Shakespeare’s “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind” stands as one of the most powerful songs in English literature. This haunting piece from “As You Like It” explores themes of betrayal, friendship, and human nature through the metaphor of harsh winter weather. The same play which gave us one of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches – the ‘seven ages of man’ speech beginning ‘All the world’s a stage’ – also gave us one of his most famous songs: ‘Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind’.
Table of Contents
Historical Context and Background
When Was “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind” Written?
Shakespeare wrote “As You Like It” around 1599-1600 during the height of his career.
The play belongs to Shakespeare’s romantic comedy period. This was a time when England experienced relative peace under Queen Elizabeth I.
The Forest of Arden setting reflects the Elizabethan fascination with pastoral themes. People sought escape from court politics and urban life.
The Song’s Place in “As You Like It”
“Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind” appears in Act 2, Scene 7 of the play.
Amiens, a lord and follower of Duke Senior in As You Like It, sings this song. The character serves as a court musician in the exiled Duke’s forest court.
The song comes after the famous “Seven Ages of Man” speech. This placement creates a thematic bridge between individual human experience and universal human nature.
Duke Senior’s court has fled to the Forest of Arden after being banished. The harsh winter setting mirrors their difficult circumstances.
Complete Text Analysis
First Stanza Breakdown
“Blow, blow, thou winter wind,” The speaker directly addresses the winter wind using the imperative mood. ‘wind’ would probably have been sung with a long i vowel sound, so it rhymed with ‘unkind’.
“Thou art not so unkind / As man’s ingratitude;” The central comparison begins here. The winter wind, though harsh, lacks the cruelty of human ingratitude.
“Thy tooth is not so keen, / Because thou art not seen, / Although thy breath be rude.” The wind’s “tooth” represents its biting cold. Its invisibility makes it less deceptive than human betrayal. The winter wind, being invisible, is less duplicitous than human ingratitude, which often masks itself behind a friendly, smiling demeanour.
The Refrain’s Meaning
“Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:” The exclamation creates a paradox. Despite the sad content, the tone remains cheerful. Although ‘heigh-ho’ can denote a sigh of resignation, it appears to convey joyfulness here, despite the negative mood of the preceding lines.
“Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:” This line reveals the song’s bitter truth about human relationships. Most friendships are fake, and most love is foolish.
“Then, heigh-ho, the holly! / This life is most jolly.” The holly symbolizes endurance through winter. Life remains joyful despite human failings.
Second Stanza Analysis
“Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,” The speaker now addresses the sky itself, welcoming its harshness.
“That dost not bite so nigh / As benefits forgot:” Forgotten kindnesses hurt more than physical cold. Even the coldest and bitterest frost in the air could not be as biting as ‘benefits forgot’: that is, people who have lost (or ‘forgot’) the advantages or blessings they have.
“Though thou the waters warp, / Thy sting is not so sharp / As friend remembered not.” The cold makes water ripple, but this physical effect pales compared to being forgotten by friends. ‘friend remembered not’ is both ‘the act of forgetting one’s friends’ and ‘the friend who is forgotten’.
Major Themes and Their Significance
Theme 1: Nature vs. Human Behavior
Shakespeare contrasts natural harshness with human cruelty throughout the poem.
Nature’s violence is honest and straightforward. A winter storm doesn’t pretend to be something else.
Human cruelty hides behind smiles and false friendship. This deception makes it more painful than natural disasters.
The poem suggests that natural hardships are preferable to human betrayal.
Theme 2: Betrayal and Ingratitude
Betrayal, fake friendship and bitter realities of human life are the major themes of this poem.
The speaker has clearly experienced deep betrayal. The repeated references to forgotten benefits and friends suggest personal pain.
Ingratitude appears as humanity’s worst trait. People forget kindnesses and abandon those who helped them.
This theme reflects the play’s larger concerns about loyalty and court politics.
Theme 3: Appearance vs. Reality
Most friendship is “feigning” – pretending to be real when it’s actually false.
The winter wind is “rude” but honest about its nature. Humans mask their cruelty behind pleasant appearances.
This theme connects to the play’s broader exploration of disguise and identity.
Literary Devices and Techniques
Personification
Shakespeare gives human qualities to natural elements:
- The wind has “breath” and “teeth”
- The sky can “bite”
- The weather has intentions and emotions
This technique makes the comparison between nature and humanity more vivid.
Metaphor
The poem uses extended metaphors comparing weather to human behavior:
- Wind’s “tooth” represents biting cold and harsh words
- Sky’s “bite” parallels human cruelty
- Winter’s “sting” mirrors emotional pain
Irony
The greatest irony lies in the refrain’s cheerful tone despite the bitter content.
The speaker claims “This life is most jolly” while describing human cruelty and betrayal.
This irony reflects the complex emotions of someone trying to maintain hope despite disappointment.
Alliteration
Shakespeare uses sound devices to create musical quality:
- “Blow, blow”
- “Freeze, freeze”
- “Benefits forgot”
These repetitions emphasize key ideas and create memorable phrases.
Character Analysis: Amiens as Speaker
Who Is Amiens?
Amiens serves as a courtier and musician in Duke Senior’s exiled court.
He remains loyal to the Duke despite their difficult circumstances in the forest.
His musical talents provide entertainment and comfort to the exiled nobles.
Why Does Amiens Sing This Song?
The song reflects the court’s current situation. They’ve experienced betrayal and exile from their former lives.
Amiens voices the collective pain of the exiled courtiers. His song gives expression to their shared disappointment.
The musical form allows for both complaint and celebration. The melody can lift spirits even while acknowledging harsh realities.
Amiens’ Perspective on Human Nature
Amiens shows deep cynicism about human relationships. He’s witnessed enough betrayal to generalize about friendship and love.
Yet he maintains enough optimism to call life “jolly.” This suggests resilience rather than despair.
His position as entertainer requires him to find ways to make difficult truths palatable.
Questions and Answers for Students
Basic Comprehension Questions
Q1: What is the main comparison in the poem? A: The poem compares the harshness of winter weather to human ingratitude and betrayal, finding human cruelty worse than natural hardships.
Q2: Who sings this song in the play? A: Amiens, a lord and follower of Duke Senior, sings this song in Act 2, Scene 7 of “As You Like It.”
Q3: What does “Most friendship is feigning” mean? A: This line means that most friendships are fake or pretended, not based on genuine affection or loyalty.
Q4: Why does the speaker address the winter wind directly? A: The direct address (apostrophe) makes the wind seem like a person, allowing for comparison with human behavior.
Q5: What is the significance of the holly in the refrain? A: Holly is an evergreen plant that survives winter, symbolizing endurance and hope despite harsh conditions.
Analysis Questions
Q6: How does the poem’s structure support its meaning? A: The alternating pattern of bitter verses and cheerful refrains mirrors the complex emotions of someone trying to remain optimistic despite disappointment.
Q7: What literary devices make the poem effective? A: Personification brings natural elements to life, metaphors create vivid comparisons, and irony highlights the tension between appearance and reality.
Q8: How does this song fit into the larger themes of “As You Like It”? A: The song explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the contrast between court life and natural life that run throughout the play.
Q9: What does the poem suggest about the relationship between nature and humanity? A: The poem suggests that natural forces, though harsh, are more honest and less cruel than human behavior.
Q10: How does the speaker’s tone contribute to the poem’s meaning? A: The paradoxically cheerful tone despite bitter content suggests resilience and the human capacity to find joy even in difficult circumstances.
Critical Thinking Questions
Q11: Do you agree with the speaker’s view that human cruelty is worse than natural hardships? Why or why not? This question encourages students to evaluate the poem’s central argument and form their own opinions based on evidence and experience.
Q12: How might the historical context of Shakespeare’s time influence the poem’s themes? Students can explore how court politics, patronage systems, and social hierarchies might have shaped Shakespeare’s portrayal of friendship and betrayal.
Q13: What modern examples might illustrate the poem’s themes about false friendship? This question helps students connect the poem’s themes to contemporary experiences with social media, networking, and modern relationships.
Comparison with Other Shakespearean Songs
“Under the Greenwood Tree” (Also from “As You Like It”)
Both songs celebrate natural life over civilized society. However, “Under the Greenwood Tree” focuses more on freedom and simplicity, while “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind” emphasizes human cruelty.
The mood differs significantly. “Under the Greenwood Tree” is purely celebratory, while “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind” mixes bitterness with forced cheerfulness.
Both songs use nature as a contrast to human society, but they reach different conclusions about the relationship.
“It Was a Lover and His Lass” (Also from “As You Like It”)
“It Was a Lover and His Lass” celebrates young love and spring, directly contrasting with the winter imagery and cynicism about love in “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind.”
The seasonal imagery creates a dialogue within the play about different stages of life and love.
Both songs use refrains effectively, but for opposite emotional effects.
Songs in Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Shakespeare’s tragic songs often share the bitter-sweet quality of “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind.”
Ophelia’s songs in “Hamlet” similarly mix madness with truth-telling.
The Fool’s songs in “King Lear” use humor to deliver harsh truths about human nature.
Relevance to Modern Readers
Contemporary Applications
The poem’s themes remain relevant in our age of social media and networking. Questions about authentic versus performative friendship persist.
Modern readers can relate to the experience of being disappointed by people they trusted.
The poem’s message about finding joy despite disappointment resonates with contemporary self-help and resilience literature.
Why Students Should Study This Poem
Understanding this poem develops skills in:
- Reading metaphorical language
- Analyzing complex emotional states
- Recognizing literary devices
- Connecting historical texts to modern experiences
The poem offers insight into Shakespeare’s psychological realism. Even in comedies, he acknowledges life’s genuine difficulties.
Students can explore how art processes difficult emotions and experiences.
Reading Recommendations and Further Study
Primary Sources
Read the complete text of “As You Like It” to understand the song’s context within the play.
Compare this song with other songs in Shakespeare’s comedies to understand his use of music as a dramatic device.
Study the play’s source material, particularly Thomas Lodge’s “Rosalynde,” to see how Shakespeare adapted and transformed existing stories.
Secondary Sources
For deeper analysis, students might explore works like Julius Caesar Act 2 Scene 1 Questions and Answers to understand Shakespeare’s dramatic techniques across different plays.
Critical editions of “As You Like It” provide valuable historical and literary context.
Studies of Shakespeare’s songs and their musical settings offer insights into Elizabethan performance practices.
Modern Adaptations
Examine how modern productions stage this song. Different interpretations can reveal new meanings in the text.
Compare musical settings by different composers to understand how music affects meaning.
Look for contemporary adaptations that update the poem’s themes for modern audiences.
Key Takeaways
- “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind” uses natural imagery to explore human betrayal and ingratitude
- The poem’s structure contrasts bitter observations with forced cheerfulness, reflecting complex emotional states
- Shakespeare’s personification of natural elements creates vivid comparisons with human behavior
- The song fits into “As You Like It’s” larger exploration of loyalty, friendship, and the contrast between court and country life
- The poem remains relevant today in its examination of authentic versus false relationships
- Understanding this poem develops skills in metaphorical reading, literary analysis, and emotional intelligence
- The work demonstrates Shakespeare’s psychological realism even within comedic contexts
FAQ Section
What is the main message of “Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind”? The main message is that human ingratitude and betrayal are more painful and cruel than the harshest natural forces like winter wind and cold.
Why does Shakespeare compare winter to human behavior? Shakespeare uses winter as a metaphor because it represents something universally harsh yet honest, contrasting with human cruelty that often hides behind false kindness.
What does the refrain “This life is most jolly” mean in context? The refrain creates irony by claiming life is joyful despite describing human cruelty, suggesting resilience and the determination to find happiness despite disappointment.
How does this song relate to the plot of “As You Like It”? The song reflects the experiences of Duke Senior’s court, who have been betrayed and exiled, yet must maintain hope and find joy in their forest refuge.
What literary techniques make this poem effective? The poem uses personification, metaphor, irony, and structural contrast between bitter verses and cheerful refrains to create emotional complexity and memorable imagery.
