The role of the poet in the Ode to the West WindThe poem “Ode to the West Wind” by PB Shelley is a “poem very stimulating” (Rajasekharuni.) which makes readers think about what makes life pleasant and unpleasant. The speaker of the poem says that the answer lies “in the attitude of the liver” (Rajasekharuni). As human beings, we find the cycle of the seasons natural, but we complain when we have to endure good times and bad. We do not see the course of the natural world in the same way that we see changes such as revolutions and wars. Figuratively, the poet indicates the attitudes of people who become depressed when they go through hardships, but they do not know that one enjoys happiness better after feeling sadness. Happiness is only a relative experience. PB Shelley treats the poem as an autobiographical note. His life was filled with hardship, but every time he fell, he emerged with a rejuvenated spirit. The poem allegorizes the poet's role as a voice of change and revolution. Shelley realizes that he cannot, in real life, rise to the height of imaginative perfection, which was his wish. Shelley does not wish to allow the reader to forget the atmosphere of the preceding stanzas and therefore continues to use the images of "the a wave, a leaf, [and] a cloud" (l. 48) which existed with the "wind" to exist now with the speaker. Shelley sees himself as one with the “wind.” He knows he can't do this because it's impossible for someone to ignore everything they've learned and enter a new world of innocence. It is noteworthy that the fourth stanza resembles a confession or prayer of the poet. This seems very impersonal because it is not addressed to God. This version of Shelley includes his "entrapment in life" (MacEachen.) and the way ... middle of paper ... the gigantic shadows that the future casts on the present; the words that express what they do not understand; the trumpets that sing in battle; and do not feel what they inspire; the influence which is not moved, but which moves. Poets are the unknown legislators of the world” (MacEachen.). References MacEachen, Dougald B. “CliffsNotes on Shelley's Poems. » Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2013. Print. Wikipedia. “Ode to the West Wind.” Wikipedia.org. 2014. N.pag. April 13, 2014. Wroe, Ann. “Part III: The Wind.” “Being Shelley: The Poet’s Search for Self.” London. Jonathan Cap. 2007. Pages 275-279. Print.Rajasekharuni, Padma. “What is the central idea of ​​“Ode to the West Wind”? Answers. 2014. April 13 2014.