Comparison Between Wind and Other Poem
Compare how Wind and one other poem present weakness and strength. The weaknesses and strengths in ‘Wind’ are attempts to portray the diversity of nature and the ongoing sense that nature has by using the present tense. Hughes switches from hard sounds, ‘bang and vanish with a flap’ and ‘black back gull bent like an iron bar’ representing the hard assonance and from this referring back to the harsh storm.
However the use of colour in descriptions could symbolize both a negative and a positive, for example, ‘orange sky’ representing the warm colours of summer, also ‘green goblet’ could seem to be related to jealousy however could also be referred to as bright and a symbolic image of summer and the bright colours, linking to the ‘orange sky’. The diversity in ‘below the green corrie’ in terms of portraying weakness and strengths are highlighted through the man and his relationship with nature, it shows the weakness of the writer in terms of competing with nature.
In my opinion I believe that not only the writer portrays himself to be the weaker opposition but also can portray the ‘bandit’ like and the ‘swashbuckling’ mountains to eventually be seen as the weaker opponent to another side of nature. For example, ‘a sunshaft had pierced the clouds and their leader’ could represent the light controlling the intimidating mountains and almost converting it to something more hopeful and positive.
This could be the sun, the main character in nature, controlling them without choice, this takes away the sense of fear and the negativity of the ‘bandits’ and creates a positive image. Both ‘Wind’ and ‘Below the Green Corrie’ clearly share the same structure in terms of the negative openings to each poem. They both clearly and dynamically highlight the dangerousness of the situations automatically. MacCaig begins with a negative image of ‘the mountains gathered round me like bandits’ which really presents the fearful situation. In contrast to this ‘Wind’ also presents this.
Hughes immediately beings with a metaphor, ‘This house has been far out at sea all night’ comparing the house to a boat, ‘at sea’ (isolated), this really emphasises the danger. They both begin presenting their negative images, those that seem to place both in a vulnerable position. ’ The mountains gathered round me’ show the vulnerability of the character, contrasting that ‘this house has been far out at sea’ also shows this, the use of ‘at sea’ creates an image of isolation, placing the so called house in a vulnerable position also.
