Ode to the West Wind Resources

Videos

"Ode to the West Wind" Slideshow
This amateur video uses a slideshow of natural images to complement a reading of Shelley’s ode.

Audios

Reading of "Ode to the West Wind"

Listen to the full text of the poem read aloud for free at LoudLit.org.

Readings of Other Shelley Poems

This website for the BBC miniseries "The Romantics" has free audio readings of "Ozymandias," as well as selections from "Queen Mab" and "Adonais."

Images

Shelley’s Tomb
Percy Shelley’s grave in Rome reminds us of his intense life, sudden death, and preoccupation with mortality.

Historical Documents

"Ode to the West Wind" Manuscript

The Romantic Audience Project at Bowdoin College provides access to this scanned image of Shelley’s manuscript for "Ode to the West Wind."

"Ode to the West Wind" Full Text – 1919 version

This version of the poem, first published in Arthur Quiller-Couch’s 1919 anthology, the Oxford Book of English Verse, has very different punctuation and capitalization from that found in modern editions.

"Ode to the West Wind" Full Text – 1875 version

This is the poem as it was published in Francis T. Palgrave’s 1875 anthology The Golden Treasury. Try comparing this version to the one in the previous link. It’s interesting to see how different the poem feels with simple changes in line breaks, formatting, and punctuation.

Books

Complete Poetical Works by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Google Books provides free and complete access to this four-volume 1892 edition of Shelley’s poetry.

Shelley’s Poetry and Prose

This annotated edition from W. W. Norton includes lots of useful background material on Shelley’s life and the history of his poetry.

The Major Works by Percy Bysshe Shelley

This edition of Shelley’s poetry from Oxford University Press is inexpensive and authoritative.

Movies & TV

The Romantics 2006 BBC Miniseries
This three-part series from the BBC is part documentary, part reenactment, and provides a modern, intimate experience of Romantic poetry, including that of Percy Shelley.

Websites

The Percy Bysshe Shelley Resource Page

This site, managed by David J. Brookshire at the University of Maryland, is a great place to begin your research on Shelley.

Notes to "Ode to the West Wind"

An online copy of "Ode to the West Wind" with notes and commentary by Prof. Elizabeth Fay from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

"Ode to the West Wind" at Representative Poetry Online

Hosted by the University of Toronto library, this page includes the text of the poem, footnotes, and commentary by Ian Lancashire.