Topic > Wilfred Owen's 'storm' and the symbolism of the tumult

For the ancient Greeks the concept of love was divided into six different categories: in particular eros represented the idea of ​​passion and sexual desire. While current societies tend to glorify this variety of romantic love, Greek culture viewed eros as something potentially dangerous; such intense ardor becomes man's downfall, his weakness and madness. For the main character of Owen's "Storm", it is this power of unrequited love that creates an omnipresent sense of turmoil throughout the verse. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay A major aspect of this piece's approach is the manipulation of pathetic fallacy to convey the speaker's feelings about the object of his or her affections. By comparing this person to the "storm" of the title, Owen simultaneously expresses his own feelings of inferiority and inadequacy. For example, the beginning speaks of beauty being "like a cloud with sparkling lightning"; it is a beauty as fascinating as it is dangerous, which immediately brings to mind the horror of being hit. In the speaker's case, being attracted to someone who could also be a source of harm is disconcerting and triggers the internal struggle that is carried throughout the following stanzas. Once again, the personification extends to the lover's cloud-like "shadow" of the speaker, almost as if it were haunting him, and their reaction is evident: "I trembled and was restless as a tree" . The discomfort caused is so great that the person trembles, but it is unclear whether this discomfort is the result of stupor, fear or anxiety: this ambiguity further supports the speaker's confused mentality. However, regardless, the person is "bent" to the sheer force of this storm: although he grapples with his internalized turmoil, he knows that there is an inescapable power that the subject has over him, a "brilliant danger" from to which he is madly attracted. .It is this same feeling that continues into the second verse: the character's hesitant acceptance of his infatuation. It is his duty to 'tempt that face to unleash its lightning': this metaphor exists as a final sentence, a fully formed sentence that serves as a stark confession to the reader. Despite the likelihood of unknown negative consequences, there is a willingness to at least try. However, the characteristic sense of disturbance and restlessness is still perpetuated. The lover is not only so unforgettable and dangerous that these qualities are immortalized in this metaphorical storm, but he is "more beautiful than love", too good to be true. As such, Owen's longing for someone so unattainable throws his heart into desperate longing, only further complicating the chaotic nature of the poem. In this simile we learn that not only are they in love with someone beautiful to the point of being fatal, but the implication is that this love may be unrequited. Owen's penchant for classical allusions is used to develop this point, referring to the Greek gods who will "laugh on high". Knowing that they are infatuated with someone who may not even know they exist is such a humiliating experience for the person that they can see a higher power tormenting them about it - but it is clear to the reader that this is created in the speaker's mind. This turmoil is imposed by themselves on the speaker, a feeling of internalized shame and stupidity that the lover's silence and difference have inflicted. For the person of Owen, the anguish of love is threefold: the previous quatrains dealt with the danger of this human storm and the pain of unrequited love, but the final stanza sheds light.