like "crashing", "booming", "stampeding" and "floundering" to show the intensity of the wind. He said the wind could be heard "stampeding the fields under the window" - this personification helps us imagine a herd of animals stampeding noisily out of a forest to avoid danger. At some point the images suggest that the wind is an enormous and powerful beast - "Floundering back astride" and "flexing like the lens of a mad eye".

English: Modern wind energy plant in rural scenery...

A portrait of Ted hughes by Rob Lycett. Date: Marc...

English: Painting on Canvas

This simile continues to emphasize the image of the wind as a wild beast.

At noon the poet "scaled along the house side". In this metaphor the word "scaled" represents the house as if it were a dangerous mountain. The wind is leaving a frightening effect on nature itself let alone on the poor persona. The brunt wind "dented the balls of my eyes" - a metaphor which brings out the continuation of the image of the wind as a warrior. We imagine the wind as if it were a human being with a spear in hand with which he is piercing and harming the persona's eyes. Also the harsh consonant sounds bring out the strength of the wind. The metaphor "the tents of the hills drummed and strained its...