Question

What does Shelley ask of the West Wind in the last two stanzas of "Ode to the West Wind"? What does he want as a poet? Use examples from the text to support your response.

a) He asks the West Wind to bring him inspiration and make him a powerful poet. He wants to be a "lyre" and a "trumpet" to convey his thoughts and feelings.
b) He asks the West Wind to calm his mind and provide inner peace. He wants to be a "silent plectrum" to play the music of his soul.
c) He asks the West Wind to take him away from the world and into the realm of nature. He wants to be a "wholly passive instrument" in the wind's hands.
d) He asks the West Wind to grant him immortality and make him a timeless poet. He wants to be a "silent stone" that stands for eternity.

Answer 1

In the last two stanzas of "Ode to the West Wind", Shelley asks the West Wind for inspiration and power as a poet. He wants the West Wind to make him a "lyre" and a "trumpet" through which he can express his thoughts and feelings.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the last two stanzas of "Ode to the West Wind", Shelley asks the West Wind for inspiration and power as a poet. He wants the West Wind to make him a "lyre" and a "trumpet" through which he can express his thoughts and feelings. This can be seen in the lines "Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is:" and "Drive my dead thoughts over the universe/ Like withered leaves to quicken a new birth." Shelley wants the West Wind to unleash his creative potential and allow him to have a transformative impact on the world through his poetry.