Read the poem.


To Winter

by William Blake


“O Winter! bar thine adamantine doors:

The north is thine; there hast thou built thy dark

Deep-founded habitation. Shake not thy roofs,

Nor bend thy pillars with thine iron car.”


He hears me not, but o’er the yawning deep

Rides heavy; his storms are unchain’d, sheathed

In ribbed steel; I dare not lift mine eyes,

For he hath rear’d his sceptre o’er the world.


Lo! now the direful monster, whose skin clings

To his strong bones, strides o’er the groaning rocks:

He withers all in silence, and his hand

Unclothes the earth, and freezes up frail life.


He takes his seat upon the cliffs; the mariner

Cries in vain. Poor little wretch! that deal’st

With storms, till heaven smiles, and the monster

Is driv’n yelling to his caves beneath mount Hecla.



adamantine: unbreakable


sheathed: encased


sceptre: a staff symbolizing power


withers: shrinks; enfeebles

mount Hecla: an Icelandic volcano that was believed to be a gateway to hell


How does the personification of winter affect the overall mood of this poem?

AIt creates a dark and foreboding mood through its description of winter’s acts.

BIt creates a vengeful and hostile mood through its description of winter’s final destination.

CIt creates a suspenseful and thrilling mood through its description of winter’s arrival.

(D)It creates a lonely and melancholic mood through its description of winter’s departure.