What is the symbolic meaning of “the west wind”? Key: The symbolic meaning of “the west wind” has many interpretations: (1) It symbolizes the rebirth after the destruction of winter. (2) Personally, Shelley sees it as a force that will revive him. When he feels that his power as a poet is declining, it is a wind of spirit and inspiration. (3) Socially and politically, the wind represents the forces seen in Europe in the past 30 years, overthrowing the long-established and corrupt social order in France and Italy. (4) Spiritually, it is the abstract expression or performance of the natural spirit, and it is the driving force behind the reincarnation of four seasons and the endless round of life and death.