asking the wind to channel it's inspiration through his 'strings' as he is ready to be inspired. The passivity of the lyre is juxtaposed with the active trumpet that requires the wind to blow through it also but the effect is very different. The trumpet signals action and to this effect Shelley was most likely referring to the political turmoil that was rife in Europe at that time. The final line of the poem reasserts the cyclical nature of life. The question mark, however, lends ambivalence to the poem as Shelley refuses to explain to the reader his meaning and opens it up for greater critical analysis. The theme of inspiration is one that Shelley deals with in an in-depth manner in 'Ode to a West Wind'. The wind is the source of his inspiration and he attempts to force a marriage between the wind and his own position in life. However, he is unable to reach that conclusion and the result is that by trying to imitate the power and inspiration of the wind in his poetry he reduces it's initial impact by doing so. This decline and loss that is associated with composition is a significant part of Shelley's poetry and leads him to be one of the most despairing poets of his time. ...
