The Power of Nature
The poem's driving theme is Nature's unrestrained, unpredictable power, and the extent to which natural forces determine human lives. The overarching conflict of "Wind" manifests between the speaker and the unrelenting storm outside. Much of the poem's drama lies in the question of whether or not the speaker and his company will succumb to the wind's force. The poem's tone and emotional resonance is embedded in this struggle: the overpowering strength of the wind serves as a metaphor for the stormy and unpredictable relation between the speaker and the second figure.
Powerlessness
In addition to nature's power, "Wind" also explores the theme of man's powerlessness when faced with overwhelming natural forces or virulent emotional experiences. When the speaker ventures outside of his house, he feels the wind's subordinating power; meanwhile, inside, the speaker and his company find themselves unable to "entertain" anything but the great fire before them. The passivity of the final stanza echoes this powerlessness: the characters only "watch," "feel," "sit," "see," and "hear" while the storm rages outside, threatening to enter their home.
Interpersonal Conflict
"Wind" is also about interpersonal conflict, and the ways in which these conflicts can escalate and provoke devastating consequences. We know that the wind also represents the conflict between the speaker and his company because of the conceptual resonance between natural forces and intense emotions. When the speaker and the second figure choose to watch the fire instead of "entertain[ing]" each other, they concentrate on their conflict, instead of looking for a solution or finding the courage to raise some defense against the storm outside.
