The faces of nature range from pacifying to terrifying, all of which the Romantics explored. Yet what so often attracted them in nature was the aspects philosophers call the sublime: the wildness, inmensity, terror, and awesome grandeur of natural phenomena like the Alps or violent storms. To suddenly grasp nature’s power -whether just by seeing Niagara Falls or by living through a hurricane- is, while terrible, also exhilarating, even transporting.

When you read Ode to the West Wind, consider why people find such power (and fear) thrilling. What moves Percy Shelley so?  Why would he shout to the wind, “Be thou me…!”

Free writing:

Have you ever experienced the sublime aspect of nature? When? Freewrite about the scene and your emotions.

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