Western Wind

“Western Wind” (the more modern spelling of “Westron Wynde”) is an English medieval poem written sometime between the 1300s and 1600s. The exact date of composition is unknown, as is the name of the poem’s author. It falls under the category of lyric poetry, as it relates the personal thoughts and emotions of its speaker. It was also originally set to music, with the tune and lyrics serving as the muse for 16th-century composers and inspiring individuals even into the Victorian Period. Read through ideological and socio-historical lenses, the poem shows a clear religious influence and offers the “voice” of a lower-class laborer desiring respite and comfort. The various reincarnations of the poem over the centuries have made its interpretation difficult at times, as punctuation has been occasionally changed or words slightly altered. Certain elements remain steadfast, however, such as the poem’s appeal to nature, as the speaker desires the West wind to usher in weather more befitting their mood and desires. Complementing this desire regarding nature, the speaker likewise expresses a more personal wish, painting the picture of their ideal domestic setting. They hope for the embrace of their beloved and the peace and security provided by their home. Despite being only four lines long, the poem expresses profound themes: the security of the familiar, the unpredictability of nature, and the inevitability of change.

Poet Biography

The author of “Western Wind” is only listed as anonymous and its identity remains a mystery. The first written instance of the poem occurs in the 16th century, traced back by scholars to “A Tudor manuscript, a part-book probably owned by a musician in the court of King Henry VIII” (Frey, “Interpreting ‘Western Wind'.” ELH, vol. 43, no. 3, Autumn 1976, pp. 259-278). Academics believe that the lyrics themselves could date from the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries (“A Short Analysis of the Medieval Poem ‘Westron Wynde'.” Interesting Literature). The first printed version of the poem appeared in 1790 and over the following centuries the tune and the verses morphed into a number of different variations (Frey, “Interpreting ‘Western Wind'.” ELH, vol. 43, no. 3, Autumn 1976, pp. 259-278).

Poem Text

Western wind, when will thou blow,

The small rain down can rain?

Christ! If my love were in my arms,

And I in my bed again!

Anonymous. “Western Wind.” Poemhunter.com.

Summary

“Western Wind” opens with the speaker questioning this eponymous force of nature, asking the wind when it will blow. Depending on the placement of the question mark, the first two lines of the poem have been read in different ways. The speaker could be asking the West wind when it will finally blow, and then move on to give a description of rainfall. Or, the speaker could specifically be asking the West wind when it will blow the rain either towards or away from them. Either way, this appeal to nature turns into a frustrated exclamation to Christ. The speaker conveys their hope to be in the arms of their loved one and to be resting in their own bed.