Page "Ode to the West Wind" Paragraph 5

The first stanza begins with the alliteration ‘ wild West Wind ’( 1. 1 ).

The form of the apostrophe makes the wind also a personification.

However, one must not think of this ‘ Ode ’ as an optimistic praise of the wind ; it is clearly associated with autumn.

The first few lines contain sinister elements, such as ‘ leaves dead ’ ( l. 2 ), the aspect of death being highlighted by the inversion which puts ‘ dead ’ ( l. 2 ) at the end of the line.

These leaves haunt as ‘ ghosts ’ ( l. 3 ) that flee from something that panics them.