THE WIND BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
The Wind
I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies’ skirts across the grass—
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all—
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
About the Poet
Robert Louis Stevenson was a famous Scottish writer known for his poems and adventure stories. He wrote in a simple and imaginative style that children enjoy. His poems often describe nature in a lively and interesting way.
One of his most popular works is Treasure Island, an exciting adventure story. In his poem “The Wind,” he beautifully shows how something we cannot see can still be powerful and full of life.
New Words
In the poem “The Wind,” the poet describes how he sees the wind making kites fly high and pushing birds across the sky. He hears it moving all around, soft like a flowing skirt over grass, and notices that it blows all day, making loud, musical sounds. Although he observes many things the wind does, he cannot see it, even though he can feel and hear it clearly. The poet describes the wind as strong and cold and wonders about its nature—whether it is like a wild animal or a playful child. Through these ideas, the poem shows that the wind is powerful, active, and invisible, yet full of life.
🌬️ Stanza 1
“I saw you toss the kites on high”
The poet sees the wind making kites fly high in the sky.
“And blow the birds about the sky;”
The wind pushes and moves the birds as they fly.
“And all around I heard you pass,”
He hears the sound of the wind moving everywhere.
“Like ladies’ skirts across the grass—”
The wind moves softly, like a dress brushing over grass.
“O wind, a-blowing all day long,”
The wind keeps blowing the whole day.
“O wind, that sings so loud a song!”
The wind makes loud, musical sounds.
Stanza 2
“I saw the different things you did,”
The poet notices many actions of the wind.
“But always you yourself you hid.”
The wind itself cannot be seen.
“I felt you push, I heard you call,”
He can feel the wind and hear its sound.
“I could not see yourself at all—”
But he still cannot see the wind.
“O wind, a-blowing all day long,”
The wind keeps blowing continuously.
“O wind, that sings so loud a song!”
Again, he repeats that the wind makes loud sounds.
🌬️ Stanza 3
“O you that are so strong and cold,”
The wind is powerful and chilly.
“O blower, are you young or old?”
The poet wonders about the age of the wind.
“Are you a beast of field and tree,”
He imagines if the wind is like a wild animal.
“Or just a stronger child than me?”
Or maybe the wind is like a playful but stronger child.
“O wind, a-blowing all day long,”
The wind keeps blowing all the time.
“O wind, that sings so loud a song!”
The wind continues to make strong, musical sounds.
Literary Devices in “The Wind”
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Personification
The wind is treated like a person.
Example: “I saw you toss the kites…”
The wind is shown as if it can act like a human.
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Simile
Comparison using like or as
Example: “Like ladies’ skirts across the grass”
The wind’s movement is compared to soft, flowing skirts.
-
Repetition
Words or lines are repeated
Example: “O wind, a-blowing all day long…”
Repetition makes the poem musical and emphasizes the wind.
-
Imagery
Creates pictures in our mind
Example: “Toss the kites on high”
We can imagine kites flying in the sky.
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Alliteration
Same starting sound repeated
Example: “sings so loud a song”
Repetition of the “s” sound.
-
Rhyme
Words at the end of lines sound similar
Example: high – sky, pass – grass
Makes the poem rhythmic and pleasant.
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