Symbol Analysis
The wind is our great white hope in "Heat." It's what will save us from sweating to death. One of the coolest (pun very much intended) things about H.D. is her ability to make us anticipate—to feel or even see—a wind that isn't even in the poem. (Remember, folks, that our speaker just calls to a wind that doesn't exist. It never actually arrives.) The power of H.D.'s language is palpable, as we yearn for the non-existent wind so much that we can feel it.
- Lines 1-3: The speaker begs the wind to "cut" and "rend" the heat. H.D. figures the wind as having these powerful capabilities.
- Lines 10-13: Here is where we can almost feel the wind's power. The word "plough" is so evocative that we can anticipate the cool breeze cutting through the humid air. It's a striking image, especially considering the fact that wind isn't exactly something that you see.