Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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    The wind is rising and the leaves are swept
    Wildly before it, hundreds on hundreds fall
    Huddling beneath the trees. With brag and brawl
    Of storm the day is grown a tavern, kept
    Of madness, where, with mantles torn and ripped
    Of flying leaves that beat above it all,
    The wild winds fight; and, like some half-spent ball,
    The acorn stings the rout; and, silver-stripped,
    The milkweed-pod winks an exhausted lamp:
    Now, in his coat of tatters dark that streams,
    The ragged rain sweeps stormily this way,
    With all his clamorous followers clouds that camp
    Around the hearthstone of the west where gleams
    The last chill flame of the expiring day.

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem presents a vivid, dynamic picture of a stormy day, using personification, metaphor, and striking imagery to bring to life the natural elements. The central theme revolves around the raw power of nature, and its constant, often chaotic, motion. The tone is somewhat tumultuous, reflecting the storm it describes, but there's also a sense of exhilarating freedom and wild energy, counterbalanced by the quieter, more somber imagery of the "last chill flame of the expiring day."

The structure of the poem is tightly crafted, with a consistent rhythm and rhyme scheme that gives it a steady beat, mirroring the relentless progress of the storm. Personification is a key literary device used throughout the poem, with the wind, leaves, acorn, and rain all described as if they have human characteristics. The wind "fights," the acorn "stings," and the rain "sweeps stormily." This animates the poem, making the scene feel alive and active. The metaphor of the day as a "tavern, kept/Of madness" is particularly striking, suggesting a place of wild, unruly activity. The poem also makes effective use of imagery, such as the "silver-stripped" milkweed-pod and the "coat of tatters dark" worn by the rain, to create detailed, sensory pictures that draw readers into its stormy world.