Symbol Analysis
This poem's called "Heat" and, duh, it's about the heat. With her spare but vivid language, H.D. transports us to a sweltering hot and humid day. This poem's images are so strong that not only do we feel warm, it's almost as if we can taste this heat. And, there's not a darn thing we can do about it, 'cause H.D.'s got an almost supernatural ability to transport us into the world of her poems. (But hey, we're gonna hold out for some wind right along with out speaker. Either that, or maybe a nice tall glass of iced tea.)
- Lines 1-3: The speaker begs the wind to "cut" and "rend" the heat. The heat is objectified here. Instead of shapeless weather, the heat is something that you can reach out and touch (and cut and rend)!
- Lines 4-9: Here, the heat is "thick." This word immediately transports us to a humid swampy day—one of those days where you can feel the water in the air.
- Lines 10-13: Again, the heat is objectified; the speaker wants the wind to "plough" through it. We hope there's a way out of this heat, but the wind never answers. Will we sweat ourselves to death? Or will the beloved wind come and save us?