In ‘ The Wind’, Ted Hughes utilises strong imagery that relies on metaphor and personification to represent the destructive power of nature. The application of imagery paints a sharper picture of the destruction and power the wind possesses. The poem mainly uses visual and auditory imagery. “The woods crashing” and “winds stampeding” evokes an image of the woods and winds having a personality. In the fifth stanza the quote “that any second would shatter it” establishes the idea that people cannot defend themselves from the powerful force of nature as the house is threatened by it. This idea is furthermore developed by people “seeing the window tremble to come in” implying that the house is ready to surrender to the storm, and therefore reminding the reader that nature is a force superior to humans which additionally conveys the impression of the wind being like a giant compared to the people. Even when Hughes is not employing personification or metaphor to create imagery, he creates images that convey strong emotion and heighten tension. This is displayed through the frightening image of the “blade-light.../ Flexing like the lens of a mad eye” as it combines images of a blade flashing violently and a large mad eye in the sky. This image is full of tension and apprehension. Imagery is therefore utilised in the poem to convey the power and the impact of the weather and how people feel helpless when they have to face extreme weather conditions.
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