Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "High Wind" by Elinor Wylie, the poem juxtaposes historical and emotional states, blending references to ancient philosophy and tragic events with the personal and social dynamics of the speaker’s ancestors. Through rich imagery and allusion, the poem explores themes of defiance, social conventions, and the contrast between outward propriety and the internal turmoil or courage of individuals. Wylie uses the character of Boeotius and the imagery of slave-ships to create a striking narrative of laughter, disarray, and aristocratic defiance.

The poem opens with the reference to “Boeotius”—a possible allusion to the ancient Roman philosopher Boethius, who was known for his writings on the nature of fortune and suffering, particularly in his work The Consolation of Philosophy. Boethius was often associated with themes of stoicism and the philosophical acceptance of life's misfortunes. The mention of him “laughing upon the windy corner’s / Decline” suggests a philosophical stance toward life that is somewhat detached from worldly matters, a stance that remains unaffected even as the forces of fate (represented by the wind) exert their influence. This image of laughter in the face of misfortune implies a philosophical or defiant attitude toward the inevitable decline of things, a laughter that is not born of joy but rather of acceptance or perhaps irony.

In contrast to Boeotius’s philosophical laughter, the speaker introduces her “female ancestors” who were described as “shocked” and “Investing eyes like Mid-Victorian mourners' / In veils of fear.” The image of “Mid-Victorian mourners” with their veils of fear evokes a sense of restrained emotion, mourning, and propriety typical of the Victorian era. These ancestors, who are unable to laugh in the face of decline, embody a more conventional response to hardship and change. The “veils of fear” suggest a sense of repression, a covering up of emotions or reactions that were deemed socially inappropriate in their time. The juxtaposition of these ancestors’ fearful response with Boeotius’s defiant laughter sets up a contrast between different ways of coping with adversity—through fear and repression, or through philosophical detachment and audacity.

Yet, in this family line, one ancestor “mocked” the others, a figure who stood apart from the conventional and fearful response. She alone, “careless and aristocratic,” laughed at Boeotius in his face, embodying a sense of carefree defiance and aloofness that mirrors the earlier image of philosophical detachment but is also imbued with a sense of aristocratic superiority. Her laughter, while similar to Boeotius’s, is not just a philosophical response; it carries with it an element of social rebellion. She is portrayed as divinely “static”—unmoved, unbothered, and perhaps even disdainful of the tumult around her. The “disarray divinely static” suggests a state of perfect calm or indifference in the midst of chaos or disorder, a kind of static grace that contrasts with the turmoil of the time.

The final image of “slave-ships foundered under Samothrace” introduces an element of historical tragedy. Samothrace, a Greek island, was associated with the ancient mysteries and myths, and it was the location of the famous Winged Victory of Samothrace sculpture. The image of “slave-ships foundered” suggests the destruction or failure of human enterprise, and the fact that the speaker’s aristocratic ancestor is indifferent to it underscores the detachment of the aristocracy, who, despite the suffering or collapse of the lower classes, remain aloof and untouched by such tragedies. The use of the word “foundered” also suggests not just physical destruction but moral failure or the collapse of something that was once whole or functional.

In "High Wind," Wylie juxtaposes philosophical detachment, aristocratic indifference, and the grim realities of human suffering. Through the contrasting images of Boeotius’s laughter and the ancestor’s mocking indifference, Wylie critiques the disconnection between different social classes and their responses to suffering and decline. The laughter in the face of tragedy becomes a symbol not of resilience or defiance in the face of adversity, but rather of an aristocratic detachment from the world’s harsh realities, ultimately questioning the moral implications of such indifference. The poem offers a reflection on how different individuals and social groups engage with the storms of life—whether through philosophical acceptance, fearful repression, or a cold, aristocratic indifference.

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