Ode to the West Wind

An ode is a poem of praise, often written in direct address to its subject. “Ode to the West Wind” is written in five numbered cantos, or sections. A canto functions similarly to a stanza, dividing the poem into discrete parts. Cantos are also typically used in long narrative or epic poems such as Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy (1320). This association amplifies the importance of the narrative in “Ode to the West Wind.” The speaker in this poem embarks on an emotional journey with the West Wind and experiences a radical transformation as a result of his efforts. Each canto in “Ode to the West Wind” consists of four tercets (three lines) and a rhyming couplet totaling 14 lines.

“Ode to the West Wind” is written in terza rima. Invented by Alighieri for his epic, terza rima uses tercets to create a complex, interlocking rhyme. In the first tercet, the end word of the first and third line rhyme, while the end word of the second line provides the rhyme for the first and third line of the next tercet.