Wind

In addition to being the poem’s main topic, the wind is both literal and a symbol for a violent and destructive power commanding both weather and human relationships. Not only does the wind ravage the landscape— its “crashing” (Line 2), “booming” (Line 2), “stampeding” (line 3), and “flexing” (Line 8) cause the natural environment to “flounder” (Line 4), “quiver” (Line 13), “tremble” (Line 23), and “cry out” (Line 24)—but also the domestic world within the house is destroyed by the shifting landscape. Although wind cannot be seen, its presence is an obvious force of nature. The power of the wind is so strong that it does not seem to come from any one place; rather, the wind is all around and is therefore both merciless and destructive. Wind as a symbol also suggests change, and in the case of this poem, the seemingly arbitrary shifts coupled with the sheer power of the wind’s force shows the couple to be as internally storm-tossed as the landscape outside. Rather than clutch at each other for comfort, the domestic wind forces the couple to be separate. The agitation and disruption caused by the literal wind of the ongoing storm is mirrored in the couple's silent argument.