Nature as a Source of Hope

This constructiveness could sometimes be in terms of the effects on nature. Percy Bysshe Shelly in his poem “Ode to the West Wind” has tied his hope to the effects of the West Wind on such things as leaves. He evaluates the positive side of both the presence and the absence of the West Wind. This wind is said to manifest its power through such aspects as a thunderstorm, unleashing waves in the Mediterranean Sea, driving away dead leaves of autumn, and scattering of plant seeds. Samuel Taylor Coleridge has also explored the concept of hope in his poem “Frost at Midnight. As for Coleridge’s poem, the frost is said to carry its secret mission without the help of any wind.

“The Frost performs its secret ministry, Unhelped by any wind” (1-2). The secret mission referred to in this case is that of freezing things at night when everyone is asleep. Shelley’s poem, on the other hand, perceives the West Wind as having the sole control over certain activities in the surrounding; these include the waves in the Mediterranean Sea, the sweeping away of autumn leaves, and the occurrence of thunderstorms. The poem, in this case, focuses on the West Wind and not any other type of wind in its quest to explore the aforementioned activities in the surrounding. Another similarity that is notable in both poems is the fact that the supernatural forces as part of nature come into play in determining the hope that both the speakers acquire.

The speaker in the “Frost at Midnight” hopes that his son will come to perceive God as a reflection of nature. This way, he would be able to understand the role of nature in virtually every activity that people carry out. He says, “Himself in all, and all things in Himself” (63). This stanza depicts the fact that he has a higher opinion of God in that He has control over everything. On the other hand, the speaker in the poem “Frost at Midnight” does not look to the West Winds but rather the frost as his source of inspiration. He believes that a connection between his son and the frost will enable him to find joy at all times including winter.

The other difference stems from the kind of hope that is presented in each poem. Shelley’s poem presents the inspiration that even the worst ideas that one has can be essential to other people. The speaker alludes this hope to the usefulness of dead leaves to other plants as manure. He says, “But thou, my babe! Shalt wander like a breeze” (55). As for the other poem “Ode to the West Wind”, the speaker actually feels like he is part of nature. He senses a connection between his ideas and the autumn dead leaves. He also calls for the wind to influence him in the way it did to the laves and clouds hence signifying the close connection between him and the wind.

Lastly, the persons to which the hope is directed create another disparity between the two poems. As for Shelley’s work, the speaker sees that the ability to spread his thoughts, like the West Wind sweeping away autumn leaves, as the main way of instilling ideals in the society. The similarities between the two works emanate from the way in which they both tie the aspect of hope to the surrounding and the extent to which they perceive the aspects of nature to be in control of activities. The two works, however, differ in some ways. Whereas Coleridge’s work looks to frost to explain his source of inspiration, Shelley’s work considers the West Wind. In addition, the kind of hope presented differ from poem to poem.