If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
If winter comes, can spring be far behind? This poem is very famous, but its interpretation is not consistent. Scholars in China usually interpret this as the poet's confidence in the future, because spring does come after winter.
However, some western scholars believe that this may also indicate the poet's own doubts about this prediction. Because Shelley doesn't seem to advocate violence and revolution to solve problems, this can be seen from his defense of negative resistance in the poem The Mask of Anarchism.
Obviously, Shelley hopes to achieve thorough social change or personal inspiration rebirth through non-violent means.
He once wrote in the book 182 1 Spring: "Spring is not to oppose winter, but to inherit winter-dawn is not to oppose the night, but to evacuate the night." ("Spring doesn't resist winter, but it overcomes winter-dawn doesn't resist night, but it dispels night." )
So this line of questions at the end of Shelley's ode to the west wind may be the real question. In other words, it is an open question whether political change or social change is as inevitable as continuous change in nature.
Extended data:
The whole poem consists of five sections, which are always sung around the west wind as a symbol of revolutionary power. The first section describes the power and function of the west wind, and the line 14 points out the destroyer and protector, which are two themes throughout the poem. The second poem uses clouds, rain, hail and lightning to describe the power of the west wind; The third section writes that the west wind acts on waves;
The fourth section is about the feelings brought by the west wind to the poet. The poet told Xifeng that he hoped to be carried away by the wind like a dead leaf. Although he is not as free as the unruly rain and wind, he can also share its fierce power. In the last sentence, the poet asked Xifeng to help him sweep away his lethargy, spread the poem in all directions, and awaken the sleeping earth.
The last two sentences "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" It is predicted that the spring of revolution will come soon, which brings encouragement and hope to people living in darkness and difficulties. This poem expresses the poet's hatred of reactionary and decadent forces, his ardent hope and firm belief that the revolution will eventually win and a bright future, and profoundly reveals the objective law that new things will surely overcome old things.