Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind By William Shakespeare
ORIGINAL TEXT
MODERN TEXT
AMIENS
AMIENS
(singing)
(sings)
Blow, blow, winter wind.
Blow, blow, thou winter wind.(A)
You aren’t as harsh
Thou art not so unkind(A)
As men’s ingratitude.Your teeth aren’t as sharp,
As man’s ingratitude.(B)
As you are invisible,
Thy tooth is not so keen,[C ]
Even though your breath is an assault.
Because thou art not seen,[C ]
Heigh-ho! Sing, heigh-ho! Sing to the green holly.
Although thy breath be rude.(B)
Most friendship is false, most love simply
foolishness.
Heigh-ho, sing heigh-ho, unto the green
Then heigh-ho, to the holly.
holly.
This life is really jolly.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving
Freeze, freeze, you bitter sky,
mere folly.
Your bite isn’t as painful
Then heigh-ho, the holly.
As when good deeds are forgotten.
This life is most jolly.
Even though you can freeze water
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
Your sting is not as sharp
That dost not bite so nigh
As the friend who is forgotten.
As benefits forgot.
Heigh-ho! Sing, heigh-ho! Sing to the green holly.
Though thou the waters warp,
Most friendship is false, most love simply
Thy sting is not so sharp
foolishness.
As friend remembered not.
Then heigh-ho, to the holly.
Heigh-ho, sing heigh-ho, unto the green
This life is really jolly.
holly.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving
mere folly.
Then heigh-ho, the holly.
This life is most jolly.
The poem entitled 'Blow! Blow! Thou Winter Wind' is a song sung by the character named
Amiens in the drama written by William Shakespeare. Amiens is one of the lords who have by their own
choice come with Duke Senior, who had been banished by his brother. Amiens sings this song
commenting upon the ways of the world, and human ingratitude which is more biting than the piercing
cold winter wind.
The poet in the very beginning addresses the winter wind and says that it can blow as much hard
as it likes because it is not so harsh and rude like man's nature of being ungrateful. The attack of the
winter wind is not so sharp because it is not visible although it is bitingly cold.
The poet asks the frosty sky to freeze because it won't cause him deep pain as caused by his friends who
forget his favors instead of being thankful. The poet says that although the waters are frozen they don't
cause sharp pain like one caused by his friend, who doesn't even bother to remember him. Thus, the
frozen faces of the world are more painful than the frozen waters.
We should always be singing throughout the year like 'holly' (an evergreen plant). The poet here
says that the friendship is only a pretence and loving is nothing but absurdity and foolery. He again tells
that life is very wonderful and should be fully enjoyed. It is like a song and should be sung.
The poet here projects a harsh reality through his song. The celebrated poet Shakespeare is known for his
wise words. He is his same self here. His statements are weighty, pithy and precisely correct.
A word about the form: The verses are written in iambic trimeter (taDUM taDUM taDUM), using the
rhyme scheme AABCCB. The chorus is written in dactyls - a poetic foot consisting of three syllables, one
stressed and two unstressed (DUMtata DUMtata). There are four feet per line, making the chorus dactylic
tetrameter, if you care to know such things. (Probably you don't :) :D
GUIDED PRACTICE &CHECKS FOR UNDERSTANDING
QUESTIONS:
1. Who is the speaker is addressing to?
2. Why is friendship false?
3. Why is love foolish?
4. Why does the speaker ask the sky to freeze?
5. Why is the winter’s wind tooth not so sharp? 6. Which is more unkind- the winter wind or
man’s ingratitude?