Oread — Summary

An oread, or mountain nymph, calls out to the sea as if it were a forest. She commands the water to whirl up pointed pines, splash great pines against the rocks, and pour green pools of fir over her and her companions. The speaker does not shrink from this force—she asks to be covered by it. The poem feels like a spell or an urgent prayer, full of movement and wild longing. By blending waves with evergreens, it creates a mood that is cold, green, ecstatic, and slightly overwhelming, as though the sea and the forest have become one violent, beautiful presence.