Why is the poem split into "The Tale" and "The Song" sections?

Field borrows from the **ballad tradition**, which tells a story in verse followed by a chorus or refrain that offers commentary. The "Tale" sections are intense — the Wind speaks directly, sharing confessions and laments. In contrast, the "Song" sections serve as a narrator reflecting on the emotional truth of the events. Together, they establish a call-and-response rhythm, giving the poem a sense of being intended for performance or song.

What does "recketh naught of the ruin wrought" mean?

It means the Wind **doesn't care** ("recketh naught" is an old way of saying "cares nothing") about the destruction that will come when summer ends. While falling in love, the Wind is totally unaware that this love is fleeting. This serves as a subtle warning woven into the happiest part of the poem.

What does "Sabaean" mean?

Sheba (or Saba) was an ancient kingdom, likely located in present-day Yemen or Ethiopia, known in the Bible and classical literature for its **exotic spices and perfumes**. When the narrator describes the Wind's breath as having "fragrance Sabaean," it suggests an incredibly rich and sweet aroma — the Wind is actually carrying the scent of the Rose, confirming that its story is genuine.

Is the Rose a real rose or a person?

She serves both purposes. Field uses the Rose as a **symbol of the beloved** — a woman, a person, a source of love — while also grounding her in the natural world, making her death in winter feel more inevitable than personally tragic. This duality provides the poem with its emotional depth: it works as both a nature poem and a love poem simultaneously.

What does "vigils with ghosts over the grave of the Summer" mean?

A vigil is a watch kept beside a body or grave, typically overnight. The Wind suggests it has been **watching over everything that has passed away** since summer came to an end — the Rose, the warmth, the love. The "ghosts" represent the memories of those things. This evokes a strong image of grief as an action you engage in, not merely an emotion you experience.

Why does Field use old-fashioned language like "cometh" and "sigheth"?

The old-fashioned verb endings lend the poem a **timeless, fairy-tale quality**, making it feel like a story from long ago that has always held a certain truth. This choice also ties the poem to the ballad tradition that Field was inspired by. The formal, somewhat elevated language gives the Wind's grief a dignified air instead of merely portraying it as sad.

What is the poem's message about love?

That **loving deeply and grieving deeply are the same thing**. The final song suggests that the Wind brings to the grave "such things as a true heart brings" — indicating that grief is evidence of love. The Wind's mourning isn't a sign of failure or punishment; it's a natural result of having loved something genuine. Rather than providing comfort, the poem acknowledges the heavy reality of loss.

The Annotated Edition

THE WIND by Eugene Field

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~3 minOpen reading mode →

A wind approaches a narrator and reveals its deep love for the Rose, only to return later in winter, heartbroken, to grieve her passing.

Poet: Eugene Field
Themes: love, memory, nature

The PoemFull text

THE WIND

Eugene Field

(THE TALE) Cometh the Wind from the garden, fragrant and full of sweet singing-- Under my tree where I sit cometh the Wind to confession. "Out in the garden abides the Queen of the beautiful Roses-- Her do I love and to-night wooed her with passionate singing; Told I my love in those songs, and answer she gave in her blushes-- She shall be bride of the Wind, and she is the Queen of the Roses!" "Wind, there is spice in thy breath; thy rapture hath fragrance Sabaean!" "Straight from my wooing I come--my lips are bedewed with her kisses-- My lips and my song and my heart are drunk with the rapture of loving!" (THE SONG) The Wind he loveth the red, red Rose, And he wooeth his love to wed: Sweet is his song The Summer long As he kisseth her lips so red; And he recketh naught of the ruin wrought When the Summer of love is sped! (AGAIN THE TALE) Cometh the Wind from the garden, bitter with sorrow of winter. "Wind, is thy love-song forgot? Wherefore thy dread lamentations?" Sigheth and moaneth the Wind: "Out of the desolate garden Come I from vigils with ghosts over the grave of the Summer!" "Thy breath that was fragrant anon with rapture of music and loving, It grieveth all things with its sting and the frost of its wailing displeasure." The Wind maketh ever more moan and ever it giveth this answer: "My heart it is numb with the cold of the love that was born of the Summer-- I come from the garden all white with the wrath and the sorrow of Winter; I have kissed the low, desolate tomb where my bride in her loveliness lieth And the voice of the ghost in my heart is the voice that forever outcrieth!" (AGAIN THE SONG) The Wind he waileth the red, red Rose When the Summer of love is sped-- He waileth above His lifeless love With her shroud of snow o'erspread-- Crieth such things as a true heart brings To the grave of its precious dead.

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A wind approaches a narrator and reveals its deep love for the Rose, only to return later in winter, heartbroken, to grieve her passing. The poem alternates between "tale" sections (the Wind's voice) and "song" sections (a chorus), weaving together a love story that moves from joyous romance to profound sorrow. It presents a brief, lyrical narrative illustrating how love and grief are intertwined aspects of life.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

Cometh the Wind from the garden, fragrant and full of sweet singing-- / Under my tree where I sit cometh the Wind to confession.
Editor's note
The poem begins with the Wind arriving at the narrator's tree, which is described as fragrant and singing. The word **confession** stands out — the Wind is ready to share something personal, much like a secret shared with a close friend. The old-fashioned verb form "Cometh" adds a fairy-tale, timeless feel to the whole piece from the very beginning.
"Out in the garden abides the Queen of the beautiful Roses-- / Her do I love and to-night wooed her with passionate singing;"
Editor's note
The Wind's confession: it has been wooing the Rose, calling her a queen. Singing to win her affection is a timeless romantic move, and the Wind's pride is clear. The Rose's reaction — **blushes** — is a lovely touch, as the natural reddening of a rose mirrors a woman's shy, happy response to a love confession.
"Wind, there is spice in thy breath; thy rapture hath fragrance Sabaean!"
Editor's note
The narrator only speaks once in the tale sections, replying to the Wind's excitement. **Sabaean** refers to Sheba, the ancient kingdom known for its spices and perfumes — meaning the narrator is saying the Wind actually smells sweet and exotic, carrying the scent of the Rose. This serves as physical evidence that supports the Wind's story.
"Straight from my wooing I come--my lips are bedewed with her kisses-- / My lips and my song and my heart are drunk with the rapture of loving!"
Editor's note
The Wind feels giddy, almost tipsy. The repetition of **lips, song, heart** shows just how deeply the Wind is wrapped up in this love. Using the word "drunk" hints that this joy is intense and a bit reckless, subtly hinting at the sorrow that lies ahead.
The Wind he loveth the red, red Rose, / And he wooeth his love to wed:
Editor's note
The first **Song** section takes a moment to step back from the narrative, offering a chorus-like summary of the Wind's love. The repeated phrase "red, red" mirrors Robert Burns's "A Red, Red Rose," amplifying the color's ties to passion and desire. In the last two lines of this stanza, there's a cautionary note — the Wind "recketh naught" (cares nothing) about the destruction that will come when summer fades. The joy is genuine, but it's also oblivious.
Cometh the Wind from the garden, bitter with sorrow of winter.
Editor's note
The second tale section begins with a sharp line that reflects the poem's opening but turns everything upside down. Where the Wind was once sweet and melodic, it has now become **bitter**. This structural echo amplifies the contrast—the same Wind, the same garden, yet a completely transformed world.
"Wind, is thy love-song forgot? Wherefore thy dread lamentations?"
Editor's note
The narrator wonders what happened to the Wind's joy. This question feels almost rhetorical since the reader likely knows the answer, yet it allows the Wind to share its sorrow. This moment reflects the earlier confession scene, establishing a balanced structure.
Sigheth and moaneth the Wind: "Out of the desolate garden / Come I from vigils with ghosts over the grave of the Summer!"
Editor's note
The Wind has been keeping watch over the dead season like a mourner at a graveside. **Vigils with ghosts** paints a vivid picture — the Wind is haunted by memories of its past joy. Summer takes on a human quality, as if it could be laid to rest, making the shift in seasons feel like a genuine loss.
"Thy breath that was fragrant anon with rapture of music and loving, / It grieveth all things with its sting and the frost of its wailing displeasure."
Editor's note
The narrator notes that the same breath that used to bring sweetness now brings cold and pain. This highlights the poem's central irony: the Wind itself hasn't changed, but what it brings has. The shift from the Wind's sweet perfume to icy frost symbolizes how grief takes the place of joy.
The Wind maketh ever more moan and ever it giveth this answer: / "My heart it is numb with the cold of the love that was born of the Summer--"
Editor's note
The Wind's prolonged lament. The phrase **numb with the cold** operates on two levels — the literal chill of winter and the emotional numbness that follows loss. The Wind speaks of kissing the Rose's "low, desolate tomb" and hearing a ghostly voice wailing from deep within its own heart. Grief has turned into a lasting, internal haunting.
The Wind he waileth the red, red Rose / When the Summer of love is sped--
Editor's note
The final **Song** reflects the first, changing "loveth" to **waileth** and "lifeless love" for living love. The Rose is now shrouded in snow. The closing lines represent the poem's emotional climax: the Wind brings to the grave "such things as a true heart brings" — suggesting that grief itself proves the love was genuine. Mourning is the ultimate expression of devotion.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone unfolds in two distinct phases. In the narrative portions, the Wind's voice goes from **rapturous and breathless** in summer to **mournful and hollow** in winter. Field employs archaic, elevated language throughout— using words like "cometh," "recketh," and "anon"— which lends the poem a timeless, ballad-like quality, suggesting that this story has been told for ages and will continue to be told. The song sections take on a more formal and choral feel, resembling a refrain in a folk song that steps back to offer commentary on the action filled with a kind of sad wisdom. By the end, the prevailing emotion is one of **tender, aching grief**— not anger or bitterness, but a deep sorrow.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Wind: The Wind is the poem's central figure and represents the **lover** — passionate, restless, and ultimately unable to resist time and loss. Wind is a natural force linked to change and transience, making it an ideal symbol for a story about love that cannot endure.
The Rose: The Rose symbolizes the **beloved** and embodies beauty itself — vibrant, alive, and ever-changing with the seasons. Her death arrives with winter, making the love story feel tragic from the outset, even when the Wind is at its most cheerful.
Summer: Summer represents the **season of love and life** — that fleeting time when beauty thrives and happiness seems within reach. When it ends, it feels like a true loss, almost like mourning, turning the seasonal change into a personal tragedy instead of just a natural occurrence.
Winter / Frost / Snow: Winter and its cold elements — frost, snow, the shroud — symbolize **grief, death, and the loss of sensation**. The Wind's breath shifting from fragrant to icy serves as the poem's key transformation, using temperature to reflect emotional states.
The Ghost: The ghost that the Wind hears in its own heart is the **memory of the Rose** — a love that has faded but won’t be quiet. This implies that grief isn’t merely sadness; it's a haunting presence, where the past continues to resonate within the person who loved.
The Grave / Tomb: The Rose's grave and the "grave of the Summer" turn what is usually just a metaphor into something tangible — the **end of a relationship or a season**. By grounding grief in a physical space (a spot where the Wind comes, watches over, and kisses), Field gives mourning a solid, almost ceremonial feel.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field wrote this poem in the late 1800s, a time when American poetry was still largely shaped by Romantic and Victorian influences from Britain. Today, he's mostly recognized for his children's poetry—his most famous piece being "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod"—but he also created lyrical poems for adults that incorporated folk-song patterns and classical references. "The Wind" showcases both aspects of his skill: it features the simple, melodic repetition typical of children's ballads while also conveying a deeper sense of loss and sorrow. The alternating "tale" and "song" structure draws from medieval narrative poetry and the ballad tradition, where a chorus reflects on the unfolding story. The mention of "Sabaean" fragrance alludes to the ancient kingdom of Sheba, often used in the Victorian era as a shorthand for exotic and mythical richness. Field passed away at the young age of 45, and his work frequently hints at an awareness that beauty and life are fleeting.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

On the surface, it's a love story between the Wind and a Rose. The Wind woos the Rose in summer, but she withers when winter arrives, leaving the Wind in sorrow. However, it’s truly about how **love and loss go hand in hand** — the very force that allows you to experience joy also brings about the deep pain of grief when that joy fades.

Best Poems About Love

Account

Site

THE WIND by Eugene Field

THE WIND

What this poem is about

Recurring themes

Stanza by stanza, with notes

How this poem feels

Symbols & metaphors

Historical context

Questions readers ask

Poems in the same key

The Darkling Thrush

ODE TO THE WEST WIND.

Annabel Lee

Requiem

The Sick Rose

Similar poems

More by Eugene Field

Themes in this poem