16 pages 32 minutes read

Anonymous

Western Wind

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1500

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Background

Ideological Context

Since the exact date of the anonymous author’s creation of “Western Wind” is unknown, with possible time frames ranging from the 1300s through the 1600s, placing the poem within an exact contextual framework is challenging. However, looking at the religious context of the poem provides some consistency across all of these periods of composition. Christianity has influenced English history since St. Augustine arrived on English soil in the second century and began converting the Anglo-Saxons. By the Middle Ages, when the lyrics of “Western Wind” possibly originated, England was a Roman Catholic nation. Catholicism served as the main religion until Henry VIII split with the Roman Catholic Church in 1534 following Pope Clement VII’s refusal to annul King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon’s marriage. The Protestant Church of England resulted from this separation. While a Catholic monarch did once again stand on the English throne with Queen Mary in 1553, Queen Elizabeth I once more restored the Church of England as the primary faith when she gained the throne in 1558 (“Church of England.” Britannica). Therefore, whether “Western Wind” was composed under the influence of Catholicism or the influence of the Church of England, a definite, Christian influence exerted itself through the poem’s composer.

Related Titles

By Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Arden of Faversham

Anonymous

Arden of Faversham

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

A Woman in Berlin

Anonymous

A Woman in Berlin

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Bible (New Testament)

Anonymous

Bible (New Testament): English Standard Version

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Bible: Old Testament

Anonymous

Bible: Old Testament: English Standard Version

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Diary of an Oxygen Thief

Anonymous

Diary of an Oxygen Thief

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep

Anonymous

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Homeric Hymns

Anonymous

Homeric Hymns

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Lazarillo De Tormes

Anonymous

Lazarillo De Tormes

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Nibelungenlied

Anonymous

Nibelungenlied

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

One Thousand and One Nights

Anonymous

One Thousand and One Nights

Anonymous