re not totally new, but that is the point Shelley is trying to make. He feels himself to be part of a continuing cycle. Since Shelley is an atheist the only way his soul can live on is through the "incantation" of his words. So, if his transcendence is to live on in eternity and create inspiration and change in others like the West Wind, then he has achieved something greater than he could have imagined. But whether he grasped a complete transcendence for himself while he was alive remains to be answered. It seems that it is only in his death that the "Wild Spirit" (13) could be lifted "as a wave, a leaf, a cloud" to blow free in the "Wild West Wind" (1). "When composition begins, inspiration is already on the decline" - P. B. Shelley Shelley deals with the theme of inspiration in much of his work. However it is particularly apparent in 'Ode to the West Wind' where the wind is the source of his creativity. The cycles of death and rebirth are examined in an historical context with reference to The Bible. The word inspiration has several connotations that Shelley uses in this 'Ode'. Inspiration is literally 'taking in breath' and wind, breath, soul and inspiration are all identical or related in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. They are all closely related in 'Ode to a West Wind'. Shelley's adaptation of Dante's work is evident throughout most of his writing. In 'Ode to the West Wind' it is quite apparent. He was writing this poem in a wood on the outskirts of Arno, near Florence, which is Dante's hometown. The use of the terza rima poem is Shelley's most obvious adaptation of Dante and he relies upon Dantesque ideas to write his poetry. The image of the leaves being blown by the wind "like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing"(l.3) depends on the Inferno in Paradiso for the image to have an effect on the reader. The various cycles of death and rebirth are examined with reference to the Maenads who were fabled to have destroyed Orpheus's body ...
